Paul D. Wilke
Quietism

They say
History will judge
that accounts will be settled
and debts paid
in tomorrow's land
of eternal sunshine
in that parched desert kingdom
of Everafter
where the sun always shines
YES, THERE!
History will judge
and the ravenous ghosts
and restless spirits
of crimes long forgotten
will finally rest in peace
and find consolation
after the reckoning for
all the violence
and hate
and theft
and corruption
and cheating
and lynching
and oppression
and rape
and murder
and genocide
YES!
then we can rest easy knowing
History will judge
and that will be enough
that's all it will take
to calm those
ravenous ghosts
and restless spirits
and my conscience too
so say a prayer
for the future
and have no fear but that
History will judge
and set things right
since there is
no better slayer
of monster bones
than this new
smuggled-in God
same as the old God
to let us sigh
in blind faith and
meekly embrace
the silence of now
and justice for later
when
History will judge
but not today
it ain't happening today
or this week
or this year
or in this life
but never fear that
it will happen
that someday
History will judge
and meanwhile
tyrants die in their sleep
murderers in the shadows creep
yet I feel fine
and so do you.
-----
Paris France
November 2021