<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; color: rgb(24, 11, 60);" class=""><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">Quiet Psalm</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
<br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">Let there be a quiet that falls like grace,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">over all of us:</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">over our hands</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">which have slowly become guns,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">our teeth, now daggers,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">and over our hearts,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">which explode with the suicide bombs.</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">Let us take ourselves back</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">to the first time we saw each other</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">on the Fertile Crescent,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">where we drew water to drink</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">from the same river,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">or back to the first playground</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">where you asked, What’s your name?</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">and I responded, I am you.</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">Let us follow this unmentioned history</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">back in time so that we may see</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">that the suffering of one</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">is the suffering of all,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">and furthermore,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">the responsibility.</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">Let us gather up our missiles,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">our shrapnel, our tanks,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">our nuclear threats, and our hatred</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">and ask:</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">How could I have thought</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">to use these against you?</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">And let there a quiet that falls over us like grace,</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">as we stand dumbed by the asking.</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">And then</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class="">let there be a Listening</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class=""><br class="">
for the deepest of answers.</span><span style="color: rgb(38, 38, 38);" class=""><br class="">
</span><span style="background-color: rgb(240, 240, 240);" class=""><br class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Silvio Machado</span></div></div></body></html>