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THE PEACE POEM

Written by John Denver

 

There's a name for war and killing
there's a name for giving in
when you know another answer
for me the name is sin
But there's still time to turn around
and make all hatred cease
and give another name to living
and we could call it peace
And peace would be the road we walk
each step along the way
and peace would be the way we work
and peace the way we play
And in all we see that's different
and in all the things we know
peace would be the way we look
and peace the way we grow
There's a name for separation
there's a name for first and last
when it's all for us or nothing
for me the name is past
But there's still time to turn around
and make all hatred cease
and give a name to all the future
and we could call it peace
And if peace is what we pray for
and peace is what we give
then peace will be the way we are
and peace the way we live
Yes there still is the time to turn around
and make all hatred cease
and give another name to living
and we can call it peace.

 

 

 

Maroon Bells Mt. Aspen CO

 

 

 

 

The John Denver Peace Cloth

 

 A Rocky Mountain Experience ...

 by Lola Sherstobitoff

Peace Cloth Presentation

John Denver was a famous singer and song writer.  He was also an environmentalist, a peace activist, a writer, an actor and a poet. After his passing eleven years ago, a fan sewed a Peace Cloth in his honour and several more fans contributed to it. The cloth is now over two thousand feet in length with contributions sent in from around the world.

I invited three Cultural Interpretive Society members, Lois Skublen, Mary Pozdnekoff, and Kathy Soloveoff, to help me sew a Peace Cloth which I would personally deliver next time we were in Aspen, Colorado. A Tree of Life which included four "hearts", three satin Peace Doves, and the word "Peace" along the top of the quilt made our cloth simple and unique.


Last October Nick and I were invited to present this Peace Cloth at the first scheduled event of the John Denver Week of Celebration. The Peace Cloth was accepted by Chris Collins and Hollie Woodstock, who are both on the board of the World Peace Cloth. We were very warmly received and they were pleased to accept our contribution. We brought peaceful greetings on behalf of all people from the Kootenays and Canada. Chris, Hollie and the audience were interested and grateful.


John Denver was politically active and denounced the National Rifle Association and opposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He was critical of his government's environmental and defense spending policies. He participated in peace marches and sang with Peter, Paul and Mary at the Washington Peace March in 1971. He was the first American performer in ten years to be invited to Russia to sing and performed at eleven concerts. This marked an important cultural exchange and allowed other Western artists to follow. He returned two years later to perform a benefit concert for the victims of the Chernobyl disaster. He performed at the blockade in Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, British Columbia where over 12,000 people blockaded logging trucks. He championed many other causes which were very unpopular in the 1970's. He was clearly a man before his time.


His quote "Commit yourself to whatever it is you can contribute in order to create a healthy and sustainable future - the world needs you desperately. Find that in yourself and make a commitment - that is what will change the world" is prophetic and timely with the election of President Obama and his philosophy of service to mankind.

 

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