What if, a poem

What if
by Mike Marcellino

What if
we carried plowshares,
not swords.

What if
we did good
without conditions,
expectations.

What if
we didn’t hate
didn’t participate,
traded love
for fear.

What if
we had
no excuses,
rationale
for carrying
rifles,
instead of hammers.

What if
Gandhi
Martin
Mohamed
Jesus
and Buddha
were here.
Would we
pass by.

What if
we all
had post
traumatic
stress
disorder
and
listened
to the CBC.

What if we
put our lives
on the line
for peace
before it
becomes
a war cliché.

What if
we all got
Purple Hearts.
Would we
award them to our children?

What if copyright Mike Marcellino 2009