Why Do We Fight?

An end to petty differences, to wars, and misunderstandings.

mute your cannons

tether your wings

loosen your grip

let peace begin

just take a step

away from hate

hold to reason

discover fate

the kind that shines

blocking out fear

whispers of love

that beckon near

forgive your foes

teach each other

share great guidance

become lovers

see joy in life

through smiling eyes

full of hello's

never goodbye's

 

Reviews

[Demetri J]

Aside from an rhythmic slip-up (wings and begin don't rhyme) it was a brief, though intricate introspective on the mindset of supporting peace. Well handled, though a little short

[Astro]

Well my friend some of the most powerful pieces of literature are short, thank you for your review. Peace.

[KeelyJane]

Love it. I am always fond of a rhyming poem but a rhyming poem with a message and meter, it doesn't get any better than that.

[Astro]

Thanks KeelyJane I'm glad you like it.

[secretheart32]

I really enjoy your writing style, and it would be amazing if the peace you beautifully described actually existed.

[Astro]

I believe it does and I thank you for your review. If we are made of stardust, then peace should be beach everyone can enjoy.

[Troy Henson]

Easier said than done my friend. If life was this easy.........
I loved this one. The emotion, the flow, the depiction of letting go, forgiving, acceptance and ultimately moving on.
Nice!

Troy

[Astro]

Thanks Troy, it is hopefully a motivator/inspirational piece that I tried to convey that there is always another way, and that it is much more peaceful to put forth the effort to understand each other that we normally put forth hurting one another.

[Sorry Infamous]

It seems so easy when you say is like that...
all elegant, too bad most human aren't.

[Astro]

Well, I don't pretend to be able to do it with ease, but I do try. I think to choose not to try because of the difficulty apparent in any task, is worse than the 'possible' failure one might encounter while trying. It's a monkey see/monkey do world in many ways, so the more of us trying to be better people will only reverberate through society. Thank you for the compliment, and know that it's not always the easy path that leads to enlightenment.

[LJW]

Nice sentiments. Not at all hard to do if you punch your ownn ego right in the face before you attempt to practice this type of mindset.

Peace.

[Astro]

Hahaha, you've got it friend make sure it's a good shot that K.O.'s that ego and you're in the clear. Thanks for the review, peace.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Well 'Mr Astro' I guess some fight to preserve values, like openness and honesty and not calling friends who reject their advances c**ts or dragging 15 year old children into disputes or sending them messages containing swear words or changing identity and attacking erstwhile friends who tried to take a balanced view and tried to get the aggressor to relent. Under such circumstances and where the aggressor pretends to be the Saint there can be no reconciliation. A simple apology would have saved so much 'blood shed'. Nice write anyway.

[Astro]

Well thank you Mr. McFadyen for the compliment. I try not to involve myself in the quarrel but instead try and promote a kinder more peaceful world and certainly environment here in the WC. I am honestly unaware of most of the things you brought up, and not about to start judging anyone after the fact of an issue I have nothing to do with. Nor will I take sides against anyone who has never done me wrong. As I have mentioned before, I am not about offending or defending anyone, I am simply offering an opinion as art that promotes understanding, forgiveness and the betterment of the human condition.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Then we are not in disagreement then. But to ignore wrong doing causes the wrongdoer to believe in their own immortality. People have turned their backs so many times in recent history, Hitler, the Balkans, Rwanda, Syria and it all starts with one man leading the pack. Art is not a good excuse for complicit complacency.

[Astro]

I'll have to disagree, as 'art' has been used as a means of protest in countless examples and continues to be. To say that by my creating art in an attempt to create a more peaceful environment constitutes complicit complacency because I chose not to single anyone out in particular is invalid. In fact my resistance to engage in any name calling or shaming but instead to inspire and uplift is anything but 'complicit complacency' it is entirely engaging and a form of protest. If the language of forgiveness and the search for a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us is not attainable then why do we write? I may disagree with your assessment of my position, but I am not confused by it. In this same way, I believe that there is a higher form of language that I aspire to learn, one where meaning becomes clear and messages are transmitted and received in the fashion that they were meant. People have been using language to fool others into believing violence or, ridicule is acceptable, for ever. I believe there is another way, my art stands as evidence of my intention and also of my protest. I don't have to get dirty or, caught up in a verbal s**t-storm of antiquated language use to show my dislike for one person or another, we all make mistakes and most of us know this. That is why I would rather we disengage our emotional response and contemplate more worthwhile endeavors like the pursuit of happiness.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I like your thinking but I think there is a possibility that you misunderstood my meaning. I have used art in protest which is what I did in verse in response the issues I outlined above that have damaged people's trust and broken their peace. The truth is you can use art to build or to destroy. Intention them becomes the key. Art has other faces too but my point was that before you can forgive there needs to be some reparation. Some acknowledgement that all parties understand the situation and that thus that the misdemeanour will not be repeated. Peace comes from understanding, tolerance, fairness and respect. Is my brother is murdered should I simply ignore this and forgive the culprit despite them not accepting it was wrong and desiring to make up for the act?

[Astro]

Your last statement opens up a whole ball of wax that is far more extreme than what may have occurred here in the WC. I say 'may have occurred' because I still am unfamiliar with any of the offences or 'misdemeanors' that people like yourself have said occurred. Again, it truly seems like one side or the other is attempting to bring me into the fold, for which I am uninterested for the reasons I have already listed earlier. Murder is a grave comparison(forgive the pun) if I were a religious man I would have to say that it is not me to judge but God. Also, your scenario precludes that a murderer doesn't know that what he or she does in committing murder is wrong, this is not always the case. For the sake of argument I'll forget either of these things and go with your line of thinking. In your case, you are making me out to be someone who is directly affected by an act of cruelty, for it is my brother being killed.(this again is a poor comparison) Do I feel angry? Can I ignore the event? Will I be able to forgive the 'culprit' even if that person doesn't see the error of their ways? I'm sure I would be angry and would not be able to ignore the event and initially, I would be hard pressed to forgive, but please understand I do not believe it is impossible to forgive or to let go of pain(or learn to live with it). It could very well be that a murderer as you describe him/her would have a mental condition that would preclude his/her ability to feel remorse and for that, I could indeed forgive them. Some people are born differently, or through a series of unfortunate events become tainted or damaged. That is why it is better to try and understand the root of a problem rather than reacting and ganging up and repeatedly baiting people into insincere and hurtful language. Furthermore, on the discussion of language, to bring it back to my earlier message, who is to judge the sincerity of someones apology? The one who felt injured in the first place, not everyone watching from the wings. If that person does not want to accept an apology because they feel it is insincere, then move on, perhaps in time a truer and more heartfelt apology will be forthcoming.(I'm aware this is just conjecture as I have mentioned several times I am not abreast of the situation in question) Finally, I don't think that I misunderstood your meaning at all, as you clearly state in this most recent message that you also tried in your own artistic way to give protest to the alleged offence but then you go on to say this, "The truth is you can use art to build or to destroy. " I chose to use my art to build. For this reason, I can hardly think you in your own words would truly find me complicit or in any state of complacency. Thank you again for your review and here's to hoping all parties involved can learn to treat each other with respect and further the evolution of a kinder more open society.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Respect Astro........!

[Astro]

Right back at ya Mr. M ;)

[Baby Ricochet]

We fight because we're really good at it

[Astro]

Uh...thanks for the review?

[Astro]

I loved every thing you said in this poetic piece of great cadance, to be spoken out loud, (for me) but I'm weird... I love to speak poetry out. I think it's a good eye-opener, and I am pro-peace. What do I need to say more? :) a good one!

- Elisa

[Astro]

Thank you Elisa, and you are welcome to speak aloud my poetry anytime you wish. It is written in such a way that it begs to be shared and not simply read.

And I like that! thank you Astro :)

[Astro]

Cheers Elisa.

Cheers right back at ya! :)

[Astro]

Thank you! :D

[Rita L. Sev]

I like the flow and rhythm of this piece, and I love the message. Simply worded, clearly stated - People in all walks of life should read this.

[Astro]

Thanks Rita that's a very nice thing to say, and something I hope to share in that exact way. My token of gratitude. Peace!