Before the trilbied man steps from the pavement,

the tie and collar hurries late to work

and the cab slow shunts the traffic forward,
a voice gives pause perhaps in Piccadilly,

fights hard against the neon screams of Coke.

Back then as now, the war proved far too big,

swop Vietnam for Palestine, Ukraine

the story — now in colour! — reads the same.  

Yet each Yuletide in the New York press, 

Yoko repeats her full-page ad for peace  
in black and white. The end of war, begins with us.  
Let there be peace on earth, the timeless dream,

let our swords be beaten blunt to plough-shares,  
let doves of peace fly large from lamp posts, bridges.

War is over — if you want it was a billboard message campaign launched by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, December 15 1969, in 12 major cities across the globe.)

Hamish Wilson taught in secondary schools for 30 years before moving to Cumbria to set up and run the Garsdale Retreat, a residential writing centre. He regularly performs at open mics in Kendal and has published two collections: Away from the Welsh Speaking Sea and Lockdown Journal.

Poetry submissions to thursdaypoems@gmail.com.