Dear John

I will keep this short, lest I bastardize your intentions worded simple yet profound. For the fifth time in an Olympic opening ceremony, your iconic song resonated around the world, once again reminding its abusive transients of your utopian vision for the world to live in, for what should have been, until money and politics did us in, including faith, religion and fanaticism.

You asked us to imagine there’s no heaven, no hell below us, above us only sky. I couldn’t have said it any better John. If only there is equity among humanity, heaven is here on earth. Right here, right now. But hell is already here. Just look around how people suffer, the destitute and, the medical workers.

Imagine there’s no countries. Yes John, if only the ocean, rivers and mountains have separated us, not borders for immigrants to hurdle and space for refugees to beg for. There would have been no interference. Look at Afghanistan and elsewhere before. Nothing to kill or die for. If only humanity live for a just and humane society. And no religion too. Many fear you are atheist John, forgetting they too are against all other gods except the one god they believe in. There would have been no hypocrisy. And extremism. Look at Afghanistan again and elsewhere before.

You thought many say you’re a dreamer. But you’re definitely not the only one. I am one with you John, and many others I do not even know. The poignant lyrics, the simple and longing melody made your song my personal anthem against anything anathema to life. Timeless, but too idealist. It can never be achieved, say the realists and those against it. But I’d rather we dream, than from nightmare we scream.

Imagine no possessions. There would have been no envy for those with nothing, arrogance for those with many things, thievery for the needy and greedy and invasion for the bully. We don’t have to look beyond our seas. No need for greed or hunger. No one would have died of hunger while the rich squander and public purse its custodians asunder. A brotherhood of man. And woman, and everyone else human, even animals. There would have been no discrimination. Black lives matter would have been all lives matter.

Imagine all the people sharing all the world. There would have been no property owned by a few. And probably no war. You hoped someday people join you and the world will live as one. We can imagine it John. But sorry, we can no longer make it happen. By greed and hatred we are overtaken.