Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

…before there were scorecards
Before the heavy rains came
And there was no mud to sling
And you weren’t drowning your life
In dying things like diamond rings
There was a hero who spoke of:
Love

Love that would set you free
And let even the robber on
The last steps of his wooden plank
Walk to happiness, an eternal bliss
That Love invited us all to share

And sadly some think they do
When they dance in the streets
And fatten themselves on indigestible meats
High fiving for something that doesn’t exist
Except in the hearts…hearts that are
In the shape of calendar dates
When brother sees mother
And wife sees her life
Return in camouflaged fatigues
Fatigued together they embrace
And Love comes back to his face
This is what they fight for:
Love

Love does not allow for your side or mine
For theirs or for ours
It is not about giving orders
Or who gave them
The Hero who died for Love
Did not seek revenge
He sought to love brothers
To bring back the prodigal sons
And although there will always be betrayers
Whose ends we witness as justice
It is not a time to celebrate in the streets
And to spread false patriotism
That dies as do diamonds
And news stories

When the soldier returns back home
Then it is time to celebrate
But it is always time to Love