Into my feelings as I drove the familiar streets in my neighborhood, I could still see videos of the aftermath of the brutal attack on innocent people celebrating the new year in New Orleans. I recalled the image I had seen on TV of the president-elect and a phalanx of White men all wearing black suits, black ties, and white shirts as they were leaving a meeting with members of the Senate. Images and news of the wildfires in California were so omnipresent that I imagined I could smell the smoke. For distraction I turned up the car radio and heard commentary on the farewell program for former President Jimmy Carter that was being held at the Washington National Cathedral.
After a few minutes of listening to the reporting, sounds from the radio began to change the vibrations of my body. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were singing President Carter’s favorite song, Imagine, by John Lennon. Unbidden and unexpected, tears rolled down my cheeks as I allowed myself to imagine.
Imagine
by John Lennon
Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No Hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one
Gwen Dungy 