We prayed for peace, yet
in Sarajevo a shot was fired
and the world exploded
into yet another war.
We prayed this war would
end all wars, that peace would win.
And it worked for awhile,
maybe twenty-odd years.
World War Two; the Cold War;
Korea; Vietnam; the Gulf War;
9/11; Afghanistan; Iraq.
When will they end?
Still we hope and pray for peace
to last — until the next nut
or zealot comes along,
pulls another trigger,
and starts another war.
We sigh and cry for peace,
dreading the next conflict,
yet we never seem to appease
all the fanatics, or
collect all the nuts.
Word Buds 