A strange peace, a strange calm
has come over me
Outside, we have brilliant sunshine
and wind, blowing the leaves
and a cool breeze, but now the wind is rising
blowing the leaves into a cloud of leaves
and suddenly, we have thunder
and power flickering on and off
That’s how fast our world
can be transformed
We can allow radical change
to throw us completely off balance
make us want to strike out
in retaliation
In retaliation against who or what?
When we are viciously attacked
will we respond in kind?
When we reach out and are completely ignored
will we respond by putting up an impenetrable wall?
Will we take seriously
the principle of nonviolence
passed down to us
by our greatest spiritual leaders?
Or will we walk the road
of retribution and hatred?
We can stand up for our principles
without inflicting harm on others
We can come together
engage in nonviolent action
when it is called for
A strange peace, a strange calm
has come over me
Outside, we may be buffeted
by savage wind and deep thunder
but we need not lose balance
Our spiritual center can
(and will) remain intact!