“The dove of love fell off the perch.” John Prine
I surrender—
hold your fire,
I come in peace!
The bullets drop in the thin air,
the storm clouds dissipate,
and the sun! the sun! beams the glory of the day.
Victory is ours, both sides win,
the white dove flies before the white flag—
I surrender all!
What is this silence I hear?
Do they listen?
Or do they simply pause to reload?
The suspense grows,
as I hover in the mystic blue;
wisps of cloud drifting like departed souls.
I am blinded by the sun,
I see nothing but the jewel won
by surrendering to Peace.
What happens now is anyone’s guess.
I’ve done what I’ve set out to do.
The rest is up to you.
Lee Evans is a resident of Bath, Maine and is retired from the Maryland State Archives and the Bath YMCA.