Imagine there is no war, my friend.

Just words

                            

                                      Imagine there is no war, my friend.

        Dear child
The world weeps blood.
Whole world blinded by hate and separation.
Who will tell the child?
He was born with no chance or opportunity.
Born to learn to survive daily.
Living in refugees camps. Unwanted and forgotten.


--------------------------------
        By a River
I drove by a river with food, water and medicine on a Red Cross mission.
I saw bodies floating in the river.
Me and my soldiers dragged the bodies to the shore.
24 people. Old people and children.
Beaten to death and left.
Me and my soldiers cried for the people killed for the sake of religion.
We prayed they found a better place.
I wondered did God see the pain and the suffering of our world?
I learned this day how cold man can be.

                                 John Castellenas/Coyote

Author's Note

Just words.

Reviews

[Echoes of Eros]

You speak something so powerful about our world through these experiences. There is overwhelming pain all around us, and we have the means to create peace, yet too many cling to hate and division. Maybe it's not too late for us yet.

[Coyote Poetry]

I hope we haven't pass the point of no return. Wars doesn't create winners and hate create a hurricane of death and new anger. A old quote from somewhere. "You killed my father. You did not kill his dream. I'm his child and I will live to revenge his death." Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Pryde Foltz]

The media and memory can veil the peace that is available to all at all time. God sees all and is always there but sometimes we have to wipe our vision clean to see ourselves. A poignant and strong write, John:)

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Pryde. God must be disappointed with the deeds and actions of man. I'm.

[Pryde Foltz]

I don't think God judges

[Lydia Shutter]

So much more than "just words", John. Yes, there are children who are born into a life that will be so tough....a life without any hope of changing. We need only turn on the nightly news to see tragedy. Children starving and looking for a permanent home. The impact of your words is strong. The emotions are powerful. Lydi**

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Lydia. Last month. England turn down 300 children. In WW2. One man saved 700 children from Germany hate. Today 7000 Jewish men and women are alive and well. It is sad we forget. Kindness bring more kindness. Love bring more love. Mercy bring hope to the people without chance.

[zephyr]

A heart-wrenching write. I dream of a world with no war as often as I can. I try to remember on this planet the peaceful land greatly outnumbers the warring. Great write.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you for reading and the comment. When the meek won't accept war. War will stop.

[Usman Muhammad]

A very sad poem which makes you wonder in what chaotic world we are living.
Every line seemed to be asking a lot of questions to this so-called humanity.
The message of the poem is very sad and deep and leaves you in a state where you could understand the pain of those who went through it.
Please keep writing, world needs writers like you to show them the mirror whenever they feel they need it.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Usman. We must learn. Every life had value. Every child need a fair chance.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear John, There is more to heaven and earth than we
can ever fathom. The Holy Spirit is among us and
I can feel the presence of angel wings. We want
heaven on earth, however we can only have faith
that there is a prophecy that has a plan. The video
is beautiful. We need to encourage each other with
poetry and song. Well penned verses. Truly, Pat

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Pat for reading. It is terrible what man does to each other for the sake of religion and belief.

[Patricia Wedel]

dear John, there is a fight between good and evil... truly, Pat

[Coyote Poetry]

I know. I have seen it up close.

[h d e rushin]

the images of the refugees just break my heart. 1000 lost in an overturned, overcrowded wooden boat?
I let the cat out and pour a bowl of Honeynut Cheerios, the gluten free kind. What I mean is that
it breaks my heart of metaphor. My heart of "it's not my child". This powerless, American heart
that breaks and breaks and breaks, then moves on.

But poems, unlike sad CNN images, make you stop and wish that the kitchen appliances weren't so noisy.
Poems make you cover up your knees with a warm blanket. Makes you thoughts, stay around.

thankyou for this wonderful reminder that hurt, hurts. That hard is hard. That real suffering
are those bodies laying in the surf. dana

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree Dana. Here in Michigan. We have our Flint. How many children and adults became sick?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

yes, there is always such horrible news these days...and the news channels fight for the most morbid stories ---but the world is so dark now...i can't imagine what these young children are going to grow up to, eventually.

i don't know if i want to be around in 20 years...quite disheartening...

such a poignant sky.

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree my friend. What did we leave for the children?

[Einstein Noodle]

we are privy to world news at the "on" of a button ... a click of the mouse ..and news seems to love horror ..it gets disheartening at times for sure ..i feel it through your poem ..i hear you loud and clear ...we all have this piece of darkness inside us that we either turn the light on it ..or yield to it ..to one degree or another ...i think of Africa and the tribes that are committing so much terror upon one another ... and the middle east ... seems hopeless sometimes ... :(
E.

[Coyote Poetry]

I wish I knew the answer to the chaos. It is a scary world.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes it is :(