why don’t dreams speak english

why don’t dreams speak english
why do i crave coffee and salt
why can’t two or more lovers
vie for my affection with flowers
sonnets, chocolate
pearls & boat trips down the seine

why don’t we hold hands anymore

why don’t we give people names to war games
like we do with hurricanes:
peggy sue instead of desert storm,
sam & dave instead of shock & awe
it might be hard to take all this fighting seriously
if patriot missiles were called emily
& soldiers were all called sarah
why don’t we search with flashlights
for kindnesses
instead of with big tanks
for more things to destroy

why are my eyes so red
where have all the flowers gone
who knows where the time goes
does anybody really know what time it is
why do i eat when i’m not hungry
why don’t i just sleep when i’m too tired to breathe
when did i get so naive
when did i first practice to deceive
when did i let myself go

what the hell happened to our prayer flags

who’s in charge
who goes first
whose is biggest

who won
who won
who won

what does it matter
everyone’s still so afraid

why do we have to leave
why do we have to stay
why can’t we leave
why can’t we stay

where’s the love
where’s the love
where’s the love

why can’t somebody just invent
a peace bomb

and

if there’s really a wise & loving god
why does everybody look so sad