Underneath - a poem for International Peace Day

I've been pondering peace all day... well, since I learned that today is International Peace Day.

Peace is important to me. I've participated in the Blog 4 Peace project the past two years, and I always come back to the same thought. Peace begins with me. Peace begins with you. Peace begins in each of our hearts.

I listened to the anthem for this year's International Peace Day, One, and I felt... well, sad...



There is so much disconnection in our world. There is so much us versus them. There are so many labels. There is such a strong push to control one another. There is such a strong push toward greed and materialism.

It leaves me wondering why, if so many people can see us that we are "one", that we are more alike than unalike, that we are better off united than divided, we end up right back at this place where hate, division, and vitriol rule the day.

Then I look at social media. The world works by keeping us divided, by telling us what to think, by demonizing us to each other...

And, we allow it to happen.

But, I have to believe there is hope... I have to...

And, so I was inspired to write the following poem...

Underneath

Underneath the lies
Underneath the division
Underneath the beliefs
Underneath the manipulation
Underneath the blind loyalty
Underneath the greed
Underneath the judgment
Underneath it all
What do you find underneath?
When you look in your heart?
When you look in your soul?
Do you ever look
Underneath
To see the humanity in another?
Do you ever look
Underneath
To see the pain in another’s eyes?
Do you ever look
Underneath
To find the humility to change
The system that hurts so many
Do you ever look
Underneath
To see the love that unites?
Do you ever look
Underneath
To find the connection
To another?
Do you ever look
Underneath
To find the peace
Born from compassion?
Because I have to believe
That if we look
Underneath
We can find the connection
We can find the compassion
We can find the love
We can find the way to cultivate
Peace
But we have to start by looking
Underneath
The manipulation that keeps us in chaos
Tell me
If peace begins in each of our hearts
How do we nurture it so it will thrive?
Peace is about so much more than ending war
Peace begins and ends with us
Living love and compassion for our fellow Earthlings…




T. L. Cooper is an author and poet whose work aims to empower and inspire through an exploration of the human condition. Her poems, short stories, articles, and essays have appeared online, in books, and in magazines. Her published books include a collection of short stories, Soaring Betrayal, her Silhouette Poetry Series, and a novel, All She Ever Wanted. She grew up on a farm in Tollesboro, Kentucky. She currently lives in Albany, Oregon with her husband and three cats.

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