Unless we all have plenty…

This poem by Joseph Pintauro always comes to mind when ancient wounds and conflicts are in the news again.

Unless we all have plenty,

One of us will become a thief,

The thief will make you angry.

You will hurt him.

This will hurt his children,

They will punish you.

This will hurt your children.

They will punish his children

And that is how it begins.

To believe in man is to know

Peace will never work if

Just one man alive is unjust,

If just one man alive is ignorant

Or hungry or crazy or ashamed.

For we have see if only one of us

Decides to pull the plug,

The millions of us can kiss the world goodbye,

Whether we like it or not.

All we ask oh Lord is to be safe

From the rain, just warm enough

In winter to watch the snow with a smile,

Enough to eat so that hunger will

Not turn us to angry beasts

And enough sanity

To make a justice that will not kill

Our love of life.      

                      

Joe Pintauro (November 22, 1930 – May 29, 2018)

was an American playwright and author.