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| Canadian soldiers in Arnhem WW II |
A brief history of
peace in my time
peace seemed unlikely
when I was very young
born on the heels of WWII
hearing about Korea
when I was small
but I wanted peace—
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| Korean War Wikipedia photo |
no more tanks driving
down the street
(although I only saw one
and it was in the town parade
leading clowns, floats, bands
and convertibles full of pretty girls)
but I’d heard too much
about war
about death
about poppies blowing
in Flanders fields
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| Vietnam War Wikipedia photo |
peace seemed unlikely
when boys my age
were sent to Vietnam
when I was still young
enough to dream,
and yet old
enough to want
peace seemed unlikely
when skin color
determined people’s rights
and when men
decided women’s rights
maybe those four British poets
said it best
I don’t know—
in church today we say
"peace be with you"
"peace be with you"
eliciting the reply
"and also with you"
but I still wonder...when...when?
23 comments:
As always, you bring much to the table here, gleaned from a space in your unique mind that echoes images and thoughts I've suspected to be true, but do not believe them until I find your blog....thanks for sharing.
This seems, to me, to be the only way to respond to questions about peace: When? Why? The irony of living in through the 20th century and into the 21st and still believing that a peaceful state might exist is not lost on me.
Perhaps when people not only say it but feel it...
God bless you!
Cezar
Peace is elusive. There has to be political will to determine measures to give peace a chance! That's how I see it, Kay!
Hank
Even though my dad was in the army and he could have been sent out to the Lebanon, he never went so war never got very close. I was however terrified of a nuclear war!
Very poignant post, Kay...
I appreciate this "war" history. The Beatles and other rock musicians truly spoke for me, and "Revolution" is pretty special. Peace is not an oversimplification of what the free-speech and anti-hypocrisy movements in the USA were all about. Canada too?
When, indeed.
Yes, when, Kay? We are farther from it than ever. But maybe, with the world in such turmoil, we are actually so tired of tumult that we are closer than we know?
Peace be with you, Kay! We have to find our moments of peace, I think, in this less than peaceful world.
Very thought provoking, Kay. Peace to you and yours!
(Although not actually a Dona Nobis Pacem post, I feel it deserves a link on "Peace Bloggers Unite" later)
Yes when will peace come? I believe it will...even if it is only in me. That is where it begins.
The words are easy to say, The action is so hard to do. As you say "When"
Beautifully done, Kay!
You really made me think, and you did it in such a beautiful way. Thanks.
if the people who made the decision to wage war had to actually pay the price of giving their lives, maybe there could be peace.
♥
I love the tie in of the peace offering at church...
now that the world is clamoring for it, peace might come soon... there is hope...
beautiful insight!
thank you for this ... its good to think ... better to act
I really enjoyed your post on peace, the history and the wondering when will there be peace. A question we all wonder, at least I do. Thank you for sharing and also for your lovely comment on my blog. I hope you find peace. Blessings.
Lindy looks wonderful in the previous post
we share some not so peaceful past don't we
lovely thoughtful post
It's all so sad. It brings to mind a couple of songs we used to sing...
Blowing in the Wind
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Heartbreaking and true to end with this "When...when?" Excellently stated, Kay.
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