“War is over! If you want it.”
– John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Who doesn’t want war to be over?
All of us dream of peace, don’t we?
Remembering John and Yoko, we imagine …
Instead of distant heaven, a paradise on earth,
Simply living as one, sharing our wealth.
Or so he sang. As they built their world of love.
Violence, they tried to say, is not the answer
Ever. Yet violence was the full stop to his song.
Remember John and Yoko, their peace shattered.
If you want it, war is over. We swear we want it.
Funny how war persists, through all our history.
You don’t want war. I don’t. We don’t. Yet we empower
Our Governments – ours – which always find reasons.
Under our veneer, we are still squabbling on playgrounds.
We are still fighting for possession of the best toys
And to stand on top of the fort. Girls as well as boys.
Not all girls, but too many of the few in power:
Thatcher springs first to mind. Not all boys either, but….
It’s a case of who profits, isn’t it? Somehow there are still
Too many who want power and possession more.
For Weekly Scribblings #82 at Poets and Storytellers United, Magaly invites us to be inspired by the quotation I've used as my title (and as an acrostic).
Meanwhile (and because I am committed to not staying silent in the face of injustice) this is not at all unrelated – especially the opening bit:
You aptly told the first meaning of this oldie. In later years, after John was killed, I think Yoko kept it up to the public for personal wars also.
ReplyDeleteToo, I am thinking of the late Afghan and ISIS wars, trying to protect those without protection from terrorist groups where stronger powers try to quell the upset or to protect democracy.
I like your acrostic form, it is time for me to write another of these as I like writing them also.
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You told the tale well acrostic style
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by my blog today
Much❤love
There are too many people skilled at the art of spin and not enough people educated on how to see through it. A lot of awful things can get slipped in.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great poem, and acrostic was perfect for it! Years ago a man told me he didn't want peace, because then too many people would be out of work. This was in an area with a naval weapons station base, so employed a lot of the locals. Still...
ReplyDeleteSo very true, every bit of it. Too many nations (and people) continue to say that they want peace, but live their lives ignoring what must be done in order for peace to be a reality. "It’s a case of who profits, isn’t it? Somehow there are still / Too many who want power and possession more" than peace, indeed...
ReplyDeleteAn absolutely brilliant acrostic poem, Rosemary. Some sacrifice continuity for the sake of the letters, but this reads well with a fluid rhythm that's amazing. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThis is an AWESOME acrostic!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd as it turned out, John Lennon was a wife beater, and I don’t buy ‘complex artist’ for a second.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think there's any excuse for that.
DeleteAlthough I wrote the poem without that knowledge, perhaps it further underlines what I say.
Ah yes, that's the point you were making. I just got the force of your 'And'.
DeleteSuch truth in this acrostic. Love the last lines, and miss
ReplyDeleteJohn Lennon still.
Powerful poem for a powerful message - Peace & Love - if only ❤️❤️
ReplyDelete