For the Children

FOR THE CHILDREN

The rising hills, the slopes,
of statistics
lie before us.
the steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.

In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say,
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.

To climb these coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:

stay together
learn the flowers
go light.

– Gary Snyder –

Yes, for the children
young and old,
inner and outer,
near and far,
who are suffering
the loss of
home, safety, culture, family – too many to list
to fires, floods, earthquakes, political oppression, disease, poverty – too many to list

May we stay together.
May we pray together.
May we play together.
In the flowers.
In the light.

Thinking of the peoples of Afghanistan, Haiti, Bangladesh, Turkey, Greece, Sicily, France, Canada, United States, Germany, Belgium – too many to list.