A POETICS OF PEACE

Autumn comes. Photo by Kathleen Malley-Morrison.

by  Stefan Schindler

Autumn comes; the leaf falls from the tree.

Does the leaf release itself?

Or does the tree release the leaf?

The answer, my friend,

is blowin’ in the wind.

…………………………………………

 

 

Beauty before me; beauty behind me;

beauty above; beauty below.

Beauty all around.  I walk in beauty.

………………………………………………..

A quantum chorus of birdsong bright,

a golden, glowing, holy grail overflowing

with holy, healing, divine white light;

ecstasy of rainbows blanketing space,

empowered by love’s unconditional grace;

communing with creatures great and small,

happy to serve them one and all.

………………………………

 

Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi and King,

all said the same thing; their words fraught

with provocative jewels, hanging, or not,

from the head of the mule.  We, brought up

on Dylan and the Dead, heard the music and said,

Give peace a chance.

…………………………………………

Do you have faith in space?

Can you catch a moonbeam in a seashell?

Actually, the dream was never over,

because John never ceased to Imagine.

……………………………………………..

Let us go, make a start,

to the place where buffalo thunder

runs like a river through your heart;

sun rises, while the moon still sparkles on the dew;

song of the Tao calls to you, from the butterfly’s dream

of Chuang Tzu.

………………………………………………

Note from Kathie MM: Through countless generations, poetry has proved to have the power to stir the emotions, mobilize behavior, push towards peace and social justice.  Please comment on Stefan’s poetic post by sending us your own poems regarding peace and/or social justice.