IMAGINE

Photo/Collage by S. Auberle

On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot
and killed by a deranged fan in New York City.
Imagine was one of his best. This is my version...

IMAGINE

Imagine you are Iraqi.
Imagine you are scrabbling
for every meager penny
to scrape together enough
for tickets
to anywhere
to save your life
and those you love.

Imagine you are ready
to leave your home
and everything you own behind.
Imagine your loved ones
are one or more
of the 7,000 Iraqi civilians
killed in September and October.

Imagine your wife or mother or daughter
victim of religious extremists.
Imagine your child
bleeding to death on the street.

Then complain about
the frantic shopping days
when you rush to buy
gifts for your loved ones.
Whine about the intolerable burden
of having to spend a day or two
with your crazy, dysfunctional family.
Grumble about the travel, the weather,
the food, the airport, the highway.

Do the words seem to stick in your throat?

Imagine peace,
- mimi