If I Could Change The World

If I could change the world, my sweets

I’d take it slowly, no radical feats

I wouldn’t do much, no, not for days

I’d simply stop, admire and gaze

Then start real small, not so big and bright

Not blotting nature’s exquisitely sight

Uphills would be made to go on down

Stop us sweating, straining and frown

The rain I’d take in my caring wing

Have it fall sweetly on everything

And the sun would shine, not burn to death

We’d be taking easy, sweetly, heavenly breath

The politicians, squabbling children all

Have them answer a celestial call

Let them play their games of division and vice

On an island safe, while they can’t be nice

Far away from harm – Pluto, Centaurus or Mars

Let them bicker and preen among bigger stars

Then we’d stop, admire and gaze

Thinking how peaceful we could live our days

We’d look in the eye, every single folk

And know we’re brilliant, aware and woke

Then open our mouths and sing one sweet tongue

The language of love, we’d have it sung

Then we’d know peace, serenity and play

Release our diseases and stressed-out way

But wait ... we’d get bored with all that

Wake up each morning, happy and flat

Don’t we love drama, irk and shame?

Couldn’t let it go – not have that joyful same

We’d have to find fault, judge and moan

For our differences do we shine and hone

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It’s mine, not yours. I’m better than you

Comparing the outer, fighting on cue

My god’s fatter, faster, cleverer than yours

Giving licence to kill and hide behind doors

We couldn’t help it, we couldn’t you know

A minute of peace then guns raised to blow

We talk of peace and sell it for coin

Setting apart when we’d much rather join

So, if I could change the world, my sweets

I’d take it slowly, no radical feats

I wouldn’t do much for months and days

I’d simply stop, admire and gaze

And bless the whole blooming lot, politicians and all

Knowing my peace ain’t there but here – I’m free to install[1]

[1] At the end of 2019, when the world seemed to be going more insane than usual, the Carindale Writer’s Group set a writing exercise – in less than 400 words, what would you do if you could change the world? At the time, we had no idea how much more insane the world could become! Then I realised we didn’t want sanity for where was the drama in all that?

This poem is from the book, Glass Soul, available as both a paperback and an e-book.