A Christmas Wish

You don't have to be a Christian to believe
Peace-on-Earth would be noble to achieve.
The problem arises with those who pray
to a different God than ours: I daresay
more blood has been shed in the name of God
than over anything else. Isn't this odd?
The Prince of Peace is the General of War
in actual practice. The battle roars
with God on our side. On this day
of holy celebration, amidst all the cliches
of peace and hope, may we embrace
(even with enemies face-to-face)
a smaller prayer than Peace-on-Earth:

May we fill our lives with mirth
and joy; may we tell our friends
we love them; may we make amends
to those with whom we hold discord,
and walk the talk of kinder words.

Charles Deemer