My Own Private Oklahoma

War reduces, depletes,
angers, and competes.
War destroys, ignites,
lingers, and deletes
the consciousness of humankind.

War may kill, fall,
maul, and repeat,
but dr. king, malcolm x, and ghandi
sit, contemplate, react and sift
the consciousness of humankind.

And when they die,
they stir, arise, and uplift
the eyes of youth
and old forgotten dreams
left to rot through the skin
of hollowed men and women.

and others with guns,
homebrewed bombs
displace, frustrate, and disengage
from the irate, unfair laws
and the rhetoric of peace
to violate the consciousness of humankind.

Until love sings again,
it lingers toward hate
beneath traps
of trigger fingers.

dr. king and malcolm x
stand on mountain tops
but do not escape
the violation of hate
of terrorists
born and bread
on american soil.

Both were murdered
without freedom
lasting.

rise again, peace,
from the mountaintops of war.
cloak and cloud the pestilence
of every soar and sour sting
of hate and prejudice.

until we can be ghandi,
malcolm x,
and all peaceful kings.

--Moon