Poetry and Essay

Peace is an “Inside” Job

In this poem and essay, we discover we won’t find peace “out there.”

“Peace is Within” Designed by Carmellita (Author) in Playground and enhanced with Canva.

In the hollow night, silent and deep,
a yearning calls out for my soul’s sake
no time to sit and contemplate
for the emptiness called out and stirred
inhaling only makes the pains of my yearning worse
when moving forward why do we face the adverse?
and why does it leave something behind to clean up?

I double over in raging hunger, so depleted
that waiting for a serving of happiness will leave me starved out
and no matter how many spaces I’ve carved out
I won’t find peace there — no not there — not out there
where everyone is scraping and scratching for the same peace
damn, didn’t I mean the same piece?
still, no one is willing to leave anything behind, just give up

I’m running this race as fair and as far as I know how
and yet, my soul needs restoration and replenishment
before my eyes and heart choose resentment
over hope and compassion, remember hope and compassion?
I hear my…