If I knew it would turn our right I would tell more people about my Hollywood dreams.
I would not second guess the value of making fictional TV stories.
I would have more fun in the pursuit of the things I long to do more of.
I might do community theatre.
I’d spend more time querying book agents
But really how would I spend my time if I knew it would turn out right?
I’d write more stories.
I’d write more screenplays and send them to more contests.
I’d paint more often, just because I like to.
And I think I’d practice the piano because I knew it would amount to something.
I’d quit my job that has me administering other peoples plans
And I’d rest in the foregone success of my own plans.
I’d focus my attention into the thing I’m doing right now, because all the larger things, the dreams, the embarrassing, whimsical, almost childish dreams would take care of themselves.
If I knew it would turn out right I’d surrender fully to life’s flow
I’d drop preconceived notions and the search for magic potions
And I’d take it all in, in slow motion, just rocked in the ocean
of raw experience.
Life would be taking care of me, supporting me. Requiring of me nothing but surrender. Nothing but the relaxed state of existence that all the other species enjoy until the few scattered moments when they are actually under attack, if ever at all.
I’m not under any attacks,
but there seems a capital crime in trying to relax
How dare I take a deep breath
When the world is blanketed in crisis and death
But when I don’t breathe I’m really making an excuse
Because I don’t know how to put my existence to good use
So I sink in to the overwhelm,
the quicksand of information
A kind of starvation
from any real truth as I gobble up
the main stream media messages
that feel like bandages
keeping my free thinker all locked up tight under propaganda,
stupidly distracted while watching a waving panda
Scrolling is the new pocket watch and we’ve all been hypnotized.
I guess if I knew it would turn out right I’d find a way to unplug every man, woman and child from the cultural propaganda machine that washes our minds but somehow makes us dirtier.
I’d find a way to inoculate us from hook line and sinker
I’d enshrine again the value of being a free thinker
Or a mind in love with fun, and ideas with witch to tinker
But since I’m not sure how it will all turn out, I guess I’ll stick to doing what I love.
I’ll tell stories and make movies and allow people a place to escape from their struggle if only for a moment.
I have to remember as I tell my stories
That people can be hypnotized not only as a way to be controlled, but as a way to heal, as a way to liberate.
It is that talisman I hope to wave over people’s willing eyes, softening minds and lingering addictions.
But for now I’ll have to settle for poking fun at all the nightly news doomsday predictions. Because that’s good entertainment.
