The bombs are flying,
a mother is crying
she has lost her son
from the bullet of a gun.

He thought he did his deed in stealth
but the jury verdict said death
he died from a needle in the arm
and they buried him out back by the barn.

There is rioting in the street
the police no longer walk the beat
sirens wail in the dead of night
people sit up and look on in fright.

There are religious zealots who will turn
and defy their god and holy books they burn
they talk about a god who is hateful
and for His grace they are not grateful.

They judge everybody who does not follow
the precepts of their faith that are hollow.
They preach about a peace on earth
but on their faces hidden, there is a smirk.

Jesus said there will be many false prophets
who will come in my name
and who are very expert at the game
of preaching "The Word" for profit.

In every walk of life, no matter where you go
there are demons among us you may not know
that take your faith and mix it up and turn it around
until you are no longer heaven bound.

Our Lord Jesus spoke of peace
and to be our brother's keeper,
but people run and are not at ease
while they call the number on their beeper.

It seems that today the god of most
is printed on special green like paper
and the more they get the more they toast
their affluent life like in a crime caper.

Unacceptance, bigotry, hatred, abandonment,
war, crime, intolerance, and lies
seem to fill the world that is in much lament
That is in devastation and the people's cries.

When we can take all of our weapons of mass
destruction and melt them into peaceful things to use
in pursuit of life, liberty, happiness and catching bass
maybe then we can have light by putting back the fuse.

When Unacceptance, bigotry, hatred, abandonment,
war, crime, intolerance, and lies we no longer lament
when we can smile at our brothers and sisters from
around the world, only then will we silence the battle drum.

When we can do these things,
only then does it bring
from the heart, the mind, and inner soul
world peace of a planet whole.

© 2011 by Barbara Lynn Terry