Peace Prayer

What do you pray for the longing inside

What begs your attention disturbs your pride

What is the thorn that won’t go away

What needles serenity won’t let you play

 

What rankles plans for a life with more play

What leaves you alone with not much to say

What calls forth amazement at what you observe

What makes you crazy ignites each nerve

 

What won’t let you rest till you are thrown down

What’s taken your smile replaced it with a frown

What pollutes the air and water we drink

What clouds your good judgment makes it hard to think

 

What rages inside breaks your sweet heart

What prowls your deep corridors demanding your art

What shocks your wisdom draws out your tears

What’s growing louder with each passing year

 

What beckons your voice rise up and protest

What pulls curdling screams from deep in your chest

What galvanizes the burning within

What has the capacity to restore a grin

 

One simple answer wells up in my being

A world that is peaceful all people seeing

We tend to the suffering heal the ills

Breathe loving kindness spurred by clear wills

 

We realize violence only gets more

We all know that love is what we came for

We let go all thoughts of winning or blame

Leave behind war with it our shame

 

We honor the peace and compassion we are

We let go of all else it won’t take us far

We sing with clear voices angels we are

We let go of all else it does not take us far

 

What might you let go of in service of a broader peace?

Can forgiveness end the suffering and pain in an instant?

– Stewart Levine ©

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Written by

Stewart Levine

I have always been a seeker, always looking for the answers to what seekers ponder. I can remember Dr. Maxwell Maltz and Psychocybernetics; Dr. Carl Rogers On Becoming a Person. Moving through my legal training and practicing law the focus was always about people and how to better their lives. All that searching, reading, studying and introspective work culminated in this collection of daily readings for seekers.

My work in the world has progressed from fighting legal cases to mediating divorces to helping people understand the essentials of relationship and collaborating to these poems. How can we collaborate effectively and work with each other in harmony to create the world we seek. How can we mindfully enable this world to become a place that works for all.

My prayer is that through introspection using these poems as a guide we can all grow together in making the world the Heaven on Earth we all aspire toward.