Peace is...
by Louise Moises, Richmond, CA
Peace is a sunset seen through a veil of fog,
lacy waves lapping sandy shore, alone with the tide,
salty fragrance of the sea, listening to the mantra
of crash and recede, crash and recede on into infinity—
Peace is a pelican framed against an aqua sky,
soaring along the shore, unaware of wars,
winging above waves, a prehistoric vision—
would that I could fly on wings of a pelican.
Peace is the discovery of an ancient oak,
gnarled, bent, enduring, an elder with stories to tell.
Listen” snap of twigs, crack of branches, rustle of grasses,
around depths of roots—a history.
Peace is a small girl on a big horse
rounding a barrel in a dusty rodeo arena—
a crowd of friends, family, perfect strangers, all cheering,
Peace is being alone with a waterfall:
chill splash of rushing, roaring water,
fragrance of pine, swoop of swallows singing—
standing beneath a cascading curtain of water.
Peace is witnessing a birth of monarchs—
from cracked chrysalises, wet stain-glass wings
struggling to open and close, thin black legs
clinging to feathery fronds of milkweed.
Peace is a prayer whispered in shadows,
a large clanging bell, angle of ceiling,
scent of incense, flicker of candles—
Peace is finding a church within your heart.
Peace is a solitary figure in a high desert landscape,
scent of heated sage, sky as large as it can ever be,
a rocky line where earth meets clouds,
then a simple gesture--awave of love.
