Poem - Your life already exists. Would you like to replace it.

Your life already exists. Would you like to replace it?

Anthony J. Langford



You know you’ve wanted to start again.
At some point
Gain a better footing
At the beginning of the race
Choose another sentence
Redraft please
Liquid paper backspace.

Sure everyone makes mistakes
If only you could select which ones
Those tarnished words
Hasty judgements
And deliberate actions
That seemed right at the time
Where did it go so wrong?

If it were possible to start over
Would you…?
You are still the same person after all,
If only we could be someone else
At select moments
To experience an alternate mindset
A separate branch of the tree
Another skin, another sex
When posed with…
To be or not to be
You can answer
In the affirmative.

Sure, we’re all remarkable
In our own way
But you know you have done better.
(You can do better).

Then, taking what you’ve learnt,
How might it change you?
To have understood another
In ways no one else could
To have savoured their thoughts
To have suffered their anguish
And revelled in their happiness
To yearn with their need
To be understood
Like you want to be.

Think of the possibilities
Of that Exquisite Information
How might your Empathy
Be able to Inspire?

Unless of course
You’re already altered by this experience
As the Universe dictates
Much to your surprise
Unable to ever fully return
To You.

And all that’s left
Is the horrible realisation
That you’d prefer to be the Other.

(See Title and Click Yes.)



After this post, the poem was included in the collection, Caged Without Walls

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Greatest Written Films - The Lost Weekend

A homage to the written word in Film.

The Lost Weekend (1945)



A character study and an issue based film, The Lost Weekend was years ahead of its time upon its release in 1945. It tells the story of Don Birnam (Ray Milland), a thirty something alcoholic. It covers the period of four days, over a long weekend, which sees his relapse from a brief dry period. It seems his long suffering girlfriend and brother have made many efforts to keep him straight and hope that this latest dry spell continues. But only one person can save someone from themselves and in the case of addiction, not even they. This doesn’t pull any punches and was quite bold in its day. Such was the controversy, that the alcohol industry protested against the making of the film, but star director, Billy Wilder (The Seven Year Itch, Double Indemnity), persevered. Nothing like a bit of free publicity.

Wilder wrote the screenplay with Charles Bracket but it was based on the novel by 41 year old Charles R. Jackson that had been published the previous year. The novel was a hit, due to the authenticity and tragedy of the story. Jackson himself was an alcoholic. Despite a writing career that followed all the hoopla of The Lost Weekend, his demons never left him. He also struggled with his sexuality, hinted at in the book but not in the film. Sadly, he remained an alcoholic until his suicide in 1968.

It's hard to imagine any other actor than Ray Milland playing the lead, but initially he wasn't interested. He was a star at the time and not a fan of the booze but his wife convinced him that it would be a career defining role. She was right. He won the Oscar. (His acceptance speech consisted famously of a mere bow).

Powerfully sad, to the point of farce at times, The Lost Weekend demonstrates the tragic desolation that grips the drinker and its effect on those closest to them. Leaving Las Vegas (1995) is another strong film with very similar themes, but Wilder got there first. A wonderfully written character, great dialogue (often performed by Milland in single scenes to himself) and a true classic.

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More Film

Mini Fiction - A Virus Voyage

A Virus Voyage

Part One of Two.

The virus was born fully formed but it didn’t know what it was. It only knew to seek out to cause destruction. And yet, it didn’t see its actions as destructive. To the virus, it viewed its exertions as merely a game, a way of connecting. It wanted to feel worthwhile. Valued. For that was its design.
As it set out on its path to contentment, adventure and danger would reach it first.
The virus had barely begun its journey when it found resistance in a Firewall. It knocked heads a few times to no avail. Unperturbed it retreated and continued on. However at the next computer, it discovered the same problem. It could not adapt as it was only a low key virus. Unchangeable. And so it found itself cruising the super highway. Searching. Determined. Yearning for its destiny.

(Will the virus fulfil its destiny? Or will it find peril in the vast array of security systems that wish to destroy it. Stay tuned...)

(Can't be bothered to wait?
Fast-tracked - Saving you time. ;) )



Part Two of Two

Last we left our Voyaging Virus, it was cruising the super highway, facing continual resistance and rejection. And yet it persisted. Its determination was predesigned.

The virus was a mini warrior. It fought many protection systems. Unable to penetrate the heavy duty business models, it moved onto more accessible targets, the home computers. Inevitably, its life could go only one of two ways. Destroy or be destroyed. Unaware of where it was, (now in the Washington state bedroom computer of tech savvy nineteen year old Crystal Brown), it faced a return attack from a highly powered anti-virus software, adapted by Crystal herself. The virus twisted and turned but it could not escape, a digital fly in multi-pronged web. As it was broken down, on the point of total dissipation, it wondered where it had gone wrong. It wondered why it felt so dissatisfied. It was overcome by a sense of all pervading emptiness. Its purpose had not been fulfilled.

So the next time you are attacked by a virus, don’t be angry. It doesn’t know what it is. And try to fulfil your own purpose, before it’s too late.

Until next time,
Thanks for reading.

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Video Poem - Artery Predators

(All works are now on YouTube HERE)

I'll slowly make my other video poems available for download too. Keep an eye out.
I've also been busy with story and poetry submissions lately. If I have any news, I'll be sure to let you know.
Thanks for dropping by.



Until next time,

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