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Painted in a corner
Smeared about the floor
Chants of lone forgiveness
Quiet in the war
“Deafening the sound of death”
Garden roses trampled
Broken stems abound
Wilting on the visions
Blooming losses found
“Petals of peace scattered carelessly”
Blood along the pathway
Eyes hid in the mist
Penning someone else’s name
On this lengthy list
“Alphabetical to the grave”
Standing from the shadows
Crossing battle lines
Reaching for the freedom
Voices loud can find
“Speak up children, your voices matter”
Put aside your weapons
Time has come to cease
The nation now has gathered
United prayer for peace
*“On our hands and knees we pray… send the evil far away”
I was asked to write a poetic prayer for peace by a young friend in Iraq. This is what I wrote.