Wonder why black or white isn’t the only option?
Why gray became a choice?
Why sitting on the fence became acceptable
When the fence was meant to divide, not cradle?

Time, man’s greatest ally,
And perhaps his worst enemy.
I suppose it depends which side of the fence you’re on.

Time blurs things,
Until you question if they ever were.
It creates illusions so vivid,
You think they’ve always existed.
It heals old wounds
Or tears open new ones.
It births both the best memories
And the worst.
Do any come to mind?

talking is protecting
talking is defining,talking is to protect
the protector is a defining moment
talking is a defining moment
talk a talk is a tooth for a tooth
walk a walk is a nail for a nail
a battle for a tooth is a battle for a nail

talk is talking a tooth
battle is battling a nail
the enemy is a battle of the enemy
the enemy is a battle of a tooth
the protector is the battle of the enemy
the protector is the battle of a tooth
peace is a defining moment

peace is a defining battle
peace is the enemy battle

‘Tis the day to care for each other and to join hands
Friendship matters, love matters
Flowers matter too, brothers and sisters
Please do not be too mad
Because the sky is not blue
Let’s enjoy the morning dew
Please do not be too sad
Let’s enjoy the cold sunny weather
There’s snow here and there, but at the corner
Is spring with fresh air and a bundle of flowers
Friendship matters, love matters

Believe it or not
The Parson is right
We shall return with zeroes
Many zeroes.  Let’s be Heroes
For and to the world. Let’s not be selfish
Because we shall return with zilch
With nada, mit nichts, perhaps with empty zeroes
Which mean nothing. Let’s pause
To think. Let’s be wise and humble
Love is essential. When the trees tremble
And fall; when the ground shakes and burns

Throughout the coldest days of the mighty winter
Think of a sweet spring and dream of a mild summer
During the harshest hours of the wintry night
Think of flowers and dream of a pleasant sunlight.

Season comes, remains a bit and then flees
Life goes through a circular event like the bees
Like the moonbeams dancing around Mother Earth
In order to charm, embrace and kiss her to death.

Papa Noël was afraid to pass through on Christmas Day
In the streets of Port-au-Prince. Bullets were being fired in droves
Sporadically, haphazardly. Many people were hiding under beds
Naughty terrorists are like dogs, hyenas in vile forests or deadly wilderness
They are everywhere with big machine guns which are not made in Haiti
The lawless bandits or God-awful devils are killing and terrorizing everyone
Even old cats and dirty rats that are running in the ravines
Things are very serious, extremely dangerous and awfully bad in Haiti

conquer is conquering the mind
conquer is conquering the soul
conquer is conquering the energy
energy conquer energy
energy conquer the mind,body,and soul
a active soul is a active body
a active soul is a active energy

active is actively a body
active is actively a energy
the mind,body,and soul is actively a energy
energy honor energy
peace honor peace
peace conquer peace
peace is a peace of energy

conquer is honoring peace
conquer is conquering the mind,body,and soul
to honor peace is to conquer peace

Peace Prayer
by Michael R. Burch

Be calm.
Be still.
Be silent, content.

Be one with the buffalo cropping the grass to a safer height.

Seek the composure of the great depths, barely moved by exterior storms.

Lift your face to the dawning light; feel how it warms.

And be calm.
Be still.
Be silent, content.

Published by Hibiscus (India), Ethos Literary Journal, The Peacemaker, Lullabies Behind My Eyelids, The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew (San Mateo, CA) and Mad Hatter