Peace, then, is the humdrum,the everyday, the ordinary—like breathing in and out and in and out;Peace is the daybreak, the waking,from nightmares, sickness, desolation,to Mozart, love-making,optimal weather conditions or forecastsof inclement afternoons—but waking.Peace is the silent squeezeof the sun into the crease of the sea,the rhythmic rising and falling of dolphinslike waves within waves,or gawky gulls crashinglike bombs but not bombs into the surf,the green flash—why not?Peace is the steady susurrus of the sea caressing the sand, the heartbeating paradiddles to a loved one’s faceor grinding down to a Proustian pace—but beating, beating.
Talk about the quality of life,talk about freedom, liberation, trust,the dominion of the skies, the land, the sea,talk about “them,” talk about “us,”talk about their philosophy versusour philosophy, about spheresof influence and the party of the firstpart making the first strike against the party of the second part beforethe party of the second part knows what hit him;talk about the Kremlin, the Pentagon,MX missiles,Trident subs and Davy Crocketts;talk about talk and more talk, SALT talks, START talks, prime time talks,Voice of America talks, talk talks;talk about hate and fear,about nuking enough young bucksto keep the old bucks in power,yeah, let’s talk about bucks—big bucks,oil bucks, really big buckscompounded by coke and snow andthe nuclear winter of our discontinent;talk about muscle, balls, guts, the United States Marines,mother, the American flag, and apple pie;talk about Trump, Musk, insanity, greed, Armageddon, God—yes, talk about God,but when you do, brother, know that you’re in trouble, on the brink,ready to push the red button,do the planet in,one millionth of a megatonfrom never having to say you’re sorry.And, after the big, the biggest goddamned bangno one will ever hear, then try, just try to get buried in consecrated ground:POX vobiscum.
Gloria Vando's books and poems have won numerous awards. Her poem is included in the "Archive of Artists" on the Polaris Rocket Mission to the Moon (April 2025). She is founding publisher/editor of Helicon Nine Editions, contributing editor of The North American Review, and co-founder of The Writers Place in Kansas City. She serves on the boards of the Venice Arts Council and Beyond Baroque in Los Angeles.
