Waking
Peace, then, is the humdrum,
the everyday, the ordinary—
like breathing in and out and in and out;
Peace is the daybreak, the waking,
from nightmares, sickness, desolation,
to Mozart, love-making,
optimal weather conditions or forecasts
of inclement afternoons—but waking.
Peace is the silent squeeze
of the sun into the crease of the sea,
the rhythmic rising and falling of dolphins
like waves within waves,
or gawky gulls crashing
like bombs but not bombs into the surf,
the green flash—why not?
Peace is the steady susurrus of the sea
caressing the sand, the heart
beating paradiddles to a loved one’s face
or grinding down to a Proustian pace—
but beating, beating.
Talk about the quality of life,
talk about freedom, liberation, trust,
the dominion of the skies, the land, the sea,
talk about “them,” talk about “us,”
talk about their philosophy versus
our philosophy, about spheres
of influence and the party of the first
part making the first strike against
the party of the second part before
the party of the second part knows what hit him;
talk about the Kremlin, the Pentagon,
MX missiles,
Trident subs and Davy Crocketts;
talk about talk and more talk,
SALT talks, START talks, prime time talks,
Voice of America talks, talk talks;
talk about hate and fear,
about nuking enough young bucks
to keep the old bucks in power,
yeah, let’s talk about bucks—big bucks,
oil bucks, really big bucks
compounded by coke and snow and
the nuclear winter of our discontinent;
talk about muscle, balls, guts,
the United States Marines,
mother, the American flag, and apple pie;
talk about Trump, Musk, insanity, greed,
Armageddon, God—yes, talk about God,
but when you do, brother, know
that you’re in trouble, on the brink,
ready to push the red button,
do the planet in,
one millionth of a megaton
from never having to say you’re sorry.
And, after the big, the biggest goddamned bang
no one will ever hear, then try, just try
to get buried in consecrated ground:
POX vobiscum.
Gloria Vando's books and poems have won numerous awards. Her poem is included in the "Archive of Artists" on the Polaris Rocket Mission to the Moon (April 2025). She is founding publisher/editor of Helicon Nine Editions, contributing editor of The North American Review, and co-founder of The Writers Place in Kansas City. She serves on the boards of the Venice Arts Council and Beyond Baroque in Los Angeles.