These eyes

These eyes have been a witness to
The best and worst of what people bring.
The capacity to care and give has exceeded
some people’s material possessions and means.
But here are others who sanitize their sanity, and
stay clean of touching lives of their fellow man.
Charity is not the act of giving something for a hope
Of some return; it’s helping another person stand
on their own two feet, and giving them food to eat.
It’s an activity that doesn’t happen at Christmastime.
It’s something people should often repeat.

These eyes have been a witness to
The best and worst of what people bring.
Two people look at each other, and feelings grow
into a relationship promised by wedding rings.
Then over the years, the feelings start to fade, and
The damage continues even after the divorce.
They say there is the other woman or man, but
The problem really stems from another source,
the feelings of jealously or bad communication.
They key to successful long-term affairs is not sex,
but a sense of respect without any conditions.

These eyes have been a witness to
The best and worst of what people bring.
When special groups or nations can’t solve
their differences, they fight for their king,
and for property, for commerce, for a god,
and others who died. The only solution is a war,
and any resolution for a peaceful deal is used
 as a stalling weapon as soldiers go out the door.
Men and machine guns step in ankle –deep mud,
blood and bodies as they rush to take a strategic hill.
heir answer to the solution is to kill, kill, kill.

These eyes have been a witness to
The best and worst of what people do and say.
There are problems which need to be solved,
but for each one, there is more than one way
to arrive at the best alternative; and the secret
to the solution is how much people want to give.

To read this poem in Spanish, click here.