21 Poems About Peace

1. Looking For Peace
   Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
   
   I found peace in my country
   And peace city wide
   But what I was longing for
   Is peace within my heart.
   
   I tried many things that
   I thought would bring me peace
   But none of these things
   Gave me a peace of heart
   
   Then I encountered Jesus
   And found a peace unlike any other
   A peace that passes all understanding
   A peace within my heart!




Christian Poems



2. The Things That Count
   Poet: Clarence Urmy
   
   Not what we have, but what we use;
   Not what we see, but what we choose -
   These are the things that mar or bless
   The sum of human happiness.
   
   The things near by, not things afar;
   Not what we seem, but what we are -
   These are things that make or break.
   That give the heart its joy or ache.
   
   Not what seems fair, but what is true;
   Not what we dream, but good we do -
   These are the things that shine like gems,
   Like stars, in Fortune's diadems.
   
   Not as we take, but as we give;
   Not as we pray, but as we live -
   These are the things that make for peace,
   Both now and after Time shall cease.




Poems Of Encouragement



3. Peace
   Poet: Ellen Fields
   
   The peace men seek can never come through hate,
   Or any force that threatens to destroy;
   The armor made of love alone is great
   Enough to shield the true from all alloy;
   And so until within our realm of thought
   There is no place for malice, strife and greed,
   A victory by force will count for nought.
   Until each finds an individual need
   For nobler thinking we can never ban
   The thoughts of tyranny and lust and pelf,
   Peace will be temporary until man
   Has learned to love his neighbor as himself.




Quotes about Peace



4. Peace Desires To Thrive
   Poet: Catherine Pulsifer
   
   A country where peace desires to thrive,
   See adherence to laws as a focus to strive.
   For harmony's sake, justice we seek,
   To ensure that rightness takes its peak.
   
   No favor shown, no bias lent,
   Equality for all is meant.
   With a serious tone and fair decree,
   Let fairness reign, and justice we will see.




Poems About Justice



5. Heaven On Earth
   Poet: Wolfgang Christoph Desslerr
   
   What comforts, Lord, to those are given,
   Who seek in Thee their home and rest!
   They find on earth an opening heaven.
   And in Thy peace are amply blest
   
   Their tranquil joy no troubles banish;
   Their hiding-place is safe above!
   The dismal clouds of night must vanish
   At dawning of Thy light of love!




Heaven Poems



6. Calm Me
   Poet: Matthew Arnold
   
   Calm Soul of all things! make it mine
   To feel, amid the city's jar,
   That there abides a peace of thine
   Man did not make, and cannot mar!
   
   The will to neither strive nor cry.
   The power to feel with others give!
   Calm, calm me more! nor let me die
   Before I have begun to live.




7. God's Smile
   Poet: Unknown
   
   God's smile is on the waters,
   His spirit in the air,
   My glad heart owns His presence,
   And swells with thankful prayer.
   A peace serene and holy
   All Nature's being fills,
   Breathes from the fragrant lilies.
   Crowns all the circling hills.
   Whispers in trembling tree- tops.
   Sings in my grateful breast.
   Where care and grief and longing
   Are hushed in trustful rest.




Poems about God



8. True Rest
   Poet: Lucy Fletcher
   
   God sends sometimes a stillness in our life,
   The bivouac, the sleep,
   When on the silent battle-field the strife
   Is hushed in slumber deep.
   When wearied hearts exhausted sink to rest,
   Remembering nor the struggle nor the quest.
   
   We know such hours, when the dim dewy night
   Bids day's hot turmoil cease;
   When star by star steals noiselessly in sight,
   With silent smiles of peace;
   When we lay down our load, and half forget
   The morrow comes, and we must bear it yet.
   
   We know such hours, when after days of pain.
   And nights when sleep was not,
   God gives us ease and peace and calm again.
   Till, all the past forgot,
   We say, in rest and thankfulness most deep,
   E'en so "He giveth His beloved sleep."
   
   When some strong chain that bound us by God's strength
   Is loosed or torn apart;
   Or when, beloved and longed-for, come at length,
   Some friend makes glad our heart;
   We know the calm that follows on such bliss,
   That looks no farther, satisfied with this.
   
   God does not always loose the chain, nor give
   The loved ones back to us;
   Sometimes 'mid strife and tumult we must live,
   Learning His silence thus:
   There is a rest for those who bear His will,
   A peacefulness than freedom sweeter still.
   
   He giveth rest more perfect, pure, and true,
   While we His burthen bear;
   It springeth not from parted pain, but through
   The accepted blessing there;
   The lesson pondered o'er with thoughtful eyes,
   The faith that sees in all a meaning wise.
   
   Deep in the heart of pain God's hand hath set
   A hidden rest and bliss;
   Take as His gift the pain, the gift brings yet
   A truer happiness;
   God's voice speaks, through it all, the high behest
   That bids His people enter into rest.




9. How Beautiful To Be Alive
   Poet: Henry Septimus Sutton
   
   How beautiful it is to be alive!
   To wake each morn as if the Maker's grace
   Did us afresh from nothingness derive
   That we might sing 'How happy is our case!
   How beautiful it is to be alive!'
   
   To read in some good book until we feel
   Love for the one who wrote it: then to kneel
   Close unto Him whose love our souls will shrive
   While every moment's joy doth more reveal
   How beautiful it is to be alive.
   
   Rather to go without what might increase
   Our worldly standing, than our souls deprive
   Of frequent speech with God, or than to cease
   To feel, through having lost our health and peace,
   How beautiful it is to be alive.
   
   Not to forget, when pain and grief draw nigh,
   Into the ocean of time past to dive
   For memories of God's mercies; or to try
   To bear all nobly, hoping still to cry
   How beautiful it is to be alive.
   
   Thus ever, towards Man's height of nobleness
   Striving, some new progression to contrive;
   Till, just as any other friend's, we press
   Death's hand; and, having died, feel none the less,
   How beautiful it is to be alive.




Poems about Life



10. A Prayer
    by Paul Gerhardt
    
    Renew Thine image, Lord, in me,
    Lowly and gentle may I be;
    No charms but these to Thee are dear;
    No anger mayst Thou ever find,
    No pride in my unruffled mind,
    But faith, and heaven- born peace be there
    
    A patient, a victorious mind.
    That life and all things casts behind.
    Springs forth obedient to Thy call;
    A heart that no desire can move,
    But still to adore, believe, and love.
    Give me, my Lord, my Life, my All!




Short Prayers



11. The Divine Image
    Poet: William Blake
    
    To mercy, pity, peace, and love,
    All pray in their distress.
    And to these virtues of delight
    Return their thankfulness.
    
    For mercy, pity, peace, and love.
    Is God, our Father dear;
    And mercy, pity, peace, and love,
    Is man, His child and care.
    
    For Mercy has a human heart;
    Pity, a human face;
    And Love, the human form divine;
    And Peace, the human dress.
    
    Then every man, of every clime,
    That prays in his distress,
    Prays to the human form divine,-
    Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
    
    And all must love the human form.
    In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
    Where mercy, love, and pity dwell.
    There God is dwelling too.




Poems about Jesus



12. Kept In Perfect Peace
    Poet: Edward Henry Bickersteth
    
    Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
    The voice of Jesus whispers Peace within.
    Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
    To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
    
    Peace, perfect peace, with sorrow surging round?
    On Jesus' bosom naught but rest is found.
    Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
    In Jesus' keeping we are safe, and they.
    
    Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
    Jesus we know, and he is on the throne.
    Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
    Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.
    
    It is enough: earth's struggles now do cease,
    And Jesus calls us to heaven's perfect peace.




13. Peace
    Poet: Charles Francis Richardson
    
    If sin be in the heart,
    The fairest sky is foul, and sad the summer weather,
    The eye no longer sees the lambs at play together,
    The dull ear cannot hear the birds that sing so sweetly,
    And all the joy of God’s good earth is gone completely,
    If sin be in the heart.
    
    If peace be in the heart,
    The wildest winter storm is full of solemn beauty,
    The midnight lightning-flash but shows the path of duty,
    Each living creature tells some new and joyous story,
    The very trees and stones all catch a ray of glory,
    If peace be in the heart.




14. Three Steps
    Author Unknown
    
    There are only three steps leading to the place where perfect harmony lies,
    yet they are hard to climb.
    
    The first is to think kindly of one's neighbor.
    The second is to speak kindly to him.
    The third is to act kindly toward him.
    
    The reason they are hard to climb is that
    
    We are to busily engaged in thinking well of ourselves,
    Speaking well of ourselves,
    And acting in a manner which we think will do ourselves the most good.




Kindness Poems



15. What Is Peace?
    Poet: R. L. Atustin
    
    A rest wherein all discords cease
    And tranquil joys with love increase;
    A concord of God's will and mine,
    Where he bears rule and I resign;
    Cessation of all worldly strife;
    The product of a holy life.
    
    A conscience like the cloudless sky
    When to the west the sun draws nigh
    And streams of golden glory cast,
    Without a shadow on the past;
    For all my wrongs, though like a flood,
    Were swallowed up in Jesus' blood.
    
    O peace, sweet peace! serene and mild,
    Without a single sin beguiled,
    Allaying sorrows, soothing pains,
    And making all the losses gains;
    Sweet thy temper, calm thy voice;
    Of blessings all thou art my choice.







16. A Prayer For Peace
    Poet: Unknown
    
    God give the nations peace,
    Grant us from war release.
    God give us peace.
    Guide Thou the helm of State,
    Still Thou the blast of hate,
    Bid waves of strife abate,
    God give us peace.
    
    Touch, Lord, the human heart,
    Bid hate and greed depart,
    From fear release.
    Let men in every land
    Stretch forth the helping hand.
    Brother to brother stand
    Blest by Thy peace.
    
    Send truth and righteousness
    Healing the world's distress.
    Great King of Peace.
    For Him Who died that we
    Saved by His love may be,
    From war. Oh, set us free!
    God give us peace.




Veterans Poem



17. To Get Peace
    by Ruskin
    
    To get peace, if you do want it,
    make for yourselves nests of pleasant thoughts.
    
    None of us yet knows,
    for none of us has been taught in early youth,
    what fairy palaces we may build of beautiful thoughts
    proof against all adversity.
    
    Bright fancies, satisfied memories,
    noble histories, faithful sayings,
    treasure-houses of precious and restful thoughts,
    which care cannot disturb,
    nor pain make gloomy,
    nor poverty take away from us -
    houses built without hands for our souls to live in.




18. Perfect Peace
    Poet: E. H. Bickersteth
    
    Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
    To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
    Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
    On Jesus' bosom naught but calm is found.
    
    Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
    In Jesus' keeping we are safe, and they.
    Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
    Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.




19. Peace and Good-Night
    Poet: Frank Hayward Severance
    
    Peace and good-night, dear heart!
    The drowsy night wind falls and swells
    Like benisons from spirit bells,
    And low to nodding nature tells
    Peace and good-night!
    
    Peace on thine eyelids, peace!
    Though waking brings thee sighs and tears,
    Still hold thy hopes and sing at fears,
    For sighs and songs make up the years.
    Peace and good-night!
    
    Peace in thy bosom, peace!
    May life both smiles and tears bestow,
    As summer lights and shadows go,
    For happiest hearts can either know.
    Peace and good-night!




Good Night Poems



20. In Me Ye Shall Have Peace
    Poet: Unknown
    
    Not always seen the wisdom and the love;
    And sometimes hard to be believed, when pain
    Wrestles with faith, and almost overcomes;
    Yet even in conflict thy sure words sustain -
    "In Me ye shall have peace!"
    
    Father, the flesh is weak; fain would I rise
    Above its weakness into things unseen;
    Lift Thou me up; give me the open ear
    To hear the voice that speaketh from within -
    "In Me ye shall have peace!"




Poems About Conflict



21. Through Peace To Light
    Poet: Adelaide A. Procter
    
    I do not ask, O Lord, that life may be
    A pleasant road;
    I do not ask that thou wouldst take from me
    Aught of its load;
    
    I do not ask that flowers should always spring
    Beneath my feet;
    I know too well the poison and the sting
    Of things too sweet.
    
    For one thing only, Lord, dear Lord, I plead:
    Lead me aright
    Though strength should falter and though heart
    Should bleed
    Through peace to light.
    
    I do not ask, O Lord, that thou shouldst shed
    Full radiance here;
    Give but a ray of peace, that I may tread
    Without a fear.
    
    I do not ask my cross to understand,
    My way to see;
    Better in darkness just to feel thy hand,
    And follow thee.
    
    Joy is like restless day, but peace divine
    Like quiet night;
    Lead me, O Lord — till perfect day shall shine
    Through peace to light.