In the Name of Diplomacy

In the name of diplomacy, we will meet,
laugh and speak of somethings and nothings.

We will tailor jokes in our expensive suits,
measured to perfectly conceal our hostile intents.

Our ties and scarves will be a reminder that
speaking of failure or truth ends in laughter choke.

Our polished shoes will tap for the powerful,
and we will mimic their hypocritical grinning.

We will convene by recalling our interests
and appease each other with ideas of united wit.

We will take a break by snacking on biased facts.
We will joke and giggle at what we are afraid to lose.

We will resume the plenary and chuckle eloquently
as if we cared about your mortality and our morality.

We both know that to win is a rationality game,
and emotions have no place in our amusing list.

We will choose the fun-hearted divine persona
to speak on our and your behalf toward peace.

We will convey a subtle message of solidarity,
and then strike with our ROFWL limitations.

We will pretend to understand your chortling—
your war is my war, and your peace is my peace.

We will gather the media to record our comic stunt,
and your world will be saved once again by us.

We will depart the conference dressed in laughter
and leave our shoes behind for the throwing fun.

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Resolution Dream

Certain resolution dreams do come true.

I did not envision our disagreements to be solved by combat. Our peace shattered, I still hold on to my resolution dream. Because we are all descendants of lichens, we will meet in the strips of terrorized lands and turn them colorful as a mutual symbiotic people. In cruel times, we will fetch the sun in our buckets and carry them on our heads from the Equator to help defend against our enemy’s chilling conduct. We will meet halfway from our land or yours. We will chant refrains against division, armed in our traditional attires, songs, and ululations. If starved by the restrains of rivals, we will send each other birds carrying seeds for our sustenance. Whoever attacks our physical or mental condition will deal with the fierce warriors from our forests disguised in the squads of our spring rains as retaliation. To the enemies who mock our cultures and traditions, we will punish them with displays of our nations side by side, defended by our super weapon—co-existence. If our religions or ideologies are used to stir up discontent, we will host an open pilgrimage and invite everyone, even atheists, for a good chat and a meal. May God be with the foe who shoots at us. Our unity stretched from the oceans to the skies, we will return the bullets to their muzzles with our peace. I may be naïve to not give up this dream. Amidst our rage and revenge, I hear us calling each other. Bereaved, our journey of forgiveness begins now and must prevail from now.

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Gloria D. Gonsalves is an author of four poetry collections. Her  writing has appeared in various literary magazines, journals, and  anthologies in Africa, Europe, and the USA, including being featured  five times by the Na/GloPoWriMo. She is also the founder of WoChiPoDa.com, an initiative to instill the love of poetry in children.