Spoken Word Poem - Only the Idealists

17/7/24
I came across a draft of a spoken word poem which never saw the light of day, back in 2017 when I scribbled it onto paper. So I thought I'd share it here, finally. In a day and age, a time and place, where polarisation is a tool of social warfare, the idea of sacrifice is the most potent weapon for peace. And Jesus Christ and Abe Lincoln are two figures who we could look to for inspiration. Check out the recorded video and transcript here:
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Poem – Only the Idealists
By David Sretenovic (28/09/17)

Only the idealists dream the way I do
I see a win-win where there is none
Where there’s a war ensuing I envision coffee
Brewing and all parties coming to the table
I pipe up for armistice where all sides are healed, heard, strong-willed
Fully fulfilled, hearts-stilled – nothing killed
Except the seethe
I’m a dreamer of a new breed, a rare breed that violently breaks bread instead of heads
It’s not too often you see a man who wants both sides to win
But I am he
That’s stupid enough to Believe
Just as JC did
They say going to war is as effective as screwing for virginity
And the only way to win a war is to stop it from starting
But JC virtually went to war for peace – he showed how to get the job done
Against enemies who reject a win-win in favour of a win-sin
Heck son they’ll take Barabbas for a sin-sin
They live at the rankest depth of the sin-bin
Just like Honest Abe, going to war against the drivers of the slave
He and Christ didn’t have a single enemy – future friends only
But opponents, like Isis and the West, or the political Right and Left are like sworn enemies
whole only taste is for blood
While Christ is for peace
They fight for vengeance and blood release
So the only way to win, sometimes, is to lose
The actions of the Healer was to refuse to mirror
He didn’t push back – he refused
His life – is sacrifice
It’s the peace-maker’s atomic bomb
An act of deliberate self-annihilation
To bring peace to every nation
The idea is to lose your life to end the strife
You lose, to win
Peace.