Buried Treasure

if i could wish peace upon you
i'd wish it like a wave
a downy blanket
warm thick and heavy
and delightfully overwhelming

i'd wish it upon you
like sleep upon a child
after a day at the beach
like quiet on the earth on
a moonless night

if i could wish peace upon you
i would
but i can't
peace is already within you
you must reach down inside yourself

reach down through all the
pain and rejection and fear
and broken promises and
unrealized dreams and
ancient loves

dig through the tepid muck
of hatred and heartache
confusion and consternation
the sludge of self-gratification
and entitlement

break apart the frozen crust of
lost innocence and disappointment
and there in the small, quiet
darkness is peace lying still
like a field mouse waiting for spring

if i could wish peace up on you
i would
but peace is already with you
you've learned to bury it
during the long winter of your discontent

i wish you could see that