This started to get boring for me
after a while
Less than an eighth of a mile
Then after they answered “Happy New Year”
I started to say "Peace everybody, Peace!"
Like David Letterman introducing a new guest.

Why does Peace
need to be a guest ???
Why isn't she
the permanent artist
in residence ???

And then I would go to the other side and say
"You can be louder than they can"
and we go through it again...
and they are louder .... and I say....
"Peace everybody, Peace!"

Pretty soon, people down the route
are expecting me.
And I hear someone shout....
"Hey, PEACE! over here!"

and I when I realize
they are calling to me...
Calling for Peace.
My spirit is lifted up
I forgot what they can see
Because I’m not watching my back

People are calling for Peace...
and I wonder... why
didn't someone think of this before?

But there needs to be more......
To stop this war

I keep going
and a group of kids,
who did "Happy New Year"
really loud start to chant out...
"Be Peace... Be Peace... Be Peace"
until the dinosaurs behind me distract them....

Dinosaurs are dead
these are just balloons
and we will be dead too
and cockroaches will carry
effigies of us
behind a giant cockroach bus
filled with insect musicians
in their New Year's Parade
when there are no more people
if the war mongers have their way

Calling for Peace
Calling for Peace

If I went home picked up the phone
and called someone I didn't know and said,
"Peace be with you"
What would they do?
Hang up on me? On Peace?
What would YOU do?