Walk in Peace
How I resolved my presence at "anti-war" rallies... I WALKED, TALKED, MOVED - IN PEACE.
So though I didn't get to share this poem in its entirety (time was very very very limited) -- this is what I wrote for my time at the mic on March 17th at the Peace Rally in San Bernardino. (some called it an anti-war march, a human rights/immigration reform march, some called it building peace in our communities march, some called it all three. I call it a Peace Rally.)
So though I didn't get to share this poem in its entirety (time was very very very limited) -- this is what I wrote for my time at the mic on March 17th at the Peace Rally in San Bernardino. (some called it an anti-war march, a human rights/immigration reform march, some called it building peace in our communities march, some called it all three. I call it a Peace Rally.)
WALK IN PEACE
it is right
it makes sense
if you stand up
in anger
if you get so mad
that you stand up
to do something
anything
to rage
against the machine
the sytem
that keeps you down
I won't blame you
if you like me
get tired when
you see
the dismissal
in their eyes
oh, it's just you
you, you, you ____ whatever
it is right and
it makes sense
if you stand up
when someone else's
ignorance
rises before you
and tries to
silence
your voice
I know it's hard
to maintain poise
when your brother
or sister
or uncle or aunt
when your family
is trapped in the
traps of social
and economic
injustice
and you stand up
cuz you can't rest
while all this happens
to some of the best
people you know
and love
However,
I will tell you this
though you stand in anger
though infuriated
beyond all measure
though the hits
just keep on coming
at you
you must take a moment
review
and take a breath
and choose
to walk, talk, move
in peace
If what we seek
is liberty
& justice for all
it would make no
sense to me
to ACT out in anger
there's no one
to hate
no enemy
but the one we
create
at least not
anyone who
by seeing them as such
will make your life better
at least not much
So I will repeat
that if you walk
move & groove
in anything but
peace
you defeat
yourself
before you begin
and though I truly
believe there is
no "they"
- they will win
so how to walk in
peace
how to move in
peace
how to think in
peace
just remember
what it is
you seek
for yourself
for your family
for your community
justice - true justice
rights - all our rights
all our inalienable
undeniable
deepest truth
human rights
remember that
dream that
vision that
hope and
picture that
then include
every single person
every one far
and near
and get really
clear
that every
"single person
is a son
or a daughter
of the one
earth mama
and the one
earth papa"
and though I
stole that line from
Michael Franti
I say it because
it's real to me
this is how you
move in peace
you welcome it in
and you let it stay
and you renew the welcome
every day
I know that I may
be preaching to
the choir
but to keep singing
the song of peace
can only take us
higher
as we work in
peace
towards
peace & justice
it is the hope of
all who are here
gathered here
that we can live
life without fear
and, I know it's hard
that it can seem too much
of them
of they
of us
of stuff
too much to rise above
the anger & the frustration
but I know
there's no other way
to bring
peace & justice
to our nation.
- Bobbi Jo Chavarria, March 17, 2007
it makes sense
if you stand up
in anger
if you get so mad
that you stand up
to do something
anything
to rage
against the machine
the sytem
that keeps you down
I won't blame you
if you like me
get tired when
you see
the dismissal
in their eyes
oh, it's just you
you, you, you ____ whatever
it is right and
it makes sense
if you stand up
when someone else's
ignorance
rises before you
and tries to
silence
your voice
I know it's hard
to maintain poise
when your brother
or sister
or uncle or aunt
when your family
is trapped in the
traps of social
and economic
injustice
and you stand up
cuz you can't rest
while all this happens
to some of the best
people you know
and love
However,
I will tell you this
though you stand in anger
though infuriated
beyond all measure
though the hits
just keep on coming
at you
you must take a moment
review
and take a breath
and choose
to walk, talk, move
in peace
If what we seek
is liberty
& justice for all
it would make no
sense to me
to ACT out in anger
there's no one
to hate
no enemy
but the one we
create
at least not
anyone who
by seeing them as such
will make your life better
at least not much
So I will repeat
that if you walk
move & groove
in anything but
peace
you defeat
yourself
before you begin
and though I truly
believe there is
no "they"
- they will win
so how to walk in
peace
how to move in
peace
how to think in
peace
just remember
what it is
you seek
for yourself
for your family
for your community
justice - true justice
rights - all our rights
all our inalienable
undeniable
deepest truth
human rights
remember that
dream that
vision that
hope and
picture that
then include
every single person
every one far
and near
and get really
clear
that every
"single person
is a son
or a daughter
of the one
earth mama
and the one
earth papa"
and though I
stole that line from
Michael Franti
I say it because
it's real to me
this is how you
move in peace
you welcome it in
and you let it stay
and you renew the welcome
every day
I know that I may
be preaching to
the choir
but to keep singing
the song of peace
can only take us
higher
as we work in
peace
towards
peace & justice
it is the hope of
all who are here
gathered here
that we can live
life without fear
and, I know it's hard
that it can seem too much
of them
of they
of us
of stuff
too much to rise above
the anger & the frustration
but I know
there's no other way
to bring
peace & justice
to our nation.
- Bobbi Jo Chavarria, March 17, 2007
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