Peace



Peace
by Maxwell "Max" Sebastian Burchett


Wars and rumors of war
it is said will be forevermore.
If that is the fate of mankind,
what are we to do?
How can we find
a time of peace, harmony too?

First could be
to find a way somehow
to stop wars raging now.
Not so easily done of course;
only when victory is forsaken,
no hope for winning by force.

But then war still goes on
and on and on.
No end, more impasse,
No peace possible,
No end in sight,
No peace, for all, lives lost.

Wars and rumors of war
echoing through time's corridor.
If this is humanity's eternal plight,
what path can we pursue
to discover a respite,
a time of peace, harmonious and true?

First, we must seek
a means to quell the strife,
to halt the battles rife.
Yet, it is not an easy feat
for victory's allure is great.
Anything else seen as defeat.

One war ends, but sets the stage for another.
Legacies that doom lasting peace.
One war making enemies for as long a memories last,
legacies of hate for lives lost.
If cause of one war endures,
strife and conflict the next war assures.

Ambitions of rulers and kings
Seeking glory and lands,
Conflicts on beliefs never stopping,
Never an Age of Aquarius all are seeking.
Kingdoms of men and kingdoms of gods
Assure men and armies are at odds.

No resolution, no truce,
Elusive peace, a distant muse,
The cycle continues unabated,
Lives shattered, dreams faded.
But hope must endure through darkness
in hearts of the weary, yearnings for peace live.

Can peace and tyranny coexist?
There comes a time to resist,
not peace at any cost.
For the oppressed, peace is already lost.
Good must act early in the right
to stop evil growing to greater might.

Best war is stopped before it starts,
but for wars already raging,
thinking must be of finding an ending
that is not the gateway to the road
of ongoing chapters to new battles,
adding hope to the book of life, not death.

About this poem

The poem "Peace" contemplates the perpetual cycle of war and the longing for an enduring era of harmony and tranquility. The poem acknowledges that even when one war concludes, its legacy can sow the seeds for future conflicts. Grudges and the remembrance of lives lost perpetuate enmity, making it challenging to establish lasting peace. The ambitions of rulers, fueled by the desire for glory and power, contribute to the continuation of strife, regardless of the beliefs at stake. Overall, the poem grapples with the complex relationship between conflict and peace, highlighting the challenges and aspirations of humanity as it seeks to break free from the chains of war and move towards a future characterized by harmony and coexistence. 

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Written on 2022

Submitted by MaxwellBurchett on August 16, 2023

Modified by MaxwellBurchett on October 08, 2023

2:02 min read
1,658

Quick analysis:

Scheme ab Ccdede xffgxg hhxxij Ckiebe xllmxm kaxjnn xxoopp xxxxxx qqxjii xooxxx
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,897
Words 404
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 2, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Maxwell Sebastian Burchett

Maxwell "Max" Sebastian Burchett is president of the charity Golden Hearts that provides support to Ukrainian war refugees. He originated the "Good Day" concept and is leading the campaign to establish "Good Day" as a designated day, nationally recognized as "a day for doing a little extra good." Max is a singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas. His poems "Until Then" and "I Dream" have been used as lyrics in pop songs of the same names (https://soundcloud.com/maxburchett/i-dream). His music and writing were featured on UK Talk Radio and on their website (https://uktalkradio.org/max-burchett-dog-days/). His writing interests include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Most recently Max has included in his poetry and non-fiction publications themes developed from his work with Ukrainian war refugees. His poetry style has been influenced by the greats, including Frost, Elliot, Poe and Whitman. Max's short story “Covid Love” was featured in the July 2023, 111th issue of 34thParallel Magazine (https://www.34thparallel.net/34mag-111.html) and his "New Frontiers" poetry trilogy was featured in the October 2023 issue of INTERALIA Magazine (https://www.interaliamag.org/poetry/maxwell-sebastian-burchett-poems/). His romance mystery novel on post-Putin Russia “Red Star Rising” is releasing as serial episodes on Kindle and an anthology of his poems will be released later this year. and an anthology of his poems will be released later this year. Max's poems "Me to You" and "Three Whispered Words" are included in the anthology 'Is there Ever an End' published in November 2023 (https://www.amazon.com/There-Ever-End-Various/dp/B0CNZKNSN7). Max Burchett and his brother started delivering food and letters of encouragement to staff at local hospitals during covid, and that grew into the charity Golden Hearts. After covid the charity’s efforts were refocused on helping Ukrainian war refugees, and the homeless, who are basically refugees in their own country. His observations from work with war refugees and the homeless have led him to write stories and songs that attempt to convey the situation to a broader audience. more…

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