all hallow’s eve
my heart is breaking
open again, at the great
harms we humans can
cause each other. will
we ever learn to just stop?
to say, enough is
enough, and really
mean it, and act from that place?
can we pause and breathe
and let go of our
seemingly unquenchable
thirst for revenge and
retaliation?
i know it starts right here, in
my own heart. where am
i still driven by
anger, resentment and blame?
against whom do i
still hold a grudge? who
have i not yet forgiven,
including myself?
and do i have the
courage to admit to my
own bitter judgments?
if i cannot see
these things in myself, i have
no hope of bringing
anything but a
tarnished prayer for peace to
this embattled world.
it does no good to
take up arms against children.
we know where that road
leads. any eye for an
eye leaves the whole world blind. there
comes a time when one
must give up being
right in order to be kind.
this is that moment.