Poem 508

Thinking about how to combat hatred and violence and the kind of strength required for that fight … in recent times Neil Young also came up with this inverted metaphor, titling his book Waging Heavy Peace …

( I like the aggressive assertive language in pursuit of pacifism and how it culminates in the image of punching towards communication … )

Waging Peace

We must become a warlike race
cut into death
like we engineer a tunnel through mountains
I will wage peace
eye to eye against you
raise the corpse of the rapist
into the green wind of rot
dribbling
until only the box kite cage of ribs
remains

let the guns soften and decay
my hands are implements
my wife my children
could kill you
                           come to dinner
you have never been safer

we are a warlike race
with no need for anger
herding fear before us
with drums and shouts
your life could leak out anywhere
your miraculous insides
are open to us

we are punching the tunnel through
to shake the hand
                                     of the other side