Not So Easy

Each Sunday at church we light a Peace Candle to remind us of hope for fractious humanity. Our candle is powered by battery in the interest of fire prevention. This Sunday, the candle remained unlit. Dead battery. Easy fix.

This reminds me of a problem we had at home. The thermostat told us that the heat pump needed servicing. One serviceman spent four hours or so with no joy. The next week, two servicemen spent five hours and found a loose fitting. Easy fix if you know what's wrong.

Now, back to Peace, what's wrong and how do we fix it? As it happens, people are more complicated than candles or heat pumps. We would like an easy fix such as All You Need Is Love; but love isn't so easy, which is the theme of other songs most sung and stories often told.

It's not so easy.

What more is there to say?
Peace isn't a fresh battery
or tightened fitting.
Peace is the legendary grail
and sketchy map
drawn by wanderers
who sought and almost found.
Peace is the seeking
and the wandering
and the need to rest when parched
and slake our thirst together.
And not weep alone.
Peace is the Snark and Empath
sharing respite,
singing in broken harmony
to an unlit campfire
their love song for a world in flame.
It's not so easy.