I
seem to have a knack for having departed locales
that were about to experience violent upheaval,
e.g., Cyprus, Beirut, VietNam, Berlin, Romania,
Russia, Peru and Kobe, where I completed the song
mere months before the tragic earthquake. While I
keep my guardian angels working overtime, perhaps
it's instructive to recognize the state of
continual flux that we - our planet and ourselves
- are in. And as long as change is inevitable, why
not imagine the most hopeful, if not outlandish,
scenario?
What if this whirling world of ours, world famous
and world renowned
All of a sudden hit a bumpety bump and got jumbled
all around
And all cities, states and countries got tossed
out into space
And when they tumbled down again, fell in some
other place
And some fell on each other; some fell into the
sea
But all would land at last far from where they
used to be
And so the jumble made new neighbors of every girl
and boy
Like when Illinois and Mississippi became Mississilly-nois
And Buffalokefenokee and Chattanooportnews
And Montrealbuquerque and Vancouveracruz
Joined Ottawallawalla and Kansaskatchewan
With Ogdenvermontanaheim in Califloregon
There was Madagascaracas and Zanzibarcelona
Ho Chi Mindianapolis and Tokyoklahoma
Islamabaden-Baden and San
Cristobaltimore
Torontogo, Melbourneo and Kobejingapore
What Amsterdam and Indonesia made I can't recall
But of every place reborn, most serendipitous of
all
Nicosiathaenkara stood unified at last
While Ireland, whose flames were fanned, recovered
Dublfast
No doubt you too can think up, with your grand
imagination
How some once familiar countries became brand new
combi-nations
Take some time to picture all the places that you
know
And how they might comingle in this strange
scenario
And what if when the dust had cleared, there stood
face to face
Simple humans being every color, creed and race
And what if, in an instant, they recognized each
other
As more than just a neighbor, as a sister or a
brother
And sure, most siblings squabble when they don't
see eye to eye
But rarely do those arguments mean that someone
has to die
'Agree to disagree'; it's common to most families
The thread dissolves the threat that says we must
be enemies
I heard it just the other day: the Arabs and the
Jews
Are both descent from Abraham; I wonder if it's
true
For here's an age-old enmity that's lasted quite a
while
A classic case of family that's lived a long
denial
For if you are my brother and are sleeping in the
street
And if you are my sister and don't have enough to
eat
We're kindred spirit, kindred flesh; how can I
pass you by?
It's there but for the twisting, turning dance of
Fate go I
And what if all the energy that once empowered
hate
Were channeled toward one purpose, just think what
we could create
A world unbound by hatred, hunger, homelessness
and war
Where songs like this that ask 'what if...?'
aren't needed anymore |
