Violence starts by simply
not seeing one another
as human beings,
but as usable things
to be molded as we please.

It grows when we allow
our emotions and expectations,
to control our actions
rather than pausing
to reflect on how our actions
will affect others.
When we ignore the cries for help
that sound like sirens in the night.

Violence is the outcome
of a person who has given up
all hope in humanity,
who sees the world as conflict
rather than cooperation.

Being the target
of another’s hatred
can disrupt your life
like tossing a mountain
into a peaceful stream.

You become the whirlpool,
attempting to swim straight,
but being dragged under
over and over again.
You lose sight of the shore.

You must never allow yourself
to become like your enemy.
You must cling to hope
even if your heart tells you
that you have no one else
who truly understands.
You must reach out your hand
and allow yourself to be rescued
from the darkness of the waters.

It is okay to feel the currents
as they wash over you,
no matter how they may carry you
far away from yourself.
Be still and feel the storm.
Do not ignore it as it roars
for it is only a storm,
and you must bear witness
to its destruction in order to heal.

One day you will again
be surrounded by love,
by light, by hope, by joy,
and by people
if you just have faith.

These are the keys
that unlock a peaceful world,
but it starts with listening.

Listening to one another.
Acknowledging one another’s pain.
Listening to your soul when it speaks.
Expressing what needs expression.
Accepting what needs accepting.
Seeing that we are all human beings.

And gradually,
you will put one foot
in front of the other,
and move forward
out of the darkness,
learning how to love again.

D.L. Lang is Vallejo’s current poet laureate.

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