Peace & Justice
Long Road
I understand it’s a long road to peace, he said,
but I’m still hoping to get a ride part way
because I’m so out of shape from the 90’s.
Losing Battle
I mainly like life to be peaceful
with a few loud noises thrown in
to remind me to be grateful
for the quiet I have, he said.
How is it going so far? I said
& he shrugged & said
he had children
& that was enough for me
to buy him a beer.
In The Heart of The World
In the heart of the world there is a place that holds the secret names of the rocks & the trees & all the children of the earth & around it gather women & men who hold it dear & each night they stand together to keep it safe for as long as it takes till morning comes & no matter what you have been told, this will always be so, in the heart of the world.
Incurable Optimist
scattering little bits of happiness everywhere she goes, except at home because her family told her to get out & leave them in peace for godsakes
High Places
He carried a ladder almost everywhere he went
& after awhile people left all the high places to him.
Happy Camper
What if we all got along & people loved each other & sang songs about peace? he said. Would that be a good world? & I said I didn’t know about that, but it would be a good summer camp & he looked at me & shook his head & said, It’s no wonder you’re leaving us with such a mess.
Hard Work
Why is peace so hard? she said & I said peace is easy. Keeping our mouths shut is hard.
Future Things #1
Things to know about the future. #1: It doesn’t have to look any particular way, but around here, if it doesn’t, a lot of people will never speak to you again
General Confusion
I used to be pretty clear on what was real & what I made up, but with everything going on in the world, none of that seems to matter, so I just decided to talk less & smile to myself more, so as not to add to the general confusion
Free Will
That’s the thing about free will, he told us. You can drag me along, but there’s no way in hell you can make me have fun.
Free Country (aka Confusing World)
Why is the world so confusing? he said & I said it’s only confusing if you believe it has to make sense & he looked at me & shook his head.
I can’t believe they let just anyone have children, he said.
First Thing
He tried hard to tell the truth but it wasn’t always that obvious, so usually he just said the first thing that came to mind.
Color Blind
What color are souls? she said &
I said, Color isn’t that much of an issue
when you’re talking souls.
Broken Down
this is a machine that’s supposed to make people good &
true & kind & the funny thing is that it works best
when it’s completely broken down so everyone has to stop what
they’re doing & get together & figure out how to fix it.
Big Strange Family
I don’t think of it as working for world peace, he said. I think of it as just trying to get along in a really big strange family.
Big Strange Family (feminine)
I don’t think of it as working for world peace, she said. I think of it as just trying to get along in a really big strange family.
Bigger Shoes
When I was young, I used to wear my father’s shoes & stomp around, making the world a better place for us all & today I see I’m not the only one who did that & those shoes aren’t anywhere big enough for who we are now.
Belly of the Pig
Every day he stood in front of the Bank of America. You’re trapped in the belly of a big pink pig, he said. We ignored him. We had work to do.
Benign Neglect
If I ran the world, he told me, I’d pretty much leave it alone & spend my time reading & I’d advise other people to do the same. Which is why I’ll probably never run the world, he said.
Awakening
In those days, we finally chose to walk like giants
& hold the world in arms grown strong with love
& there may be many things we forget in the days
to come, but this will not be one of them.