Tacitus was a senator and historian of the Roman Empire who lived from 58-117 AD. He was quite an intelligent man, and has a number of good quotes floating around. This poem was inspired by the first quote I heard from him. Here it is:
They make a desert and call it peace,
But I wonder if they’re right.
In swirling sands, does warring cease?
Does a wind-burned sun support a life?
Yet there is quiet in the howling waste,
A stillness in the shifting sand
That is not found in the fertile place,
In cultivated gardens of man.
But burns and browns do not refresh-
They throw you to God in greatest need.
And in trusting ‘midst a wilderness,
In trying times there is peace indeed.
Though deserts can lead you to the fount,
To flourish, men seek fields of green.
In sinking sand, one easily drowns,
And all the wars that I have seen
Were fought for living land. The smallest piece
Is enough to turn out a war-hungry throng.
They make a desert and call it peace,
And I’m inclined to think that they are wrong.
Original poem by Kimba. Thanks for reading!
Poetry and Pastry 