Christmas is not a Time for Peace

Christmas is not a Time for Peace

Christmas is not a time for peace,

But a time for waging war,

There are homeless in the trenches,

Amid the blood and gore,

So go where you’ve never been,

Let your kindness roar,

Who will heed the cries for help,

From the meek and mild?

Who will force the abusers away,

From the defenseless child?

Go where you’ve never been,

Let your conscience run wild,

Christmas is not a time for peace,

But a time to speak out,

Against laxity, oppression, discrimination,

And without any doubt,

Against poverty, waste, disease, and crime,

The four horsemen of death,

This day should be a day to battle,

Until the last fleeting breath,

Do what you’ve never done,

Until the battle’s won,

Let the battle cries ring loud and true,

As we stamp out fear,

We can make this the most special time,

To wipe away the tears,

Do more than you’ve ever done,

To bring some Christmas cheer,

What if you and I could change history,

By doing what we can,

What if we changed the lives of a few,

And created a peaceful strand,

We could do more than we’ve ever done,

To make this the promised land,

 Christmas could be a time of joy,

Because we did so much more,

Dreams of peace could take root and grow,

Instead of dreams of war.

Caretaker of the Earth

Caretaker of the Earth

I am a caretaker of the earth,

For I have no peace unless I

Feel the soil under my fingernails,

Johnny Appleseed was a step ahead,

Or he was me, for in my dreams,

I walked new lands,

Bending, stooping, planting,

Planting orchards in my wake,

Birds sang my song,

And bees hummed as I went along,

Wild animals treated me as an old friend,

I am a caretaker of the earth,

I cannot ignore the cries of the land,

In my dreams there is more than planting seeds,

I hold myself responsible for violent deeds,

Things I’ve left undone, or not done to my best,

Haunt my dreams and put me to the test

So come along, my friend,

Perhaps to my defense you can attest.

 (But Lord, You Can’t Blame Me!)

I think the Lord doesn’t understand.   I found that out today,

“What have you done to my garden?” I heard the Lord say,

“Lord, I was asleep.  It just wasn’t my fault,

I didn’t see anyone cover it with asphalt,”

“Where are my fishes? I’ve searched down and even deeper,”

“Wait a minute, Lord. Am I the fishes’ keeper?”

“Where are my animals? He whispered with dread,

“They got in the way, Lord.  They’re dead, all dead.”

“Is that a mushroom cloud hanging over mankind?”

“But, Lord, that’s the only way of peace we could find.”

“You must try harder. Give up your wasteful way.”

“But, Lord, I only take what I want.  Even then I pray.”

“I’m one of the good guys. Why should I repent?

I salute the flag.  I give ten percent.”

I saw the skies grow dark and the wind began to howl,

“You’ve disappointed me,” I could see his angry scowl,

“But, Lord,” I muttered, “you can’t blame me.

I’ve done all I could.  Don’t you agree?”

The dream was awful, for it made me feel,

That what I was dreaming was in some ways real,

As a caretaker I cannot let others pillage and rape,

And watch the earth destroyed as I stand and gape.