Which Road Do We Take
by Judy Joy Jones
ok we can bomb
the world back into the stone age
find anyone anywhere
even see inside their homes
down to which room they’re in
great now what
hey I have an idea
yeah me
the tie dye artist
with rose colored shades
why not make a huge globe
and highlight
every bloodcurdling scream
of each starving baby and child
we can track
their sound frequency waves
screams resonate on vibes
all their own
especially newborn baby sounds
and then we can
make another huge globe
and lit like a jewel it shall be
with the souls on earth
that want to give life back to life
the souls that
love so much it hurts
and want to give
until not one person is without
food shelter and medical aid
and pretty soon
that old globe will be lit up
like a Christmas tree
and the vibes of love
will run like
blood-filled rivers and streams
bleeding red everywhere
it’s easy to track
burning love
cuz it’s a blazing fire
lit from above
and we can track the
silent tears of the poor elderly
thrown out in the streets
waiting to die
who are too tired to even cry
seems we decided
you and I
we decided they were
taking up too much space
and stole their
only livelihood
and said
go and die die die die
but for some reason
their silent tears
left a pattern in
the computer’s eye
that just wouldn’t go way
and even if we tried
to delete it … no way
it just came back … stronger
with their suffering
in full raging force
like a violent wind
something ‘bout that hurtin’ vibe
just won’t lay down and die
gets right in our damned face
under the skin
picks at our brain
during the night
no matter how we try
and pretend
it ain’t there
and oh those in wheelchairs
and on crutches
with no means of support
let’s track ‘em
and match their needs
with those givers on the globe
lit like a Christmas tree
who chose love over hate
chose giving over killing
cuz they know the truth
in two weeks
the amount the world spends
on weapons to kill
every man woman and child
in just two short weeks
that money would feed
every soul upon the earth
no one would ever be
hungry or in need again
just two short weeks folks
gee whiz
can’t we hold off the tooth and claw
jungle urge to kill mangle and mutilate
just two friggin’ weeks
give me a break
there is a power so great
it can stop nuclear war
with one thought wave
but you see
ah yes it’s called
free will
and that’s where we come in
you and me
which road do we take
kill mangle mutilate and steal
or love caress embrace and cherish”
our brother sisters fathers and mothers
yeah seems the mighty hand
we cannot see
has decided it’s all up
to you and me
yup all up to you and me
so while the bloodcurdling screams
go on and on
and in the cold darkest nights
while we lay snug in our warm beds
with our tummies very well fed….
thinking it doesn’t matter
cuz no one can see what we do
and we can do
what we damned well please
seems we conveniently forget
not one thought word or deed
by us is ever erased
it’s in the ether
for eternity
and you and me might
wanna be very very slow
in picking the roads we travel
we can live
for our own gratification
or we can choose to forget self
and give
we can bomb the world
into the stone age
we can track all
the bad people
but funny about
those roads we take
to claim them as bad
they all lead to
a fork in the middle
and the arrow we shot
to kill another
has now
hit our very own backs
cuz we let our brother
die of hunger
homelessness
and neglect
the bad
we are so
hell bent on killing
‘the bad’ are you
and they are me
and when we turn
our blood-thirst into love
we will clearly see
that was always the only path to seek
yes let’s get two huge globes
one filled with bloodcurdling screams
of babies dying on freezing
concrete streets
and the other globe will be
lit brighter
than all earth’s skies at night
by the heartbeats of
the givers of the flame
of eternal life
that chose the road
of life … of love … and of peace
amen
A Hard Lot
by Judy Joy Jones
why is that young woman
bending over her
loaded shopping cart
on the ground
she digs through everything in it
as her young child screams
“Mamma Mamma”
squirming in his chair
“I’m going to check out son …
wait for me”
as she turned
pushing her cart
towards the checker’s stand
she never stood up
still bent over
nearly to the ground
she cocked her head to the right
and looked up at me
smiling
“yes it takes forever
to decide what to buy
and my husband always tells me
not to buy anything if i don’t
really need it”
and with her broken back
bent nearly to the ground
the young woman
continued pushing her cart
towards the checkout stand
i couldn’t stop the tears
from pouring down my face
why such a hard fate
for a young woman with a child
a broken back
and yet on her face
the smile of an angel
my heart mourned for her fate
and i prayed to be
more grateful each day
for the lot i have
and i asked for forgiveness
for anything i have done to anyone
and the universe
that was not done with love
love is the only thing that lasts
and the most powerful force on earth
may God be with this special spirit
and guide her every step
and also with you and i
to help us remember
to leave each one we meet
with a smile hope and love
nothing else really does matter
but the love we leave
and tomorrow’s not promised
tomorrow’s not promised