All It Takes

All it takes
Is just one click
The violence stops
No one gets sick
The madness ends
The healing starts
The fear subsides
The anger departs

All it takes
Is just one tap
The pain erased
A concluded scrap
Departing shadows
A rising sun
An emerging peace
A return to fun

All it takes
Is a single lift
Standards restored
Hatred adrift
The parting of ways
No more suspense
The impasse resolved
No longer intense

All it takes
To shut it all down
Is to let it all go
Without making a sound
Shifting attention
Diverting resources
Abandoning failure
Plotting new courses

All it takes
Is a simple retreat
Accepting reality
Admitting defeat
Picking up the pieces
And throwing them away
Head for higher ground
Starting today

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
6:53 p.m.