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Sunday, November 4, 2012

Sunday mini-challenge at Real Toads

Kerry gives us a topic rather than a poetic form for this weekend's Sunday mini-challenge at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads, and the topic she suggests is a wonderful one, but oh so elusive: peace.
Canadian soldiers in Arnhem
WW II
I can't do justice to that beautiful word, but I can give you

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—
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
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"
eliciting the reply
"and also with you"
but I still wonder...when...when?

23 comments:

Isadora Gruye said...

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.

Kerry O'Connor said...

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.

Cezar and Léia said...

Perhaps when people not only say it but feel it...
God bless you!
Cezar

kaykuala said...

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

Mara said...

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!

Jo said...

Very poignant post, Kay...

Susan said...

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?

jabblog said...

When, indeed.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

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?

Mary said...

Peace be with you, Kay! We have to find our moments of peace, I think, in this less than peaceful world.

Annelisa said...

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)


Susie Clevenger said...

Yes when will peace come? I believe it will...even if it is only in me. That is where it begins.

ScottlB said...

The words are easy to say, The action is so hard to do. As you say "When"

Maude Lynn said...

Beautifully done, Kay!

Tammy said...

You really made me think, and you did it in such a beautiful way. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

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.

Laurie Kolp said...

I love the tie in of the peace offering at church...

Bing Yap said...

now that the world is clamoring for it, peace might come soon... there is hope...

beautiful insight!

Daryl said...

thank you for this ... its good to think ... better to act

Anonymous said...

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.

Dianne said...

Lindy looks wonderful in the previous post

we share some not so peaceful past don't we
lovely thoughtful post

Kay said...

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?

Hannah said...

Heartbreaking and true to end with this "When...when?" Excellently stated, Kay.