In May, 1970, the Women's Society of Christian Service and Wesleyan Service Guild met at the Houston Coliseum in a celebration of life, "Choose Life." At that time, the United States was deeply involved in a war in Southeast Asia and thousands of people had died in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

Today, as we look back on the past month, we are reminded of September 11th and the events which followed. The following poems were printed in the program book for the "Choose Life" assembly and seemed appropriate to share at this time.

KILL FOR PEACE

Peace it's wonderful, everybody wants it,
Everybody wants it his way .... or ...
If he doesn't get peace just the way he wants it,
Sure as shooting he will start a war ,,,

Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,

We will feel compelled to slay
Anyone who might get in the way,
Black Biafran, Red Chinese,
Kill'm all, it's all for peace.

Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,

Though our tender hearts may break,
No sacrifice is too great to make,
Even though it makes us ill.
Peace, peace, peace ... kill, kill, kill!

Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,

God's with us, God's with us,
God's with us, God's with us,
God's with us, God's with us,
God's with us, God's with us,

Since they use that self-same phrase
We'll have to stop their blasphemous ways,
Beat our ploughshares into swords,
Every bullet is the Lord's.

Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,

Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,
Kill for Peace, kill for peace,

THE LEAVES TURN TO PAPER

The leaves turn to paper, the earth turns to dust,
The turns to vapor, the water to rust,
The river runs sullen, the fish choke and die,
They float on the surface, and never know why.

ALL: O, Gem of the Ocean, you've come very far
Now where do you go from wherever you are?

And so we lay dying while industries thrive,
We pay out the years, and pretend we are alive,
How can we stay silent where silence is strange,
It's our life, it's our land, it's our world to change.

ALL: O, Home of the Brave, you've come very far
Now where do you go from wherever you are?

THE BRIDGE OF HOPE

None of us is only one, only one
None of us is only one, only one
One mote of dust among many
One grain of sand on a beach
More than one. More than one.

None of us is all alone, all alone
None of us is all alone, all alone
One breath of wind in a windstorm
One single wave in the sea
More than one. More than one.

There is a bridge, a meeting
There is a bridge, a touching
There is a bridge, the bridge of hope
Each of us a heartbeat in a living world
A world that is just a part of something more.

Each of us a part of all, part of all
Heartbeats in the heart of all, hearts of all
Wandering on through the valley
Wondering when we might see
Over the bridge
The bridge of hope.