Poems of Peace: Khayelihle Benghu, "A Lesson from a Dove"

A Lesson from a Dove

From jungle lushness to the rolling plains,

A sanctuary for life, both great and small.

Cardinals, hummingbirds, and doves call it home,

but the planet fades with passing time.

 

Through storms of sorrow and floods of war;

Fields burn, skies weep, and hunger gnaws.

Bitter cries echo near and far,

Silencing the hummingbird, dimming the cardinal’s fire.

 

Shadows stretch as dusk descends,

Darkness dances with the sun

Like in the days of Noah, when waters swallowed earth,

Life ground against ruin, desperate for survival.

 

Then came the dove, returning with an olive branch.

A sign of receding floods, a whisper of hope.

She had no voice, no words to utter,

Yet her act spoke louder than any tongue.

 

The dove bore a branch of peace,

Marking the end of storms, the arrival of calm.

Much can be debated, much can be said,

But wisdom finds its lessons in quiet gestures.

 

That day, the dove was more than a bird,

She was a friend, the provider of reassurance.

For only through trials do true friends shine,

Not in words, but in unwavering deeds.

 

A loyal friend, one who longs for your peace,

Gives courage when the floods of life rage.

And like the dove, she weaves an olive branch,

For your peace is my peace, and ours,

If only we dare to hold it.