"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Xmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Xmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Xmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Xmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Xmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
---
Hrm hrm hrmph hrm hrm hmmmmm! Professor Marley stands at the podium clearing his throat. His round face, looking more the product of a few haggard and youthful years than of the number of years he has really seen, ruddy on the best of days, turns a peculiar shade of scarlet as he gazes out into the auditorium, his eyes obscured by the reflection of the flood light above. Then, he opens his thick lips (which always reminded me of oddly arranged slices of liver in a butchers case), and I tense up for another of his uncomfortably disorganized lectures. The topic of todays lecture is, he utters, driftingly, pausing for some time, sin. That last word he says with a muted staccato, as if he is feeling the full shame of it. After pulling a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket, which is, for some odd reason, where he always chose to keep it, and placing it gently under his nose, daubing his cheeks for some unseen tears, and then replacing it in his hip pocket this time, he continued Sin! And should our own sin prevent us from doing works of good. Should a single heinous act cause us to hide our head in shame forever, hiding from the world behind our guilt, or should we shed the sheeps clothing and embolden ourselves to face the shame and forge ahead to make a better world? I dont know why, but I stopped going through my text messages during his class today and actually listened to what the weird fucker had to say.
---
Those of you who have been reading my journal since the beginning (and I dont think there are any) will know I have a problem with guilt and believe I deserve a place in Hell right next to rapists and child molesters. I gave myself parole about a year back, after a ten year term, and I think that was just. Now, I listen to the news on the radio and I want to do something about this world into which I have woken. When I fell into the big black hole that my life became in 1995, things sucked, IMHO. How much worse things are now!
I want to do something about the world in which I live, but I do still feel ashamed. Shouldnt I put aside my pride and just do what I can? But, what can I do! This war is biting my Merry Christmas in the ass!
So this is Xmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Xmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Xmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Xmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Xmas
And what have we done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so happy Xmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
---
Hrm hrm hrmph hrm hrm hmmmmm! Professor Marley stands at the podium clearing his throat. His round face, looking more the product of a few haggard and youthful years than of the number of years he has really seen, ruddy on the best of days, turns a peculiar shade of scarlet as he gazes out into the auditorium, his eyes obscured by the reflection of the flood light above. Then, he opens his thick lips (which always reminded me of oddly arranged slices of liver in a butchers case), and I tense up for another of his uncomfortably disorganized lectures. The topic of todays lecture is, he utters, driftingly, pausing for some time, sin. That last word he says with a muted staccato, as if he is feeling the full shame of it. After pulling a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket, which is, for some odd reason, where he always chose to keep it, and placing it gently under his nose, daubing his cheeks for some unseen tears, and then replacing it in his hip pocket this time, he continued Sin! And should our own sin prevent us from doing works of good. Should a single heinous act cause us to hide our head in shame forever, hiding from the world behind our guilt, or should we shed the sheeps clothing and embolden ourselves to face the shame and forge ahead to make a better world? I dont know why, but I stopped going through my text messages during his class today and actually listened to what the weird fucker had to say.
---
Those of you who have been reading my journal since the beginning (and I dont think there are any) will know I have a problem with guilt and believe I deserve a place in Hell right next to rapists and child molesters. I gave myself parole about a year back, after a ten year term, and I think that was just. Now, I listen to the news on the radio and I want to do something about this world into which I have woken. When I fell into the big black hole that my life became in 1995, things sucked, IMHO. How much worse things are now!
I want to do something about the world in which I live, but I do still feel ashamed. Shouldnt I put aside my pride and just do what I can? But, what can I do! This war is biting my Merry Christmas in the ass!