image from inspirationseek.com
Up from Darkness
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can
do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can
do that.”--Martin Luther King, Jr.
We septuagenarians--
can we find time to witness
the world righting itself?
For us, the time to be born
was during, or immediately following
WWII.
We have lived through terrible wars,
world and bush, when we were told
it was time to kill. Those who did
in the name of duty, and have lived
with their deeds, find themselves aghast
at the monthly slaughter of innocents.
Today, while watching the Ladies,
Liberty and Justice,
rend their garments,
and howl in pain and disgust,
we need to find time to weep,
and to work toward a time of healing,
a time to sew/sow,
a time to rebuild,
repair and
rekindle
our embattled democracy.
Too many of us have found ample time
to hate,
to point fingers,
to assign blame,
to take sides
to deepen the divide,
while fiercely judging our government,
our times, and
our world, but
the missing ingredient, the necessary
common denominator, is our absolute
need to make ample time
for love.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets
Yes, yes...a thousand times yes! We have two sayings in our family: Love IS and MORE LOVE.
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head with this one.
And....if I might add.....the very popular sign I've seen at so many rallies in the past two years: LOVE trumps hate.
Glenn, this is excellent, and so well crafted to invlude the prompt, and the essence of our generation! Knocked it outta da park. Such a powerful and hopeful ending! Glenn, are you mellowing... :-) And oh how I want that champion of love, honesty, and optimism to rise - but I hate to say it, but I don’t set it (them) yet!? Great post!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful:
ReplyDelete"our absolute
need to make ample time
for love"
Oh, Glen, this is so wise and so true. The disintegration of the family is at the root of so many of our problems. Respect for others and strong moral values are to be learned at home in early years, and the lack thereof not blamed on teachers and the school system when it's too late. The trumpet has set a tone for disrespect, greed, and vitriol. Our lassitude and failure to speak up has left us hoist on our own petard.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Glenn. Love is the missing ingredient in too many equations....
ReplyDeleteI am all for that Glenn - we need to heal and love. At the end, if all we have is just hatred and unkindness, it will eat up inside us. Time to rebuild and begin again.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I like the message of the poem and the repetition and format.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great take on the prompt, Glenn. I love the imagery of Liberty and Justice rending their garments.... and the need for a time to heal, to sew, to bring things back together as a country.
ReplyDeleteSome have indeed lived through all seasons, Glenn...with always an opening for more.
ReplyDeleteHow fitting that your poem follows Bev’s, Glenn! You have expanded with detail and experience on her casting away of negative stones and gathering of love.
ReplyDeleteLOVE your perspective in this poem, Glenn! Bravo, love wins!!
ReplyDeleteThe key here being universal love, without regard to beliefs or disagreements.
ReplyDeleteGood point: we need to make time for love.
ReplyDeleteExcellent counsel, and presented with such brilliant skill!
ReplyDelete