A Hard-Won Peace

The perspective of age and experience mellowing the intensity of the inner struggle for peace.

The quality of life has changed;
There is a breeze now that cools
The fiery intensity of this soul.
Colors are brighter-
Pink blossoms in sunlight,
Delicate leaves,
Shadows playing on our miniature meadow.

I have passed through a gauntlet,
And though not unscathed,
The joy I imagined has
Simmered down from exploding light
To a quiet eternal flame.
Is it the time passing,
Age giving way to perspective,
That have set the prophet's words to rest?

The war has stopped
And somehow,
I didn't notice when or why.
One day, sitting under a tree,
Reading the writings of a seeker
Who witnessed too much,
I realized
Peace was finally present.

I am tired,
Like a pilgrim who has walked too many paths,
Entered strangers' homes,
And seen too many dire prophecies come true.
I am tired,
But not weary.
There is a home I find
In myself now.
After searching for a lifetime,
I have the will and heart
To homestead one small piece of earth.
The pioneer days give way
To cultivating where I am
Rather than seeking
Where I want to be.

This is a hard-won peace.
I do not know if it comes from
Victory or surrender.
But it has come,
And I am grateful.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i really like the "pilgrim" part---we spend so much of life seeking...we are pioneers...and then we reach some point when we just settle in---and say..."okay i am here" and we hope it is in a good place.

i still feel the sixties...i still feel that movement...there is a part of me in which that will always be there.

Everything up to this point...has made me who i am...and there is acceptance in that...i sometimes as "what if?" But i also say to myself...i am comfortable with the experiences and knowledge i have gained from life...i felt such a reflection as i read this poem...

i am "homesteading" my piece of earth
thank you for this poem...

j.

[Marianne Rose]

Thanks Jacob, I'm also looking back and forward so often the present goes unnoticed. I appreciate your sharing what resonates with you, and the encouragement that gives me to keep writing. I agree- now that I'm here, I must say I wouldn't change a thing- it's all made me who I am, and who I am is okay with me.