Knowing Non- violence

when I rest my head every night
on a soft pillow, and sleep creeps up
quietly, like a gentle wave;
when my weary body is not awash
with despair or guilt, for
having lived another day;
when I can see the contrary
as the warp and weft, that
life weaves to keep me safe and loved;
when every cell and breath in my body
gives thanks to all life that sustains me
to renew my timeless bond with the earth;
when I know in my guts and bones
that violence is a part of every choice I make
and hold it with love and forgiveness;
when I have known what drives this world
and connects all life with an unspeakable magic
that l struggle to fathom through my human form;
I would perhaps know what non-violence is
and make peace with my life, myself and my friends.