Lullaby

The lull of history between wars--there used to be times like that, I think. When there was really no war to speak of. But we are utterly engaged at any given moment, it seems, in an armed conflict of some sort. By "we" I mean Americans, by "we" I mean humanity. Of course. Of course. Why blame? It is what ails us all--not any one group: fear. Fear of the other, of losing power or control, of being subverted in some way. Of being less than what we are...but isn't it our acts of violence that diminish us? Make us ultimately smaller and less as humans? Why must we continually violate ourselves by striking out against the other? Violence can only give rise to more violence, and in this engenderment: more and more fear. How to soothe ourselves? What lullaby to beguile the senses, silence the alarm that rises along our spines and explodes in our ears? Oh. Is there no melody that can teach the heart to be still and pray to what is universal and holy?