Thomas Rain Crowe

Peace Will Come

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When the mothers of lions lie down with the lambs
and the fathers of governments give up their scams
and the cops they lay down their guns, to pray –
and peace will come      one day.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When lover meets lover unafraid in the night
and the monger of races gives up the fight
and Christ comes to Earth, but to stay –
is when Peace will come      one day.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When farmer and factoryman together turn to the earth
and the living outnumber those dying since birth
and a sweetness outlasts the scent of decay –
is when Peace is going to come      some day.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When rockets and weapons are no more for war
and nations rejoice that no man is poor
and there are words which we don’t have to say –
is when Peace will have arrived      one day.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When a lie is the truth and the truth does not lie
and the one who is watching no longer a spy
and the greedy escorted, away –
is the promise of Peace that is coming      someday.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When the earth and the air are not what divide
and the difference of skin only something, inside
and as brother and sisters we rave –
that Peace, it is coming,      one day.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When religion is taken away from its books
and the sacred is a whole lot more than it looks
and to stand in awe and ignorance      is to play –
then we’ll know that Peace is on its way.

Peace will come.
Peace will come one day.
When there is no need for singing nor neither the song
and the chorus of numbers has long since long-gone
and only branches from wind in the trees they do sway –
is when Peace will have, finally, come one day.
Is when Peace will have, finally, come     to stay.

Thomas Rain Crowe is an internationally known and published author of thirty books–including the ground-breaking anthology of contemporary Celtic-language poets Writing the Wind: A Celtic Resurgence and the multi-award winning memoir Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods. As an editor, he has been an instrumental force behind such magazines as Beatitude, Katuah Journal, and the Asheville Poetry Review. He is also the author with Nan Watkins of the book Rare Birds: Conversations with Music Legends in 2008. He is the founder and front-man for the poetry & music band Thomas Rain Crowe & The Boatrockers, whose recordings have been heralded by musicians Pete Townshend of The Who and Joy Harjo of Poetic Justice. His literary archives have been purchased and are collected by the Duke University Special Collections Library. He lives in the Tuckasegee community of rural western North Carolina.