Why War Is Never a Good Idea

by Alice Walker

Though War speaks

Every Language

It never knows

What to say

To frogs.

Picture frogs

Beside a pond

Holding their annual

Pre-rainy season

Convention.

They do not see WAR

Huge tires

Of a

Camouflaged

Vehicle

About to

Squash

Them flat.

Though War has a mind of its own

War never knows

Who

It is going

To hit.

Picture a donkey

Peacefully

Sniffing a pile

Of straw.

A small boy

Holds

The end

Of its

Frayed

Rope

Bridle.

They do not see it

They are both thinking

Of dinner.

The boy

Is hoping for

Polenta & eggs

Maybe a carrot

Or apple

For

Dessert.

Just above

Them

Something dark

Big as

A car

Is

Dropping.

Though War has eyes

Of its own

& can see oil

&

Gas

& mahogany trees

& every shining thing

Under

The earth

When it comes

To nursing

Mothers

It is blind;

Milk, especially

Human,

It cannot

See.

Picture a woman

Beside a window.

She is blissful

Singing

A lullaby.

A baby twirls

A lock of her

Dark hair

Suckles

For all

It is

Worth.

They do not smell War

Dressed in

Green & brown

Imitating

Their fields

Marching slowly

Toward them

Up

The steep

Hill.

Though War is Old

It has not

Become wise.

It will not hesitate

To destroy

Things that

Do not

Belong to it

Things very

Much older

Than itself.

Picture the forest

With its

Rivers

& rocks

Its pumas

&

Its

Parakeets

Its turtles

Leopards

&

Snakes.

High above them War

Has turned itself

Into a white cloud

Trailing

An

Airplane
That

Dusts

Everything

Below

With

A powder

That

Kills.

War has bad manners.

War eats everything

In its path

& what

It doesn't

Eat

It

Dribbles

On:

Here

War is

Munching on

A village

Its missiles

Taking chunks

Big bites out

Of it.

War's

Leftover

Gunk

Seeps

Like

Saliva

Into

The

Ground.

It

Is finding

Its

Way

Into the

Village

Well.

War tastes terrible

& smells

Bad. It never

Considers

Body

Odor

Or

Weird Side

Effects.

When added

To water

It makes

You sick

Sip by sip.

You could die

While

Choking

&

Holding

Your

Nose.

Now, suppose You

Become War.

It happens

To some of

The nicest

People

On earth:

& one day

You have

To drink

The

Water

In this place.

Last night, Andy and I had the great opportunity to hear Alice Walker read this poem (and another) at Powell's Books in Beaverton. "Why War Is Never a Good Idea" has been published with beautiful and moving illustrations as a children's book. Please find it and buy it and read it with your kids and pass on her message. You can also find this poem in a book of poems by Alice Walker entitled "Absolute Trust in the Goodness of the Earth." A book I love and read over and over and over again.

Alice Walker is eloquent and kind and warm and funny and smart and brave. I was deeply moved and inspired by her talk. I asked her about writing practice and spiritual practice and she looked me straight in the eye and said, for her, they are the same. And inside I was shouting, "For me too! Me too!" Because that is also how I feel. It was a blessing to hear her speak and when she signed my books I told her, "Thank you for coming here. It was a true gift." And she said to me, "It was a true gift to be here."

Please read the above poem again. But, this time, read it aloud and slow down. Let it sink in. These words are very important. We need to understand the deeper, human and ecological impact of war. We are very blessed to sit in our safe homes and comfy chairs, in front of our laptops and desktops, but war is devastating our human family RIGHT NOW and we need to let our leaders know this is not okay.

I wish you all love and peace.