Because when kindness stands firm, the world softens—and hope quietly grows.
—the Venerable Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Buddhist Temple in Fort Worth, Texas

•••

The day after a nurse is murdered in Minneapolis,
eighteen days after a poet is murdered in Minneapolis,

peace keeps walking through snowy North Carolina
with nineteen venerable Buddhist monks making

their way on foot from Texas to Washington, D.C.
Not protesting or carrying signs, but in the company

of a four-footed one named Aloka, the peace dog.
Every day a beginning, every step a new step

in this land of the free, home of the brave,
though many of these monks walked for years

through the forests of India, Thailand and
other countries. Walking with blisters and

sore feet, eating only what is offered to them,
overnighting in warm places offered to them,

tying yarn around wrists of well-wishers with
prayers of peace for so many who have waited

in the cold to see them, asking only that we keep
peace within ourselves, perhaps writing daily,

Today will be my peaceful day. And they rise
and walk, no matter the conditions, as so many

here have walked and marched, are walking,
are walking now and marching,

remembering that peace lives in all of us,
that step by step, breath by breath,

peace continues to move forward,
a movement of the heart,

peace keeps walking.

•••

In memory of Alex Jeffrey Pretti and Renée Nicole Good.

And in honor of the venerable monks and Aloka the Peace Dog of the Huong Dao Buddhist Temple, walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to spread awareness of peace, mindfulness, compassion, loving-kindness and unity. They are expected to arrive in Washington, D.C., around Feb. 11.

You can see photos of previous days and follow their journey here.