CORRECTS DATE OF PHOTO AND ADDS BYLINE - FILE - In this May 13, 1968 file photo, singer John Lennon appears during a press conference in New York. Lennon is featured in “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything,” an eight-part documentary series that premieres Friday on the Apple+ streaming service. (AP Photo/John Lindsay, File)

It would certainly not be a stretch to characterize the late Beatles leader John Lennon as a musical genius and a visionary. The vision for the world that Lennon created through his musical prowess is simply unequaled. In October of 1971 he wrote and recorded the song “Imagine.” A half a century after its release, with its dreamy Garden of Eden-like quality this musical gem remains not only the most recognizable and universally appealing song that he ever released, it has also become a timeless anthem of peace. For it was Lennon’s creative expression of his undimmed hope for peace and freedom in the world. His message, and plea was that the deep differences between people, nations and political ideologies should not be a roadblock to people being able to live life in peace, tranquility and security.

In the wake of the carnage and heartbreak of what is taking place in Ukraine today, Lennon’s long-ago lyrics and melody from across the years still amplify a source of power and motivation if people would only take a minute to listen. “Imagine” still echoes a timeworn tone of unity among all people with the dream of healing the chasms that divide people.

“Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.”

As I say, “Imagine’ was the most successful single of John Lennon’s illustrious career. It is widely seen as being one of the greatest musical compositions of all time. From start to finish it is a seemingly endless flow of poignant and thought-provoking words that have the effect of reaching out softly, taking listeners by the hand, and floating them gently downstream on a gentle river of sound leading to an open ocean of musical tranquility. It offers a serene and heartfelt wish for the way the world could and should be.

Simple and beautiful lyrics that do indeed reflect a brilliant simplicity that never fades or grows old. Today one must reassess what constitutes a country. A country is officially defined as being “a nation with its own government occupying a particular territory.” By its very definition, it begs one to look back on the bloody history of our world, to what we see today in Ukraine, and ask the question of how many wars have been fought under the banner of sovereignty, national patriotism and territorial expansion. Again, one only needs to look at Russia waging a ruthless and criminal war against neighboring Ukraine as a sobering proof point of a war of choice being waged in the name of territorial expansion and imperialism.

“Imagine there’s no countries

It isn’t hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace.”

Quite recently, I was captivated by musician Davide Martello, who in recent days, has become known to the world as “the piano man.” He is an Italian man who journeyed to the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing from his home Germany to serenade arriving refugees from war-torn Ukraine. He played soft and beautiful music to welcome the hundreds of thousands of mothers who, with their children in tow, and little more than the clothes on their backs, crossed over into Poland to escape the horror that will now live forever in their minds. Martello played John Lennon’s “Imagine” for these frightened, exhausted and war-weary people. For it is a melody and a message that is known the world over by people who were not yet born when it was released.

Like so many people, what has resonated so very deeply with me during this war is the children. Seeing them bravely clinging to the mother’s, many with tears rolling down their cheeks and the look of raw fear etched in their eyes is gut wrenching and haunting. These are little kids whose innocence has been ripped away from them in such a brutal way. I will tell you that for me, seeing these children in their little snow suits tightly clutching the security blanket of the stuffed animals that they brought with them, it is often quite difficult for me to stem the flow of tears rolling down my own cheeks. I can’t help it.

When I saw the recent television coverage of the piano man playing “Imagine,” just for a minute the camera caught the face of an adorable and exhausted little girl who couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 years old. As that Garden of Eden-like melody of the song floated, whisper soft, in the cold night air of Poland, I saw the wisp of a smile light up her eyes and lift the corners of her mouth in a smile as the song seemed to resonate with her. It was a fleeting and incredible moment that left me with the thought that there is indeed a universal healing power in music. For music can and does sooth the savage beast. Hearing the song, brought back Lennon’s thoughts to a troubled world.

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will live as one”

Paul Collins is a freelance writer from Southborough, Massachusetts.