True Peace

Every year I write an article for Canada's Remembrance Day which is on November 11th. This time I thought I would write a poem instead:

Remembrance Day: a time when we
Recall how others fought.
Gave up their homes, their health, their lives
So freedom could be bought.
(Because we all want peace.)

We send our troops to foreign lands
And hope they'll stop new fights
Or overthrow dictatorships
Securing people's rights.
(Because we all want peace.)

Disasters come and people need
Support in many ways.
We send the solders, food and meds
To help them through this phase.
(Because we all want peace.)

We volunteer for charity
And give our money too
With hopes that others' lives are touched
By selfless things we do.

We plan the holidays with care
Buy gifts to celebrate
We even stop in at a church
Our lives to consecrate.

We shake with fear to hear the news
Of terror and of threats
But trust that measures are in place
To save us from regrets.

We hear the news that screams of crime
Don't want to be affected.
Just trust police who risk their lives
To make sure we're protected.

Let soldiers fight, police protect
"They really don't need me."
We think we should be uninvolved
And freedom should be free.

But all the while we play a part.
Our choices cause a mess!
We hate the in-laws, fight with mom
And cause our kids duress.
(What happened to the peace?)

We go to work and make a fuss
Or ruin someone's day
And then we sue the neighbor
Cause their fence is in our way.

We criticize our partners
And trash the government
Make fun of politicians
Though it's us who raised the debt.

We complain about the weather,
Our income and healthcare
Think laws are really stupid
And that life is never fair.

We take pills for depression
Talk all about our stress
If we only had more money
Had more time or could do less...
(What happened to the peace?)

We're mixed up in our thinking
Place the blame externally
But unless we find a peace within
We never will be free,

We can't just accept the sacrifice
That other people give
If we want to know true peace in life
We must change the way we live.