Tag Archives: war

COLD SLAP

Another night of fractured dreams

led me to the door where meaning lives

alone in the night sky

where dreams blew through 

on cold winds of sheeted snow.

Swift yet slow, snow assaulted daffodil

who raised her face up and up and up

until deflated by the stinging slap of snow.

Then, daffodil, without a frown, bent down low.

With the dawn the snow is gone.

Cold remains. Its heavy space 

tightening down the hope of grace

from sunny skies and warmer nights,

with gentling dreams of peace

and days of  love’s delight 

to make the world right.

Whence sleep can, once again,

make dreams whole.

LESSONS IN THE SPRING SNOW

They laugh aloud, the daffodils.

as snow falls, they turn up their faces

to catch a taste of cold.

Magnolia opens wide her blooms

no longer tight, and catches flakes

of snow on her pink face.

The herbs and perennials close ranks.

Sheltered by mulch they give thanks

for the gardener’s attention

to the Spring dissension 

among the four winds’ direction.

a morning walk among the brethren

of the garden and its domain

builds trust and faith and hope

in the resilience of plant life.

and promises despite the strife

of pestilence and war

human life will endure.

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GOOD FRIDAY

The Cross appeals stronger than fear,

as I lay my burdens near,

bathed in remorse

at the nailed feet

of One so dear.

At this place

we place,

and replace,

His suffering

with our own,

hoping to rise

as did He

from the Cross

to eternity.

Still deeply planted

as the strongest tree

in the dark soil

of humanity,

bathed with great sorrow

by sinful rains

which flow so easily.

Prostrate with grief

which must not last

lest I forget my real task

to protect the earth

and all who live 

on a planet where too many

have forgotten how to forgive.

“Father forgive them, 

for they know not what they do.”

could easily apply to me and to you.

thus, I stand on this page

and send love and peace

to those in the midst of war

and to those who plead

make war no more.

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STOP SIGNS AND MIRACLES

Miracles happen every day

at each stoplight along the way.

Strangers meet unexpectedly

pausing quite respectably

to show one another every courtesy.

Without the light to make us pause

would we engage in such holy cause

as honoring the rights of others

before our own druthers?

We should not therefore, be surprised

when war is stopped before our eyes.

It can be done, it surely must pay

that we practice such moves every day;

in the simplest of ways, on every byway.

So, I sit at the light and silently pray

for the miracles to come today.

Every stop light and stop sign 

give me hope in the universal design

which I desperately implore.

Make war no more.

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DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE!

“Don’t make me come in there”, Dad shouted

from the kitchen, cozy and warm,

while all hell broke loose in the living room

from mischievous children whose game had turned

dangerous and destructive. 

Their shouts and grunts warned

as tables overturned and the sound of breakage

stridently and crazily alarmed 

Dad and Mom, and the children themselves.

“He started it!”, we inevitably yelled back.

“Then he better stop it right now. 

You have five minutes to restore

anything out of place, no more,

before I come in there and settle the score.”

So we did. So it was. 

Our childish game turned deadly war ended.

Dad was our Security Council.

We were expected to be a United Nation,

a family which agreed to treat one another with civility.

If we could not act with dignity, Dad came to assure

that we did. We did not decide our world order

on our own. We had no power to block Dad’s

insistence we act right and avoid discord.

Is it time for Dad to go into the kids’ room?

Is it time for Dad to go into Ukraine?

No reason to let the war continue on for years

while blood drains from sons and daughters

upon Ukrainian soil; where cities fall desolate

as buildings fall like overturned tables

and the house seems ready to fall apart,

and a family is left , bereft in tears.

Dad knew that children who cannot contain themselves

must be stopped in their destructive ways

before they harm the harmony of a united family

and destroy the entire house and all within, then spill out.

Is it time for Dad to go into the room?

Is it time for Dad to go into Ukraine?

My Dad would say, “Your five minutes are up.

I am coming in there!”

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HAIKU

Playground turf or nation

must always be defended.

Best always to win.

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HOPE STREET

Where does hope begin or end?

Hope is not a one-way street, I know.

Hope folds back upon itself and those

who travel its streets come and go.

Hope gets caught up in the dark fold

and holds its breath until the street unfolds

where freedom lights and warms the soul

and breath can find its rhythm again.

Wins and losses racing down these streets

means little on this stretch where war has taken hold.

the streets of Harkiv, Cherniv, Chernobyl,

Kyiv, Lviv, and Mariupol and the many towns

and villages along the way show us hope 

passed this way on its way to war and back again.

Bodies lying twisted on Ukrainian streets

executed and abandoned show hope passed through

on its way to our own streets, to our own end.

Hope folds back again and again and again

until our streets meet Ukrainian streets,

util our humanity meets in the streets everywhere,

until we discover all streets meet end-to-end.

Our hopes fold and unfold together on the road

to war and peace, to evil or good, to hatred or love.

Where does hope begin or end?

With each of us.

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NEGOTIATION

Eyes in the back of the head.

Negotiations with liars.

False flags of intent.

Time ill spent?

Honor builds trust.

Honor’s cup was emptied.

Not so long ago we forget.

Chechnya, Syria,Georgia

Ukraine.

Fill the cup with honor first ,

Else we drink 

from a poisoned cup.

Do not wait, nor hesitate

to defend against war

delayed not ended.

Eyes wide open.

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GAWKING UKRAINE

Gawkers run to scenes 

which stir the blood.

Existential fear draws them on 

and eases their souls.

For a moment they

forget they are always 

alone.

Always, in all ways.

Finding companionship

wherever they may,

they push loneliness away

and hide their fear

in jeers and cheers.

Sincerity is often lost

in their witnessed strife, 

so much a part of life.

Watching without charity 

while claiming solidarity

with those who suffer

is never enough to unite us,

to overcome our aloneness.

Those who suffer await more

than witnessing and words.

Action speaks louder than words.

Weapons speak louder during war.

Zelensky clearly explains 

“I need ammunition, not a ride.”

He humbly sets aside pride

to admit what we all know. 

He is alone,

like all Ukrainians,

like each of us.

Opening boundaries 

among nations and hearts

is a good start.

We will remain alone

no matter how much we gawk

unless we do more to atone,

more to end suffering and war

we will always stand alone.

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HOTHEADS AND HOT PLANETS

Temperature dropped fifty degrees.

It snowed last night, to pansy’s surprise.

Such cold stills connections

among the creatures of this earth.

How much colder is space beyond

this planet we are on.

Billions of suns, most yet unknown,

leave dark space frozen,

dark matter hidden from our view.

What connections are possible

between planets, when those on earth

are few and far between?

How do we reach each other

beyond the coolness and disdain

for others we see as not the same?

How do we warm up the atmosphere

to allow friendships to form and hold

us safe from violence and war?

How do we share warmth

without setting fires to enflame

nations, planets, universes?

Time to figure it out.

The clock is ticking.

Hotheads are rising

despite the falling snow

trying to cool tempers

and temperatures.

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SEND IN THE PLANES

It is uncomfortable.

It causes pain.

Is it insane?

or, is there a good reason

to refrain 

from sending in the planes?

Watching a fight

from the sidelines

is no way to win the bout. 

Democracy must win.

Never doubt.

Planes sit on tarmacs

as children die

in the arms of the wounded.

It is uncomfortable

to watch their pain.

Send in the planes!

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