FLIGHT

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YOU KNOW IT’S THE WRITE WAY

FLIGHT

He ran. The streets seemed a blur around him. The dark had descended some time ago, and he had no idea where he was going. Not in this physical reality of running, or in the recesses of his mind.
He never dreamt the panic that can come through such a flight. Maybe it rhymes with fright for a reason?

The chain of events had been set in motion by himself.

And in his mind’s eyes he saw the person, as if in shadows, undefined. Why had he done it? And why, now, was he so afraid?
Certainly, if he went back, felt compelled to finish the task, his life could never be the same again. If caught, as was inevitable if he went back, it was a new life awaiting him – a life confined.
Slowly, the streets seemed to slow down. This seemed strange, for it was as if it was not him slowing down, but reality taking a grip on his mind, and pulling him up. And as so often happens when we flee, he found himself stopping where he began, outside the restaurant.
Life is like that – sending us in circles of indecision. He saw her sat at the table, as invited. Swallowing hard, he entered, walked up to her, went down on one knee, and said: ‘Will you marry me?’

© Anthony North, April 2008

PARANOID

He sat in silence, his life so fickle,
his mind so confused and brittle;
Who was the skunk who’d got him annoyed,
taking his picture with that Polaroid,
making his life so null and void?

Life from now on was a conspiracy,
forever wondering if it was him or he;
The future wasn’t worth a pinch of salt,
everything coming to such a halt,
his mind now going with a sudden jolt

So for ever after he was paranoid,
leaving the life he had so enjoyed;
They were out to get him, no matter what the toil,
taking his fears right to the boil,
and upon his head, aluminium foil

(c) Anthony North, April 2008

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CHANCE ENCOUNTER

What do we mean when we say we have had a chance encounter? Do we mean that something has occurred, totally unexpected, and totally out of our control? This is the implication, but can such an event really be so random?
By ‘chance’ we mean an element of the universe where things simply happen. Statistically, we try to devise odds on such happenings, and when they occur, we usually class them as coincidences. But I’m not satisfied it is as simple as that.
Okay, it can be. A car can come out of nowhere and kill you. A person can enter your world out of the blue, and fall in love. But so many elements of life are more complicated that mere chance.
We have ancient sciences such as Astrology to place order upon the chaos of chance, as if there is some predestination in our lives. And whilst I don’t accept this simple system of destiny, such a ‘system’ can be found in our psychology.
We are the result of our genetics and our experiences. Slowly, life shapes us into the people we are. And along that path, we make specific choices, devise specific ideas, and these influences play their part in our lives.
Hence, when we suddenly find ourselves in this place, with that attitude, and a chance encounter occurs, we should remember that it is OUR lives that led to that point, our own mentality tinkering with the possibilities of chance.
So for better or worse, ‘chance’ is a bit of a cop-out. The thing that destined us to be there was ourselves.

© Anthony North, April 2008