I am headed to New Zealand to present at an International Peace Conference and have been thinking of resistance so needed today. Music, poetry, and art play a significant role in resisting violence, including that imposed by governments and other institutions that are supposed to protect.
One of the first albums I bought was The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. I was about 16-years old and I still have the album. It is iconic with songs like Blowin’ In the Wind (melody based on a spiritual called No More Auction Block), Masters of War, A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall, Oxford Town about resistance to desegregation in the American South, and Talkin’ World War III Blues. Dylan covered Lead Belly’s version of I Shall Be Free.
Talkin’ World War III Blues is my favourite song on the album. Dylan was at his best in the spontaneity of the song and it fits with the talking blues genre. In I Shall Be Free, he sings about making love to Elizabeth Taylor. Even in the early 60’s a was a way to avoid the reality that hung over the world was to turn to popular culture as a distraction from the threats of nuclear war.
About the same time, I wrote a poem in school. I know Mr. P. writes poetry is hard to imagine for my students. The poem was about the tragedy of war and it stole lives in absolute ways whether through death or through the physical and psychic damage done to those who were forced into service in a war they did not understand. Many of those who died or were left deeply scarred with the trauma of war were from the African American population, which was about 12% of the American population at the time. Their deaths alone represented about 25% of the casualties, so statistically overrepresented. The personal narratives within their families and communities can not be quantified.
The poem I wrote as a teenager is below.
Win or Lose: What Difference Does it Make?
A game–
Darwin misunderstood,
No great thing to win.
War and it language!
Bells ringing hollow,
Men, women, children gone!
Woe! vanquished losers and winners;
Humans, vanquished in every sense–
Thriving on dividing.
Resenting conquerors,
Rebuilding ruins–
On countless graves.
Morally rudderless,
Blaming the fallen,
Beggaring humans.
Homes on streets,
Hollowing souls–
What war brings?
Innocence dying–
Prryhric victories,
What war brings?
Comrades fallen,
Enemies vanquished–
Proving nothing.
Will we learn?
I pray
For human survival.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
Hi, Ivon–Wow! Your poem! As an English teacher, I’m wondering what grade you were in at the time. I remember a discussion with my seniors about pyrrhic victory. Most people don’t know what that is. The other line that hit me was Blaming the fallen, beggaring humans. Seems you were ahead of your time! I’m sure you were reading a lot of history at that age and taking it seriously. Your poem is poignant for today!
Congrats on your speaking engagement in New Zealand. I’ve always wanted to go; it’s quite a long trip. I hope you’ll have time doing some fun adventures while you’re there. EnJOY and be safe. Janet
R Janet Walraven, M.Ed. “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.”
<?subject=Check%20out%20this%20quote&body=Hey,%20I%20thought%20you%27d%20like%20this%20quote%20from%20Inspiring%20Quotes.%20Hope%20you%20enjoy%20it!%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Finspiringquotes.com%2Ffunny-and-insightful-quotes-from-meryl-streep-and-her-characters%2F%23quotes-block-8d8fbe6ddf4c8af947d1a71fda88a867bcb37365>
Thank you Janet. I was in Grade 10. Mr. McKenzie taught a humanities class, combining English and Social Studies. As a class, we did a poetry unit and, then, he took 5 or 6 of us (I was the only male) for an advanced class. He insisted on us using a thesaurus and asking him for help, so that is probably where pyrrhic victory came from. About the same time, I watched a lot of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, so beggaring humans might have come from that. My brother would imitate various characters from the show, so anything that was said was repeated and expanded upon. We looked for new ways to say what the characters said.
The trip was a bucket list thing and the conference a catalyst. It fits with my academic interests and what I have published the last 4-5 years.
Thanks for sharing, Ivon. You are such a thinker, a sharer, an intellectual. I enjoy your writing.
Thank you Janet
Ha ha, pyrrhic victory got to me as well! Must’ve been one attentive student!
Mr. McKenzie was a great teacher. It was my first year in that city. Prior to that I had been in a town of 550 people, so it was a lot of teacher directed learning. He used projects, which became part of my teaching repertoire, and crossed discipline boundaries, another part of what I did. One of the projects involved Ancient Greece, including mythology, legends, and building a papier mache replica of something from the era. It is likely he used the term in his teaching.
Wow, I think you and I have lead parallel lives in a weird dimension somewhere. 😝 Where I first heard the term was from a Greek literature teacher in high school. A gay man who could not even dream of coming out of the closet, and a damn’ good teacher, too. Good teachers are irreplaceable. Their lessons, whether they be from modeling themselves or from selective and often provocative book learning or simply life experience last students for the rest of their lives. From what I can see anyway. 🙏♥️
For me, as a teacher, I am becoming aware of the impact the good teachers I had, including my Grade 4, Grade 1, and junior high Social Studies teacher. The latter gave me a lot of space to explore the world through Social Studies.
I think we had good teachers and need to recall what they said and did that made them so,
I agree! Throughout the years, anytime I remembered a teacher, I made it a point to thank them for changing my life in such a positive way.
I got to meet my Grade 4 teacher, Mrs. Glenn, the year I left K-12 and it was a wonderful experience. I shuffled my feet like a 10-year old again during the chat.
Haha, I bet you did! Such impressionable beings at that age! Love it.
Congratulations on your upcoming presentation at the International Peace Conference in New Zealand. Should be a magnificent journey, in many regards.
Love your poem. Though, I doubt your students would doubt your capacity for poem writing. Seems right up your alley, so to speak. Especially one of such depth.
Enjoy your trip!
Thank you Carolyn. The last year I taught K-12 I read some of my poetry to students. Some said it was good.
I keep returning hoping you’ve created an update regarding your NZ trip. Im sure there must be so much to tell…
We are now in Australia, so it will be about 10 days before we get home. The presentation went well and was well-received. New Zealand is amazing. Brisbane is hot and humid.
This was great. The poem, written while you were in school is very good (still today).
Thank you Dan. I have loved poetry since I was young. We had illustrated books and my Mom knew some in French, as well.
We feel the same. Great poem. I also had Dylan’s early work, the times they are changing ❤
I think there are many of us who feel we need something less violent. I hope the times they are a changing for the better.
Such a powerful poem. I hope the trip goes well.
Thank you Peggy.
So interesting, Ivon. Chris and I were just having a conversation very early this morning about the futility and tragedy of war in general. Useless ruination of many young lives. How could anyone get over it, just not possible.
“Even in the early 60’s a was a way to avoid the reality that hung over the world…” unfortunately, I think far too many in my country, my sister for example, are still using this distraction rather than opening their eyes to what is being taken away before they can blink. And as has been said countless times, democracy is a participatory government. It has been a very long time ( here)since citizens have truly invested themselves in governing themselves. If nothing else, this has been one of the sad benefits of this regime. People are waking up, the way people always wake up, not toward peace and justice, but away from autocracy and corporate control. Of course those of us who have had long had our eyes on peace and justice still have eyes there, and hopefully our numbers are growing. With all the pressing issues of a planet in distress, certainly more particularly species in distress, it is necessary if we are to move forward. Congratulations on your conference participation, may you come away feeling blessed and satisfied by the experience. 🙏♥️
I think participatory government and the lack of that investment might be universal. There are two groups who seem more willing in various ways. First, is our generation. It might be coming of age in the 1960’s and 70’s plays a role; the music and other aesthetics we engaged in. The second group, and I think this is where the greatest hope lies, is with the youth of today. Even conservative youth tend to be more progressive and accepting than their parents. This makes education vital to what comes next.
Thank you for the comment and kind words Bela.
Will be anxious to hear more about your trip to the International Peace Conference. War is a cruel force that never stops and never will until the lives of people become more important than money and power.
I will try to share when I get back or while on the road.
Yes, violence is part of the distractions those in power want to take our eyes off the real issues e.g. poverty, misogyny, racism, etc.
Thank you Bev.
Beautifully expressed!
Thank you Dawn
I loved Dylan’s album also. I had mine until recently.
Your power—powerful.
We listen to a small public radio station and they do a birthday tribute to him, so, when I remember, I tune in. His music has evolved and he is back to those blues types roots.
Hi, Ivon. Love your poem it says it all.
Thank you Michele. I am glad you enjoyed.
Wow, Ivon what a wonderful poem you created when you were so young! Congrats from Italy, Vicky. ❤
Thank you Vicky. It is an interesting time in history as all times in history are in their unique ways.
A profound and reflective text that unites art, music, and poetry as forms of resistance against violence. I appreciated how it connects personal memory with a universal message about peace and the need to learn from history.
Thank you for the comment. The arts can always act as a form of resistance to oppression of any form
In a world where war seems endless,
great the need for words so timeless.
Thank you for the lovely poetry.
Pingback: “As Relevant as Ever”/Teacher as Transformer | By the Mighty Mumford
Thank you for the repost Jonathan
came back to read this post a second time… thank you.
You are welcome and thank you for returning a second time.
Beautifully written ❤️
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas 🎄 and many blessings. Best regards 🫂🌎🇪🇦
Thank you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great 2026.
I do so hope you enjoyed your trip. Best wishes and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my friend.
Thank you. We are still enjoying it for a couple of more days. Then back to the snow and cold. Take care and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.