March de Paz

there is a mass march beyond greed,
      accumulation of power,
            mass graves of tears and bones,
voices crying peace without fear,
      facing masked barriers of oppression,
            laying down before destruction,
thousands mating for rebirth,
      breath to dying children,
            blood to the drought of depleted veins,
we join clenched hands,
      unbreakable in their determination,
            tight bonds of faith,
threat of torture,
      military tribunals and disappearance,
            fade before the love of our human connection,
we are the sacred colors dancing a wild wind,
      we are wisdom of ancestors that speak vision,
            we are heart against heart,
our feet drum mother earth,
      beat out a song of defiance,
            words that are living wings,
streets are full,
      curb to curb,
            overflowing river of hope,
patria is face of caring,
      eyes alive with lightening,
            thunder of protest,
we circle this world,
      breaking uneven odds of closed doors,
            secret alliance in conspiracy,
we are taken lightly,
      amusement for power brokers
            clad in silk fantasy,
until a shadow of fear
      invades their vault,
            ghost of confrontation,
they are quick to respond,
      batons and tear gas,
            bullets masked in myth,
escalating to a military response,
      shouting directives for execution,
            presented as a nation's defense,
this march de paz is too long,
      too wide,
            too high,
too strong,
      too flowing,
            too connected,
to be executed,
      to be disappeared,
            to be buried in mass graves,
this march de paz
      is unending love
            that births our survival.

                  Phil Goldvarg  11/11/03   ©  
                  Zapatista Solidarity Coalition
                  Sacramento, CA