Ibrahim's Estate .... a poem by Anne Selden Annab

       The Promised Land: In Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
  & Peace Day  

       Ibrahim's Estate

Recognizing rights
basic human rights
the People of the Book-
the Christians and Muslims and Jews
and the People of Outside the Box
looked... They
looked to homelands
looked to citizenship
looked to fair and just laws
to compassion
and empathy
and the Golden Rule...

looked for ways
to make peace
and diplomacy
a daily practice.

Some went astray.
Some waged war
instead of waging peace.

Some grew ugly thoughts
instead of gardens with flowers
to delight the soul and fruit to feed
the hungry.

Some grew selfish and paranoid.
Some grew angry and cruel
Some grew violent.

Bigots & bullies tried to own the story-
to tell it in ways to diminish
and alienate "others"...
to tell it in ways
to spark rage
and arguments...

But the People of the Book-
the Christians and Muslims and Jews
and the People of Outside the Box
taught their children to read
and to think...  to stop look and listen...
and to invest wisely
so that country by country
community by community
we all might be free
as one epic nation
free to flourish
enjoying
Ibrahim's Estate...

This then is the nation
the promised land-
the real estate
agents of Good
keep safe for all to inherit...

No border, no book, no line, no letter
no brick or stone can contain it. No passport
can define it. No one sect
can own it... it is ours
in the largest sense 

It is ours for all
eternity.

I ask you not to bomb ... a poem by Anne Selden Annab

President Barack Obama meets with Members of Congress to discuss Syria in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Sept. 3, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

       I ask you not to bomb

I ask you not to bomb-
all of you
I ask you to pause
think... savor value
treasure life
and the things we have built
the art we have saved
and made part of every day
the books yet to be written
the gardens yet
to be planted

I ask you not to bomb-
all of you
abandon violence
as a tactic... as a goal
be gentle with children-
and cities
be kind to women
and landscapes
be true to men
and diplomacy
be careful with history
and interpretations...

Lead by example

Lead us away from war
away from terror
away from tyrants
who find power
in lies told
to frightened people.

Lead by example
listening
learning dialogue

and calmly walk away
from those who don't.

Lead by example
investing in peace
& hopefully Palestine.