ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A WAR THAT WOULD NOT END.
THE CRIES OF THE MOTHERS COULD NOT END IT,
THE TEARS OF THE FATHERS WOULD NOT END IT,
THE DEATH OF THE CHILDREN DID NOT END IT.
IT WENT ON AND ON.
NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW HOW TO END IT.
"PERHAPS," THE PEOPLE THOUGHT,"THIS WAR WILL GO ON FOREVER."
THEN ONE DAY, A GRANDMOTHER, WHO WAS WALKING HOME FROM WORK THOUGHT,
"WHY SHOULD ANY MORE CHILDREN DIE?
I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, IF I JUST SIT DOWN RIGHT HERE
IN THE ROAD AND PRAY FOR PEACE." SO SHE DID.
A GRANDFATHER PASSED BY.
"YOU ARE A CRAZY OLD WOMAN,"
HE SAID, "IF YOU THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING
WILL MAKE A LICK OF DIFFERENCE."
BUT AFTER AWHILE, HE SAT DOWN BESIDE HER AND STAYED.
A FRIEND OF THE GRANDFATHER'S CAME BY WITH BREAD AND CHEESE.
AND STAYED.
ANOTHER CAME WITH BLANKETS AND UMBRELLAS.
ANOTHER WITH WINE AND A GUITAR.
SOON THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF GRANDMOTHERS AND GRANDFATHERS,
GREAT-GRANDMOTHERS AND GREAT-GRANDFATHERS, EVEN
SOME GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHERS AND GREAT-GREAT-GRANDFATHERS
SITTING IN THE ROAD, SITTING ALONG THE HIGHWAYS,
SITTING IN THE TOWNS AND CITIES.
THEY CAME ACROSS OCEANS AND THEY CAME ACROSS DESERTS.
SOME WERE SILENT, SOME PRAYED FOR PEACE, SOME RECITED
PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD.
THE SOLDIERS, (WHO WERE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN,)
COULD BARELY MOVE, SO SURROUNDED BY GRANDPARENTS WERE THEY,
CROWDED IN, PRESSED UPON, CRUSHED BY THOUSANDS
OF OLD MEN AND OLD WOMEN
WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
THE FIRST GRANDMOTHER GOT UP
AND SAID TO THE SOLDIERS (WHO WERE
REALLY ONLY CHILDREN WITH GUNS,)
"STAY ALIVE; KNOW LIFE AS WE HAVE KNOWN IT, SWEET AND FULL OF JOY.
IF THERE MUST BE A WAR,LET THE GRANDPARENTS GO.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOU, AND YOU ARE OUR FUTURE."
THE CHILDREN WITH GUNS LOOKED AROUND
AT THE GRANDMOTHERS AND GRANDFATHERS
SITTING SILENT AS TOMBSTONES IN THE STREETS,
ALONG THE ROADS, IN THE TOWN SQUARES AND VILLAGES.
THEY THREW UP THEIR HANDS, THEY THREW DOWN THEIR GUNS,
ROLLED THEIR EYES AND SHRUGGED THEIR SHOULDERS
AND WENT HOME.
FOR WHO AMONG US IS FREE
TO DISAGREE WITH OUR GRANDMOTHERS?