Information Disconnect ~ Philip Brent Harris

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Whether we stand straight or slouch,
Brothers and sisters with linked arms,
Stretch out their empty fingers,
Their untouched hands.
We strain to reach them, to prove
We stand as one, with outstretched
Empty arms, in peace, solidarity.
Still, we are unable to imagine all
Their myriad and costly harms.
Cost of life, of hope, in pain,
Dwarfing any envisioned gain.

Humankind is in no way kind.
We need but look at our history
To find animal, vegetable and mineral
Where our pride in destruction ensures their fall.
We believe our hubris, described as god
Grants us license, without recall,
To hurl the thunderbolts of Zues, winds
And floods of biblical proportion;
Humanity rushing on, destroys.
Play lethal games, mere girls and boys.

Where is the mother,
The father to call us home?
Neither earth nor god can perform
The task, which needs doing.
We, all people, must stop,
Look where we are going.
Though there is only now,
Look to the past
Plan for the future, learn how.

Connect with everything, everyone
Though your best may fail to comprehend.
Tally neither gain nor loss.
No need to calculate the cost.
Politics, economics, religion must be done.
Forget revolution, war; we cannot afford
To hide in group, tribe or nation.
This requires everyone’s participation.
We are all headed toward the same destination.
Death, most certainly, but something more immediate
How we will live, and if we survive.

Choose love, refuse hate, before we become late.
Choose to unlearn the narrow vision
We have been taught, before we burn
Away to naught, or do we envision
Some afterlife where all our hatred
Will be washed away, though we may
Bring nuclear winter, perhaps,
Nullifying any thought of maps,
Some other dire catastrophe?
Caused or mismanaged by crazy leaders,
Rich misers, fools and bigots.

Overoptimistic, I may be, but I hope you draw near.
A moment’s silence, stretched, so you may hear,
Listen to my plea and heed my warning.
We already know, have chosen
the ways we’ll die; will no one else ask why?
Ask why we all do not use all that we have?
To give our utmost, for what is there to lose,
If we all stop, choose how we will live?

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Peace is Purpose, Nonviolence is Strength, Diversity is Unity, Empathy is Empowerment

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