Dance of sweet dreams and nightmares.

I'm old today. The people who accept war as norm. Will they accept their children dying for religion and hate?

                          Dance of sweet dreams and nightmares.

The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us.

      -- Black Elk (1863-1950)

Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.

      -- Buddha (560-483 B.C.)

Peace, in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where human rights are respected, where people are fed, and where individuals and nations are free.

      -- The XIVth Dalai Lama



Sweet child of mine.
Loaded on a plane for war.
Kids with hope and dreams.
Learning blood and death.

I remember my father face when I left for war.
I wonder did his mother have the same?

I remember my father talking to dead friends buried in the dirt of Korea.
He drank the rum till one day it killed him. He told me once.
I will see Uncle John soon. Old friends are waiting for me.

Now I drink the long Islands ice teas and
I understand my father path.
I wish for old friends voices and mourn for their children left alone
without the love a father.

My children can fight in war now.
My child can fight and die for peace.

I believe peace and war cannot be spoke with meaning in the same sentence.
Peace is for the people far away from wealth and a greedy government.
Peace is when great Governments send food, water and medicine.

War is used to cause separation.
Fighting in Syria. Destroying a great country over politics and control.
Israel threatening neighbors. Who will pay?

A raised fist isn't the road to peace and calm.
USA need to quit sending guns and bullets.
Every person killed by a United state weapon.
Mean we were involved and active.

Hate bring more hate.
Blood create more desire for revenge.
Can be 10,000 mile away.
Still be the killer of woman and children.

Sweet child of mine.
Please fight for peace.
Offer water, food and medicine.
I'm so tire of war.

People will read the poem.
Tell me war is necessary.
I wonder?

What will they do when their baby come home wrapped in a flag?
I will cry with them and we will wish we stood and fought for peace.
Not supported war.

Easy fix to keep our borders protected.
Use the Soldiers fighting in places we are not wanted. Bring all soldiers home.
Do detail checks of all people entering the USA.
Don't allow the bad folks in.
We are giving money to nations who hate us.
Time to close the bank. Take care of the people of the United States and friends.

Grandchildren are growing up.
I had a bad dream.
I dream I took my Grandson to the airport to go to war.
I saw my father's tears and pain in my eyes.

How many deaths will it take for us to learn?
No-one win in war.
The children pay for our sins and hate.

                            
                             Coyote


Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.

      -- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)





                    

Author's Note

Any mistakes. Assist a old man. Never too old to learn.

Reviews

[gabrielle]

This is a truthfully profound political statement. Governments are training soldiers and sending them to war all in the guise for peace. But in the process of sending these soldiers to war, the trauma that they experienced deprived them of inner peace. This piece, written from a point of view of a grandfather and father, makes it even more poignant.

[Dhaye]

I have known you as a concerned person from your previous works about war. You hate war. You are already tired of war. Well, who likes it anyway? We all hate war. The weak suffers from this pain. You are right. The war must be stopped. But how? "Peace cannot be kept by force", but it's the opposite of what's happening.

A very moving piece, CP. Thanks for this.

[Ken Simm.]

When we stop thinking as citizens and start thinking as humans.

[Chris]

Of course there were flaws... but they aren't the issue to me this time. We have our thoughts and individual understandings. We each have out life experiences to reflect upon and deal with. We walk and have walked within our nightmares. We've mostly survived our fears - at least as we could.

Are we our "brothers" keeper? And if so what is it - who is it - that decides what it is we "keep"? Peace is determined to be the end-all of worth - the ultimate WANT. But what is "peace"? Whose definition is definitive and what if it's not universally and unilaterally accepted by the entire world population on every given day of humanity's existence?

I did understand what you said. I acknowledge the pain inherent with all the alternatives that take/took place. I don't even offer a but... and yet life ALWAYS does provide it all on its own. THAT makes it all the sadder.