Let only laughter explode on playgrounds

Let there be sticks and stones
that break no bones--
harmless kids’ games

Let collateral damage be
what happens to a neighbor’s window
when a stone—or ball’s—trajectory,
in clear February air, gives in
to gravity

Let cruises be vacations on water

Let missiles be the letters of saints
studied by comparative religion students
at the University of Baghdad

Let arsenal describe full larders and drugs to combat disease

Let F-22s, F-117s, B-2s, YF-23’s M-16s, C5As be apartment numbers

Let black hawks have feathers,
float on updrafts of quiet air

Let silos hold food for animals

Let bunkers be cabins with stacked beds
at summer camps

Let biological warfare be attacks against
disease and agricultural pests

Let their oil continue to be their resource, their commerce—
to sell, to keep, to share