Guard flowers

An army of flowers stood guard
at each gate to the city,
silently reminding
those who wished to enter
to remain peaceful and calm
and to radiate joy and love

In pots and in the ground they grew and bloomed
in and around the city
and into the hearts and minds
of those who passed by,
affecting them subtly,
softening their arrival,
slowing them down

An unarmed force
showing a way
to simply be