Not A Cloud In The Sky

A Pensive Easter Song

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013
Not A Cloud In The Sky
  

   It's one of those things, I guess.  I had no intention on writing a song - or poem - today - but looking out a friend's front window and noticing there was not a cloud in the sky, it just seemed like a good notion for a bit of a poem.  I told my friend, Nancy, I was going to write something about squirrels and birds on a cloudless day - but the result lacks squirrels and birds and rabbits and such.  It turned out to be a rather pensive thing wondering why mankind seems to love all its fractions and frictions and wars and all that stuff. 

        I know many would argue that just because we get into those things doesn't mean we "love" them, but I am not so sure about that.  I do believe that if we did not love them so much we would do much better to avoid them.  It is much more difficult to avoid something if deep down it seems like it is something worthwhile.

        I would classify war among that too.  War would be relatively easy to avoid if we just took a few moments to treat an enemy like a friend; but we tend to not want to do that.  We act like we need to have someone to hate.  So when we have a chance to make peace before war starts, we choose to ignore friendly overtures.  It is like we WANT confrontation.  Maybe we have ulterior motives like knowing that war would create profits for some industries we might favor - or something like that - but in the end, we act like we want war because when given simple alternatives - like meeting would be adversaries over dinner in some neutral hall, we choose to flip the finger instead.

        I know if I were President Obama, for instance, I would be inviting would be adversaries to dinner at the White House to discuss differences.  I certainly would not threaten another before dining with that other; but leaders who do not want to find peaceful ways to resolve conflicts often turn their heads in another direction - and maybe just to assure conflict.  I do wonder about that - and I wonder just how great a solution any war is for any reason - even something like our own Civil War - or any of the World Wars. 

        Why could not the leading adversaries of any of those conflicts sat down to dinner before acting like war is an only way to resolve conflict?  Why did President Lincoln consider "saving the union" so damn important as to allow the possibility of slaughter?  Why did the so called allies insist on making it so hard on defeated Germany after World War 1 that a defeated Germany decided to "get even"?  Why can't we get along before conflict goes so completely berserk?  Why couldn't President Roosevelt have met with Hitler and Hirohito (? on spelling) and tried more peaceful solutions - other than war?  Why couldn't President Bush Jr. have met with Saddam in Turkey or some neutral place before deciding that Iraq had to be invaded?  Why do we so often demand conflict - rather than try to avoid it?

        I ask those questions - and wonder.  Some would say I am a fool to wonder and that I should not question the need for war, but I do - and I wonder why others do not wonder too.

        Currently, the North Korean 28 year old leader - Kim - is making noises like thinking he needs to attack his neighbor - South Korea - and any who might favor South Korea - like America.  Alright, he has a view.  Why not invite the man to the White House or sit down to dinner in China someplace and talk before one of a conflict lets loose and the other has to respond?  Why is it so difficult to get along - unless there is something so attractive about not getting along that it takes precedence over getting along? 

        No matter.  Looking out my friend's window this morning, I noticed a cloudless sky - and wondered why some would not even see it - while even staring it in the face?  Whatever!  I wrote a song - or poem - about it all.  Who knows?  Maybe someone will see it - and wonder why themselves.

 

I leave you to it!

  

 

Not A Cloud In The Sky

By

Francis William Bessler

Laramie, Wyoming

March 31st, 2013

(Easter)

 Not a cloud in the sky,

but I'm wondering why

mankind is still so full of fear?

Why does it insist

that it's so full of sin

and why does it love all its tears?

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but northern warriors say nigh -

there's enemies on the flank in the south.

We've got to go where they are

and commit ourselves to war;

and we've got to wipe those devils out.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but southern warriors can't abide

all their enemies up there in the north.

Never mind they're all the same;

they have to find another to blame

in order to know some better worth.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but mankind doesn't like

to see things all peaceful and still.

There's no joy in rest,

but there's joy in wiping out a pest.

So, making war becomes our will.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but if mankind is to survive,

it has to invent a reason to go on.

So, it predicts storms on the way;

and we must ignore our sunny days

to give us a reason to belong.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but if rain is in our sight,

then we must look out for a flood.

Never mind we could go nude;

but nude doesn't quite suit our mood;

we'd rather deny each other's good.

 

Not a cloud in the sky

and I believe Jesus tried

to tell us that long, long ago.

There's nothing wrong with life,

except if we choose strife

and create our own storms to know.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but I'm still wondering why

so many choose the way of storm.

It makes no sense to me,

but then maybe that's why I am free

and that's why I'll always love my form.

 

Not a cloud in the sky,

but I'm still wondering why

mankind chooses the way of fear?

Why does it insist

on loving what is risk

and why does it love all its tears?