“When Will The Who Replace The What?”
Now is The Time to replace; “What law?” was broken.
Now is Time to make “Who was Harmed?”
More than words Spoken.
Time to Realign
The laws of the state.
Time to make human healing
The center of the debate.
Restorative Justice, some may call it;
Justice with eyes open, I call it.
Eyes that see crime as broken lives
Regardless of the cause.
Eye Open Justice makes human healing
As important as man-made laws.
“We are a nation of laws,”
I hear the familiar chant.
No, we are a nation of people,
‘lest our constitution we shall recant.
You ever heard of a planet called Crime?
A place in space where criminals come from?
Me neither, these are our sisters and brothers
and then some.
I’ve been in the circles
and witnessed the healing,
Stark reminders of the power of human feeling.
The “Perp” and the “Vic”
Face to face in a circle of truth.
Led by loving folks who simply believe in love.
Sometimes face water flows in and out
Like the ocean tide,
Tears, which allow Ancestors to cross
To the Other Side.
Rev. Chris knows,
Makes you feel all warm inside.
So, how long do we keep harming people,
who harm people,
to show that harm is no good?
How’s it working so far?
Somebody better knock on wood.
Wood knocking too superstitious?
Is neuroscience good?
Brain studies show true caring is measurable
and never misunderstood.
Let us melt that frozen sea within,
In…, In…, Inmate to Classmate,
Felon to Fellow.
Let us listen to the sweet strings
Of our Spirit cello.
Listening to our inner gut.
Today let us allow,
“The Who?”
To Replace “The What?”

— Rev. Anthony Mtuaswa Johnson

(from his book of poetry entitled “What If God Is A Woman?”)