Poem: Violence Everywhere

Violence Everywhere

In the fury of the storm when the wind turns gale,

in the struggle between predator and prey, violence strikes.


Violence breaks the will, enforcing difference.

It looks to ends: disregarding means


It has become a feature of our world

Today we are victims; tomorrow perpetrators.


Violence causes suffering

to others and to ourselves.


It motivates our greed and our fear

and thrives on our need to feed our egos.


Anyone can be violent:

but our violence will destroy us


unless we learn peace

and release our energy creatively.


For a non-violent future

we must image a way of justice and peace today.

Jocelyn Ortt-Saeed

From GLW issue 245