how far will it go
we've seen it
in so many places
throughout history
we know all
that fear and pain
plastered on grieving faces
who will come
in the stealth of night
in your wealth of dreams
who will execute you
what is truly right
what if unruly war
just wouldn't do
what happens
when enemy tanks
roll down your street
what happens
when machine gunners
strafe your home
when rocket launchers
blast holes in your life
does God lay peace
at your bleeding feet
does every enemy
needlessly burn and destroy
all that you own
do your friends and neighbours
need to suffer and die
why can't the world's water
run free and clean
did marauding soldiers
need to harangue then hang
dear sister and brother
and dear mother and father
so fatally high
will meditation or papal prayers
make everything better
or even seem
with all that evil lurking
in human hearts and minds
that God is real
or if God truly cares
all this madness
humans always seem to find
this world we live in
is so cruel and unfair
in my best dreams
I find love and light
in my finest dreams
I understood
all that is good
and all that is right
if this is God's play
then this comedy
and more tragedy
what comes and what may
not gallantry but pageantry
life is most often chaff
only occasionally flourishing
sweet nourishing hay

                * * *