Poem: Why Peace is Always a Good Idea. From a new book of poems, Spring 2013: The World Will Follow Joy; Turning Madness into Flowers

WHY PEACE IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA 
©2011 by Alice Walker


For Jacqui Hairston, with love.

 
Because you could plant peach trees


And because of peace


You could eat them in five or six


Years

Peaches not trees

And your children


Could eat them


After you are gone!

And because you could not see


A friend for a long, long time


But


Because there is peace


You would not lose them forever


But see them next time they come


To town!

You could go ice skating


Or roller skating


And no guns would go off


Scaring you.

You could grow old


And have a nice long beard


And no rockets


Would appear


To set fire


To it!

 You could swim in the ocean


And see turtles


And whales


And nothing would interrupt


You, even if you fell asleep


On your back!

Not a single bomb


Would be going off


Anywhere!


And people would let you drift


To shore


And then they’d wake


you


With music and some food


That


Would be strange to you


But so delicious!

They’d want you


To like their peaceful land:


They’d want to learn about yours.

Peace is great for this sort of thing.


And when you went home


There would be a whole house


Intact


Waiting for you.


Your room warm and cozy


And your dog happy to see you


And everything!

 Even the cat


Might take a look at you,


Seriously,


As if she cared!

All this can happen in peace.


Never in war.

And that is why Peace is always a good idea.


Earth likes it too!

 She’s tired of being marched on and hit by crazy humans


Who never see how sweet she is


Or appreciate


Her windstorms


Or


Her curves.
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