Peace will come, even if. At least by one.

A 1979 poem with a rewrite.

                        


                      Peace will come, even if, only by one.

Old man sat by the sea. He whispered a prayer. A old prayer repeated often in his lifetime.

"Please God of the sea, please god of the wind and the sky, please goddess of the forest and the green.
Please send the blessing of hope and forgiveness to the dying earth.

Please allow us to learn to lead with concern, love and forgiveness.
It is time for us who love peace over war to stand as one.
It is time to end racism and for us to respect all life."

Today mad men run our world.  Men who make us believe. We have enemy in Asia and In Africa.  Make us believe Muslims are bad people. Men who denounce a complete religion as deadly need to learn. Most Muslims live in Africa. Most Muslims live in peace. Maybe the mad men in Washington D.C are the demons?

Old lesson I have learn. No perfect country. Most have bad deeds done. USA been involved in war for almost 80 years. USA try to destroy a Native American nation and held racism closely yesterday and today. Europe and Asia have many bad deeds and actions.  Who is wrong and who is right?

USA hadn't been attack since WW2. USA went to Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and many more.  Today USA soldiers are serving in 40 countries plus. I don't believe we are the saviors. I served in the Middle East and Africa.  I protected oil wells, not people. Did we save Korea? Maybe. Did we save Vietnam? No. Did we destroy Iraq? Yes.

I pray to the sea.

"The earth, the sky and the sea.
Please hear my words.
We are led by beserkers.
The berserkers want blood and profit.
The berserkers want more nuclear weapons.
Please send wisdom to the men in-charge.
Guns and soldiers are not the road to peace.
Guns and soldiers are to murder and kill , to murder the last wisp of kindness.
Please make the leaders learn.
The road to peace is simple.
Send food, water and medicine to places in need.
Don't send soldiers to places in chaos. Soldiers in a foreign land are just strangers there to murder and kill.
Please stop the Berserkers from sending weapons to men who seek terror and separation.
Please, the earth, the sky and the sea.
Allow the people who seek equality, fairness and peace.
To stand as one.
Every life had value.
The poor child in Detroit and the child in Syria need a fair chance to live without fear.
Any life lost to war. They could of been the person to save us all."

                                 The below poem written in 1980 and the above poem written in 1978.

  A lad
I was such a lad.

Strong willed and a mind unable to change it path.

A path leading to a walk-through war, seeing death and taking life.

To understand from a lesson learn so deeply.

I must stop war.

But alas.

One day upon a bloody war field.
Such a lad, such as so many good lads.
Died for the profit of war.
---

I pray I won't do what my father, a Korean and Vietnam veteran did. Take his child to the airport to be deployed to a war zone.  Look at your child. Is war, the answer?
                            John Castellenas/Coyote

Author's Note

Rewritten poetry.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

It's pretty sad to note that these poems you wrote some decades ago are telling about issues that are still problems, maybe even worse than before. I always agree with your point of view on these matters & I applaud that you write frequent gentle reminders of the dangers you see & feel.

[Coyote Poetry]

The danger is here. The Beserker in the white house want more nuclear weapons and to built walls. I pray the Supreme Court and the strong leader stand strong for education and well-being of the people in the USA. Thank you dear friend for reading and the comment. I do appreciate.

[barleygirl]

I agree wholeheartedly & I love the nickname "bizerker" . . . he's truly unhinged.

[Cascara (aka Sprint Goe..]

praying towards nature is unique, especially with regards to war; sadly, greed will never be demolished since it is a part of human nature

[Coyote Poetry]

I believe we are force-fed the lie. Man need war. Government need war. Big business need war. Common people need chance and opportunity. Thank you dear friend for reading and the comment.

[Tomás Ó C..]

The faces change and the places. The hatreds remain and the innocent die...

[Coyote Poetry]

You are sadly right my friend. History seem to always have some countries with too much greed and no concern for human life. Thank you my friend for reading and the comment.

[Saud Maroof]

This was a very haunting and heart wrenching piece. Einstein said it best.
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder.”

But i myself will act naive and distastefully reject this attempt of fixing this hateful aggression. "War is inevitable." something Hitler would say but for me war is inevitable just for the fact that we as humans are hardwired and internally malfunctioned with the seed of aggression and violence. So, there is no way of stopping a war but praying to delay it. We have always been addicted to power and blood, Romans did that as a sport and now, we do that to protect ourselves from whatever fits the excuse.

I am sorry for the loss you might have suffered.
I apologize if i have offended someone with my opinion.
Thanks for sharing such powerful and wise words
May God help us evolve,
And lastly,
"The perfect person to achieve peace is the one who hates the idea of peace."
SML

[Coyote Poetry]

If we don't change our ways. Man will follow the many animals who are extinct. Now in the USA. Some cities water are polluted. Not drinkable. Nature will out last man. Men and women who accept war as a norm. They will find war on their door steps. War today is for profit. Not for defense. The old quotes are meaningless today. War is Man's sin. Every child had value. I was raised with war near and I accepted as a norm. I was wrong. If we don't seek peace. New wars had nuclear, bio and chemical. Whole cities killed in seconds. New world my friend. I saw two dead cities. They are not pretty.

[Saud Maroof]

When I was a mere child, i was told that about 40years in future you will live a war over water for their will be insufficiency of water. And now, mid of march has been predicted to show the peak of summer over here, last july thousand died just because of heat, so yes our beloved Earth is indeed crying in agony for we have sinned and we have been utterly proud and shamefully arrogant. The old quotes have always been meaningless sir, No one listened to Einstein no one cared about Hemingway. Peace has never been global, WWII happened because of peace the whole excuse is peace. Peace is an individual's character. 8 billion humans with weapons easily acquired cant live in harmony. War is wrong and even the worst murders would agree and so will the berserkers but they will will find excuse and the war will knocking on our doors to ask our help and our patriotic contribution for the so called "EVIL" is upon us and people will fight with people like they fight in syria and like fought before. And more cities will die before our eyes it is not pretty but we were not born in pretty world. people like me and you do what they can till they can. I study to help the sick and write to enlighten the poor.

We can try, but this situation is not reversible. Earth is a sinking ship, with a hole literally too big to fix. I was raised to fix this, but I need 8 billion supporters and that count increases day by day.

We can only try.

[Coyote Poetry]

We must try my friend. For my children, your children and all children. It isn't too late. But damn close to being too late.

[Saud Maroof]

Yes, I agree.

[MsJewel]

Sad, heartfelt words John, and what makes them more powerful is the truth behind them. Great writing my friend :) Julie

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Julie. I appreciate the comment.

[Writing Angel]

so sad and as I see war I wish to help serve my country but not die and leave my family alone. I hate to see the pain of war and what it does to those whom we love who wait for us to return.. those whom miss the birth of their child.. or miss their marriage date because a missile striked

[Coyote Poetry]

I lost good soldier friends to war. They left poor wive and children without their husband and father. No-one win in war my friend. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Writing Angel]

I so sorry and it was my pleasure

[Ken Simm.]

This is truth. Nothing more, nothing less. Righteous truth.
I am amazed by these words and I agree with all of them.
Hemingway said, “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”
Personally I can think of no justification. None at all.
There is something wrong with a world that spends more of itself on war than on saving a life.

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree my friend. USA will spend 1.2 trillion on war. 25% of the budget. No active war and we are spending like a world war.

[Giulia King]

Amazing write, dear friend!

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Gullia. Need less soldiers and guns. More concern, kindness and love.

[Kenneth The Poet]

I might have read this before. I think I paraphrased what William Tecumseh Sherman said. War is hell.

[Coyote Poetry]

It is a new one. Most men of war try to end war. Sherman saw hell. Thank you Kenneth for reading and the comment.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

You echo the sentiments of the masses be they Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus or atheists. It is the power and money greedy who destroy all before them. Well said and let us pray it comes to pass Coyote.

[Coyote Poetry]

I pray daily my friend and thank you for reading and the comment.