what gets in the way of peace?

What gets in the way of peace?
Misunderstanding
combined with one's expectations
needing to be overheard
by way of
mental communication.

How to resolve it?
By listening to the wind
and saying its name.

Does it make sense?
It doesn't
but contemplation sometimes
is wiser than action;
it abolishes rashness
and allows Peace
to come in.

thank you

This morning, I had to deal with the aftermath
of a woman not getting what she wanted
unclear on the concept of first come first served
rude, bile, crass,
2-year-old-on-a-sugar-rush-with-no-sleep-like
gimme-gimme NOW!!!! behavior
causing a scene
and embarrassing herself
(easy to do in a small town)

as she left, I thanked her for leaving
so that some other place can feel her bad attitude.

and I thought some people are clueless
with no idea about how lucky they are

anger girl walked back to her truck
and drove off
some people don't have that luxury
some people don't even have that option
some people don't even know what it's like to have nothing
and yet be grateful for it.

sad, clueless people.

Meanwhile a child
straps on a kevlar vest
and walks into the open air
of a war-torn street
to go to school
assuming there is a school to go to.

Somewhere not too far away
a few people hunker down for a night
while having a gun to their side
waiting for the next ambush
and praying that there won't be one.

Years ago,
on the tarmac in Great Britain,
Chamberlain touts "peace in our time"
and that peace and trust
gets broken in only a few short weeks.

And there was war, and there was fighting
and there was peace and the spoils of victory
and freedom

and now I have to deal
with people
with no sense of gratitude
no idea of how fortunate they are.

and I am glad that I get to realize this

Thank you all.
Especially our men and women who gladly dedicate their lives
in service to humankind.

Thank you for putting out the fires
for fighting the wars
for taking my place in the bunker.
Thank you for keeping us safe.
So that I could remind myself,
that the price of freedom isn't only eternal vigilance,
but also eternal gratitude.