Five years ago tonight

Five years ago tonight, on Sunday 16 March 2003, about 500 of us joined in the world-wide silent candle-light vigil/protest against the impending folly in Iraq. We stood out on the capital steps in Montpelier on a cold March evening, holding our candles, remaining in silence (after initially singing Dona Nobis Pacem) until almost an hour had passed when someone started to sing some of the old Vietnam War and civil rights protest songs like We Shall Overcome and Ain't Gonna Learn War No More and gradually the whole lot of us started singing, sadly... knowing in our hearts that the so-called 'decider' didn't give a damn about what we thought.

I NO LONGER PRAY FOR PEACE

On the edge of war, one foot already in,
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.
I pray that stone hearts will turn
to tenderheartedness,
and evil intentions will turn
to mercifulness,
and all the soldiers already deployed
will be snatched out of harm’s way,
and the whole world will be
astounded onto its knees.
I pray that all the “God talk”
will take bones,
and stand up and shed
its cloak of faithlessness,
and walk again in its powerful truth.
I pray that the whole world might
sit down together and share
its bread and its wine.

Some say there is no hope,
but then I’ve always applauded the holy fools
who never seem to give up on
the scandalousness of our faith:
that we are loved by God......
that we can truly love one another.
I no longer pray for peace:
I pray for miracles.

Ann Weems
Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2003

Copyright © 2003 by Ann Weems. All rights reserved.