If Only
POETRY FORMAT, 5 Aug 2024
Jocelyn Wright - TRANSCEND Media Service
Violence and killing
Originating multifariously
In lethal minds
Or harmful structures
Aided and abetted by
A weaponized world
Bringing us down
Down
Rather than raising us up
Destroying and deconstructing
Rather than enabling and regenerating
If only we committed to disarming
Committed to nonkilling
Committed to peace
If only we prioritized health, education, and welfare
Collaboration and dialogue
We’d have a new lease
On life
Problems we’d solve harmoniously
Inequalities we’d reduce
Injustices we’d heal and prevent
We’d be good to the environment
Unsustainable practices we’d curtail
Wellbeing would prevail
All would prosper
IF ONLY we’d commit!
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Jocelyn Wright is Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Mokpo National University, South Korea, where she has served for over 15 years. Her main areas of academic interest are peace linguistics, peace literature, and peace language education. Email: jocelynmnu@yahoo.com
Tags: Poetry, Violence
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 5 Aug 2024.
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