By Donna

Collective Souls arched over
to see the layout of the future.
It was not long ago
that they themselves questioned
the journey and the purpose of life.

Looking low, watching the scurrying of men
reminiscent of insects at work.
Earth…the learning ground for wisdom,
where lessons can be lost even after
years of continual conflicts and death.

With ambiguous notions of great size and depth…
There is a young man on the other side of the world
born into a conflict that was never his
holding on to a weapon while praying for peace
To the cause he gives his precious life,
the life of his children and his children’s children.

With confinement to caste preservation…

There is a race that needs to win.
The Others— with limited sight
will have no bearing on its outcome.
And no one of stature, of means, of social standing,
will want to mingle with the Others—
not with the slowest or the fastest of them.

With eyes opened and heart closed…

There are hands being washed
clean to fellowship and join in communion
but what remains under their fingernail
is the bloody residue of the soul of a young homosexual
coming to terms with his desires
while starting a renewed relationship with his God.
With so much wealth…
God is good, God is great

There are countless people of want
on their knees praying for an
education
shelter,
good health,
and for the very least— food.
Needs that some believe God should provide
or the wealthy should pay
You have failed to understand if you do not
see we are all responsible
for conditions and the growth of humanity.
With our controlling Alfa males….
households are still under thumb
There are“happy” women at home
tho it’s hard to see them smile,
the slight upwards movements of
duck tape over their mouths
and the twinkle in their eyes
welcomes hope.

It is this hope that slowly move mountains.
It is this hope that does not wait for
Simon to say…
It is this hope that takes small steps
to break perceptions and deconstruct fear.

Fear cries from the core
and rumbles in spite of being fed.
Our fighting, angry, mis-guided
squeaky wheels are all
confined to the preservation
of “US”---the circles of their familiar.
Perhaps I am the hopeful optimist,
but I believe peace can be achieved
in this lifetime.
It requires stillness
in order to find the thread that connects
“THEM”---the enemy
to ourselves.
Then and only then can we see
humanity and
the bigger picture of “WE”.

Time demises the life for us all,
as it does the vividness of a dream
minutes after wake.
The Soul should not be
weighted down by transgressions.
Empathy for the neighbor and fiend
will nourish and settle the inner rumblings.
With each day
we can still rise to Love.
Prepare and clean the temple
for the journey home is approaching.