What if we waged our wars
with those tiny plastic swords
that hold sandwiches together?

What if we yelled “pillow fight!”
and whacked each other with feathers
rather than having fist meet face?

What if we stopped throwing grenades
’cause snowballs work equally well
and are twice as fun?

What if we forgo bomb-dropping;
instead, we could drop beats
and dance ’til we’re tasting sweet freedom?

What if we light up the sky with fireworks
and forget the glow of a nuclear haze
or the glare of a burning city?

What if “I’m going to light you up!”
meant “I’m going to make you smile”
as opposed to “Prepare to become Swiss cheese”?

What if we loved one another?
I don’t mean every other though …
I mean everyone even “the others.”

What if we wouldn’t shoot?
What if we refused to kill?
What if we stopped saying “What if”?

What if we just yelled “Why the hell not”?

Do it.
by Josie Luetke, Cheverie, NS, Canada