The Great Peace

A poem by Walter Lowenfels.  Never heard of him, right?  A pity for all of us, really.

This was printed in the collection Some Deaths, published by Jonathan Williams as Issue #32 of Jargon.

The Great Peace
(from the Amerindian)

What is more beautiful
       than the land that has no grave
             because there is no fear,
where bravery doesn't bleed
             because there is no enemy,

where warriors of the Hundred and One Nations
       uproot the tallest pine tree
and in the hole that's left
       drop their bombs and guns,

deep in the underearth,
       throw all their weapons,
and plant again the tree.  Then
       when the Great Peace is won

we will find the land
       where truth is without a name
because there is no lie
       where charity has no home;
because there is no hunger;
       where nobody is an Unknown
Hero any more,
       and no one is a seer--
because the light of wisdom
        is everywhere.