Given that today is Remembrance Day, and many people’s thoughts will be turning to honor the memories of loved ones who gave their lives to end war, or while peacekeeping, this poem was nudging me to be shared.

Peace Will Prevail

Peace will prevail.
Oh, there may be a time of noise and suffering
Of destruction and corruption
But that too will come to an end
Even if that end is the end of us
Of our planet and our home.
Peace will prevail, then
When nothing is left.

But why should we wait for that?
Why not bring peace forth in a gentler way?
One that creates unity and joy
Rather than the end of all things?
All it takes is for enough of us
To join minds FOR peace
Rather than AGAINST war.

Peace will prevail
When we truly want it ourselves,
When we are ready to release our own enemies
Within and without,
When we are ready to forgive
And join hands in creation,
In the building of friendships
Across the street, across the world.

Let us let go of the enemies within,
The thoughts in our own minds
That want to blame others
For all that is wrong in our lives.
Let us release and bless our fellows instead
Who teach us who we are
And show us our own faults
So that we may heal ourselves.

Let peace begin in our hearts
And reach out to the world
On invisible rays of hope,
To touch those who cannot see
Beyond their own concerns.
Then Peace will prevail at last
In our own lives,
And in the World.

© Copyright 2003 Gail Christel Behrend  — All Rights Reserved