Recently a friend shared this poem by John Roedel. What an incredible poem. It moves me so deeply.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, I hope this poem gives you hope and comfort.
In the face of war, we feel helpless. We can’t do many things. Yet we can love. We can become a force of peace in the world. Thank you John Roedel for this beautiful, eloquent poem.
I can’t make the
world be peaceful
I can’t stall tanks
from roaring down streets
I can’t prevent children
from having to hide in bunkers
I can’t convince the news to
stop turning war into a video game
I can’t silence the sound of bombs
tearing neighborhoods apart
I can’t transform a guided missile
into a bouquet of flowers
I can’t make a warmonger
have an ounce of empathy
I can’t convince ambassadors
to quit playing truth or dare
I can’t deflect a sniper’s bullet
from turning a wife into a widow
I can’t stave off a country from being
reduced to ash and to rubble
I can’t do any of that
the only thing I can do
is to love the next person I encounter
without any strings or conditions
to love my neighbor
so fearlessly that
it causes a ripple
that stretches from
one horizon to the next
I can’t force peace
upon the world
but I can become a force
of peace in the world
because sometimes
sometimes all it takes
is a candle, a single candle
lit in the darkness
to start a movement
“Lord, make me a candle
of comfort in this world
let me burn with peace”
~ John Roedel
Wonderful thought filled words, thank you for sharing.
Stay safe, be kind x
Thanks for sharing this, Janet.
Beautiful, thank you.