There is always war
waging somewhere.
This is the nature
of this pageant
that begins
bathed in blood
and ends
in the snuffing out
of the breath.
Even Jesus,
the Prince of Peace,
was at war
with those who did not
honor God.
Trying to eradicate
this malevolent pulse
will keep the foolish
and the naive
running in circles,
so I try
making peace
with war:
Yes, I see you,
but I refuse
to fight back,
or cause your demise,
and I will not
surrender
to your
destructive ideology.
Live and let live,
you can't kill me
for this soul
has no beginning
and no end.
[Posted for my friends at dversepoets.com - come on in and lose your war.]
I like the idea that we may not be able to erase war sentiments within us but we can make peace with them.
ReplyDeleteI like your philosophy, Buddah, especially "I see you, but I refuse to fight back.' It is so often the fighting back that compounds the problem. Good to see you, by the way.
ReplyDeleteGhandi was really good at that...refusing to buy in to the ideology of war, but not fighting it physically...jesus i think as well...you made me think in peace with war...i wish though we could find an end to it...and make peace, just a bit...
ReplyDeleteIf we just could abide with those rules... if we could just hate war and nothing else.. it says in so many places but still we continue to wage the war.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love peace I know it will never be... unless Christianity is right and I am staking my claim to that promise.
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece, and an interesting concept to make peace with war.
ReplyDeletePeace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.
ReplyDelete~Albert Einstein
Your ideology and poetic philosophy makes one to question and understand...if war we're to come into your face what would you do? fight back? or let them hit you back?
Awesome poem and greatly written.
I like the approach of making peace with war ~ Not fighting back but by living ~
ReplyDeleteIf only we remember this before we strike back ~
This is really all we can do, Buddah........"I will not surrender to your destructive ideology." Nor will I. Much as I long for a peaceful world, I see the way it is, and have scant hope humans will ever figure out how to get it right on this planet. All we can do is the best we can, individually. Great write.
ReplyDeleteWonderful voice in this poem- heroically pacifist.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched Pema Chodron on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, and she makes the point that one must face whatever comes, to accept it. You write this so eloquently ~
ReplyDeleteyou've reminded us that war is a decision
ReplyDeleteIt takes tremendous strength of conviction to refuse to fight back when threatened. You sound like a true pacifist. Well done.
ReplyDeletean interesting and quite astute way of looking at war.
ReplyDeleteeven our language is filled with metaphors of war for the smallest of things
ReplyDeleteit's interesting how you say that Jesus was at war
ReplyDeleteBorn to Strife and Contention
Love this. You had me at that title.
ReplyDelete