My Poem “Continuity”

When it comes to transitioning
from one chapter of a story to another,
continuity is integral to maintaining
the overall narrative that has been established -
an unbroken line of connection
between the beginning and the end,
and whatever follows afterwards -
which acts as a structure
that keeps the world that has been established
from fragmenting into a reality of chaos
and inconsistencies that is hard to explain
and seemingly impossible to understand.

When it comes to a change between
two different stages of anything -
whether that is a change in a democratically
elected government and administration,
or a change in the motivation of
characters that have for years
been known to behave in a certain way -
the most important thing that anyone
who cares about what they are doing,
and are a part of, is to pay attention
and never attempt to erase all that came before,
because if the attempt to change something
happens too soon and too radically
then the after-effect of whatever change
has taken place will not only be jarring for many
but it may also be devastating to someone
who has a profound love for something,
for someone, or for somewhere that they have invested
a great detail of time and energy into.

Continuity is important… Continuity matters…
Continuity means that there is
a great amount of value to history,
as well as to the future…
Continuity is comforting -
which is what some people need
now more than ever…
Continuity is the key to the survival
of every species on the planet -
and, as we have learned the hard way over the years,
even if it is only a single voice that is silenced
then the entire chorus that they were a part of
can no longer sound the same,
and especially if the voice belongs to an individual
who has added more to the mix of the world
than they might have realised
because all they wanted to do was
to move people in a meaningful way.

New ideas are always welcome…
New ways of thinking about things
are always a good way to start the journey
of learning how to make something better -
as long as the new ways compliment
and are an evolution of the tried and the tested…
New people are always entering infamous arenas
of innovation and entrepreneurial growth
who hope to make their mark on something -
but because sometimes some people
have little to no connection to where
they find themselves and have such an insatiable
desire to make something completely different and unique,
instead of retaining what they originally saw the potential in,
they choose to destroy most of what is, what was,
and what has always been, and “start again” -
two words that leave a sower taste in the mouth
of those who hate to see something come to an end
for no reason other than someone
saw a opportunity for “progress”.

New things are always happening…
new realities, new opportunities, new challenges,
new relationships begin every instant
around the world, and beyond -
however what has repeatedly shown itself
to have a positive impact upon the lives of many
since its inception is what people will always return to,
because sometimes some things
and some people can grow to become
something far more indelible in the public consciousness
than at first might have been envisioned,
and one of the things that makes something
feel so special to so many is the ability of its material
to hold true to its original creators vision
and the sense of purpose that they led
to something starting in the first place,
and one of the things that brings people back,
and holds people together around something,
is a deep connection and understanding
of what something is and why,
and there is no better way to express
your respect for something
than to be faithful to the distinctive spirit,
the integrity, and the characteristics
of something’s continuity.

My Poem “Fourth Dimensionally”

When you are a writer and an author,
you get used to thinking
"Fourth Dimensionally":
having the ability to be able to see
the beginning, the middle,
and the end of a story,
and having the gift to be able
to know all the intricacies
and interconnected threads
that bind the characters
of a story to one another...
when you are a storyteller,
you get used to seeing patterns
and figuring out narratives -
and you get to the reason
why people in your story
do what they do and why they are
the way that they are;
however, any writer will tell you
that sometimes you know
you are the one making things
happen in a story,
and sometimes you feel like you are not -
because sometimes a story
and it's characters take on a life of their own
and drive the narrative of a story
all by themselves...
as a writer, it helps to be
one step ahead of your characters
and purposefully put
certain things in place
to make sure a story stays
on the straight and narrow
and does not deviate from its path -
but sometimes when you are writing a story
something will happen within it
that will surprise you
and beg you to ask yourself:
"where did that come from?"

Being a writer is sometimes
like being a time traveler...
being a writer is sometimes
like being a literary god -
because to the world you are
writing, building, populating,
you are its creator...
being a writer is sometimes
like being given a license
to travel anywhere, anytime,
in any way that you want...
being a writer is sometimes
like being given the opportunity
to be a messenger of truth
and the reason for someone
to feel found and not lost.

Within the pages of a book,
within the images on a screen,
within the words of a song,
or within the notes of a musical theme,
time can be redefined for it audience -
because within literature, within light,
within colour, within art,
people perceive things differently...
within the world of fantasy
there is always an undertone of reality...
within every verse of poetry,
every word is necessary...
within the arc of a story,
reader, viewer, listener,
writer, artist, and musician
all collaborate to make
a world of possibilities what it is -
but sometimes what something
means isn't always front and centre
and as easily discernable
as some might hope it would be -
which is why, sometimes,
when you are enjoying something profound
it helps to not think too literally,
because some things exist
and are meant to be experienced
"fourth dimensionally".