A Loner with the World on his shoulders seeks to point out 'their hypocrisy' when he stumbles upon an opportunity that will bring about a catastrophic event.
‘Some soldiers say that War is the only reality that made them feel alive. Feasibly they didn’t want it, but they got it. They can never go back. Neither can I.’
There is no place more lonely than the inner city. No place more fitting to make observations on the fallibility of human beings and the easiest to design their downfall. Ideology isn’t his motivation. He hates everyone, equally. His voice is unique. And he will be heard.
The Australian Catcher in the Rye
Like all books, can be signed/inscribed if you wish. Makes for a perfect gift.
The previous post spoke of my misery over the past year, so this will be much more positive.
Here is the second poem that I mentioned in the previous post. It was going to be another miserable one from earlier this year but I changed it. No one wants to read of another's misery. Besides, it's much more upbeat! And I don't want to appear that I've been wallowing in it. I've been fighting hard the entire time. As my partner can testify. I want to be better! And finally, I am feeling better, albeit a long way to go. With a little helping hand, you might say. This recent poem explains all.
There's a short video below that and also something positive to end on!
Looking to a better future
Above the Abyss
I no longer want to die
I’ve scrambled
To be my own saviour
No self-help book or video or psych
Can do the work
That only I can do
Must do.
However,
I did receive a helping hand
Of sorts
From the Great Beyond
If one believes in such things
Which I don’t
And yet,
I cannot deny
That through my grandmother’s death
It forced me into a position
Of having to travel interstate
And face my difficulties
I believed impassable.
To rephrase
In her death
She helped me to live.
I did five days of travel
With the support of Taylah
And did it well
Including reading a poem I wrote
(That alone surprised me)
At her graveside service
And felt good for the
Great bulk of that trip.
I returned to Sydney
As did the anxiety
Which caused me to fall
Into a depressive hole
Nothing like having experienced freedom
And joy
After months of intense suffering
Only to be re-incarcerated
A form of twisted torture.
Since then
I’ve had the odd better day
And implemented positivity
Faked,
Over and over
Until it began to make inroads.
Now I’ve had a string of good days
Again, with the enforced mindset
Becoming my own Life Coach
And while there are setback days
I do believe I’m slowly emerging
Back into life
Out of the cell
Of my own design.
At least
I want to live
That is, its own
Sign of success.
5/5/25 11.45 pm
(My nephew’s birthday).
The last time I saw my grandmother, in Sept, 2023
The poem I read at my grandmother's service, Our Beloved Pioneer, appeared in a country publication too, submitted by my grandmother's son, my father.
Perhaps I'll share the full poem sometimes, if anyone is interested
Here's a short video I made about depression. Melancholy has followed me about forever and a day too but I'm also quite upbeat. An introvert and extrovert. Those who know can testify to the upbeat me. Most have not seen the other. I've learnt over the years to hide it well. Thus the nature of the mental tussle. It's an battle oft done silently.
Way back in 1992, I made a short film about a man who loses control of his mind after a series of life blows. Knowing my own mental state at times, it wasn't a huge stretch.
Enough misery now! Please feel free to share your story, feelings or even the post itself. It's good to talk about these things. Especially when I'm doing better. I think when people are really suffering, they're quiet. That's when others should become worried. I know I've come close to suicide many times in the past year. It scares me now when I think back to how viable an option it seemed.
I have a ways to go but signs recently are good. Not great but trending upwards. Day at a time. Keeping calm and staying positive are my weapons. (Just don't tell a depressed person to be positive. They're too far gone. It's near impossible).
I only became that depressed because the anxiety was so severe it made my life unbearable. It was only through some respite via cold showers, swimming and Valium plus distractions like faking it, playing music, dancing, talking to myself and the support of my girlfriend that I was able to rise enough before I could even entertain the idea of being positive. Without some daily relief, I would have taken my life. I fantasised about it. I planned it. At one point I had razor blades hidden throughout the house. It seemed the only way out.
Enough.
Peace
Anthony
Ps I'm thinking of releasing a novel. Not sure which one yet. I've got a few. Either Ode to Dead Young Friends, based on four young people I knew who all died young or True Love Kills, also based on a true story but with a lot more fictional aspects about a teenage girl whose new school friends are involved in a terrible incident in which someone dies.
What do you think? The anxiety doesn't want me to do anything as it's all 'dangerous' but I have to keep pushing myself. This will be quite a scary exercise, unlike when I released books in the past when it was exciting. Still, I feel the work is good and should be out there. I think.
A killer energy ring has surrounded the City. It’s closing in fast, but when the Entities show up, the real massacre begins!
The two images are covers I made for my two novel Young Adult dystopian series. (One story, two books). I tried to get them published for years, to no avail. I was very proud of them both and thought they'd make an excellent movie, (or two). I was planning to self-publish at some point in the future. Not sure if I will now but thought it interesting to share the covers. Created them around 2009. Novels were written from 2005-'07. I had such high hopes for them. Hence why I held out, hoping a publisher would take them on. Makes me very sad but that's the life of the creative.
At the risk of sounding miserable (and trite), my 'career' as an author has been 95% disappointment. You need to have a very thick skin to deal with the rejections and lack of interest. My skin ain't as thick as it used to be so I've taken a step back since my last book in 2022. Mentally been on the decline for years (anti-depressant withdrawal a big part of it, the story here), so feels beyond my reach at present. Probably a good lesson in there. Don't put things off! I really do hope to return to it at some point but not in the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, there are published books and many videos and downloads that are available right now!
There's something for anyone over 16, Us & Them and the things in-between or one of the most controversial novels you'll ever read in Perve (18+), or a cutting edge quasi satire/thriller in Lone Wolf World. (Dubbed the Australian Catcher in the Rye).
Definitely cheeky. But will it make any difference in the end? Probably not.
So why not?
The original I'm promoting on YouTube for 10 days. See if it does anything. I'm not spending a lot of money as I've had past experiences with advertising but it's getting some views. Whether anyone interacts with my site or not, I doubt but we'll see.
I've put together a 30 second trailer for all of my books in the lead up to Christmas. Hopefully it garners some interest. Based on prior experiences, my expectations are low.
If you feel inclined, any sharing would be really great. At least a view and a like. It all helps. Thank you.