Manifesto of Peace: A Prose Poem

We are a community of men, women and children.rnWe live, breathe and exist together in our community.rnOur community is our home, even though we also have a roof over our own family.rnGathered under such roofs, we form neighborhoods.rnWe leave our neighborhood in the morning and return to it in the evening.rnWhat is good for us is good for the community.rnTo protect our own is to protect the community.rnWhat is best for the family is equally good for the community. rnWe are fond of boundaries.rnMe, myself, my family, home, country.rnMy goods and future.rnMy health. My food. My money.rnMy beliefs and views.rnMe. Mine. My own. rnIt’s natural to love one’s own.rnIt’s natural to shelter one’s own.rnIt’s natural to care more about your own. rnThen again, we fight with our families and ourselves more often than with others. rnCommunity is inside as well as outside.rnCommunity is a state of mind. rnOur state of mind is our first community.rnIt’s from our mind and heart that we decide how much to blame others.rnBlame others for our own troubles.rnIf in our heart and mind we would find peace, we would find peace in our relationship with all people. rnRelationship is a fact of life.rnThere are those we want to be with and those we have to be with.rnWe are in relation with others in many ways.rnOur thoughts, feelings, needs, money, beliefs, views put us in touch with others.rnThese others are individuals, and groups of individuals that function as companies, institutions and governments.rnThere is a web of life. The stranger we see at the bank has similar relations. rnWe also share the web of life with Nature and its lifeforms. rnThe tree’s shade and a pet’s warmth are cherished. Wheat and oranges nourish us.rnWe relax and play at the beach. The web exists so that life works. rnAre you ever angry at an apple you enjoy? rnWhat makes us angry with people whether they are those we want to be with or those we have to be with? rnAnger disappears when we share instead of hoard.rnAnger disappears when we see that our family is similar to another’s family.rnAnger disappears when we notice that the fruit tree that feeds us, feeds a child whose name we may not even know. The same cotton that we wear is on someone else’s back, the same material on our feet protects another’s feet, and the same steel that makes our car makes the neighbor’s car. rnThe sun shines on us all equally. rnPeace appears when we emphasize similarities.rnPeace appears when we honor natural variety.rnPeace appears when we realize that everyone seeks the love we seek.rnPeace appears when we accept that health; happiness and financial security are available to us as a human right and not at the expense of another.rnPeace is seen in the web of life when we tell our fear to grow up! rnThere’s not a single person who doesn’t want the basics of life that we want.rnThese basics include tangible things as well as success, happiness, health, acknowledgment and fulfillment.rnSince we have to participate in life in similar ways to attain similar results, is it not more productive to join efforts? Is it not more powerful to manifest dreams with collaboration rather than competition? Who wins when one person or group wins? Only that person or group and everyone else are losers. rnWho’s the loser when everyone wins? The obstacles! rnObstacles are created by us and can be uncreated by changing our heart and mind. For that we simply need willingness and reason. Reason shows us that cooperation brings results. Willingness takes us into our heart and mind where we develop flexibility and compassion. When reason is coupled with forgiveness, we have a winning formula for social and personal success. rnLet us remember that the formula of reason plus forgiveness has to be applied by citizen and leader alike. Afterall, a leader is a citizen and a citizen is a leader. Those who are elected or rise to prominence in some way are sanctioned as leaders, yet their power is in the hands of the people. rnForgiving leaders paves the path to start afresh. Leaders returning that trust with sincerity and unwavering commitment, solidify the path. People taking a real interest and becoming active with the power they have completes the shared responsibility of community. Then everyone is on the same path, heading to unity and a better life for all. rnPain, grudges, disappointment, injustice, prejudice, lack of opportunity, education or housing, poverty, ill-health as well as all the other challenges of life, and the real solutions for these are the responsibility of every single member of society. rnWe are the only ones who can bring order to chaos. rnWe are the only ones who can bring peace to conflict. rnWe are the only ones who can bring sanity to anger and hatred. rnWe are the only ones who can correct errors. rnWe are the only ones who can heal wounds. rnWe are the only ones who can monitor each other for the good of all. rnWe are the only ones who can use reason to see that the web of life is inclusive and not exclusive. rnWe are the only ones who can forgive and move on. rnThe past keeps us in the past. The future is ours to live. The present is where we act, assert and voice our common vision. rnMother, father, child, business owner, politician, teacher, student, professional and unemployed, WE populate our communities. rnWe are the only ones who can make it a place worth living. rnWe are the only ones who can create a new history. rnWe are the only ones who can…