A Charlie Brown Christmas

It's been 3 months since
The frames of my glasses
Snapped. First the left arm
And then the right. They are
Both broken now, and were
Held together by scotch tape;
Makeshift casts on wounds that
Will never heal. Today the casts
Would hold together no more,
And I must remove the old
Rotten bandages and apply
New ones. I peeled back the
Tape: it was a mess. The glue
On the scotch tape had coated
The frames in a sticky layer of
Glue mixed with sweat and skin
Oils. It got on my fingers, and
I couldn't even hold the frames
Together to tape the broken
Joints anew. Now I see what a
Great metaphor these broken
Eyeglass frames are for me: I
Have been broken for quite
Some time already, but I have
Carried on as if nothing had
Happened; I held myself
Together with tape and
Bandages that merely
Covered up the damage.
Now, the bandages are
Undone. As I write these
Words without my eyesight,
I realize finally, that I have
Fallen apart.

The Worst Kind of Love

G!

The worst kind of love turns
Gallant souls into dumb idiots
And heroic hearts into cowards.

The worst kind of love is
Afraid to look you in the eye;
It is apprehensive and suspicious.

The worst kind of love does
Not break down inhibitions, it
Reinforces them instead.

The worst kind of love is
Like a hoarder who wants everything
And does nothing with anything.

The worst kind of love thinks
Treating you differently from everyone
Else justifies its love for you.

The worst kind of love is
Meek and submissive, which
Would have been fine if it isn't
Also lacking in self-esteem.
Meekness shows respect for
Others, and it doesn't mean you
Can't respect yourself all the same.

The worst kind of love always
Mumbles instead of speaking.

It's better to not love at all than to
Succumb to the worst kind of love.

Towards Ruin?

G!

I see it now.
I'm not going
To school to
Learn anymore.
I'm not going
For the facts and
equations.
I'm not going
For the verbs and
Nouns and artsy
Things either - at
Least I shouldn't be.
Nope, I should be
Going to school
For the grades,
The grades, that's
Right! The grades
Are the most important
Thing in life, more so
Than sleep, more so
Than self-preservation, and much
More so than sanity.
Without grades I have
No future, no worth, no
Nothing. Well, I guess
I'm not doing too well
At that, then. I've been
Wondering why I can't
Bring myself to study
Any of my subjects, and
The matter is simple, I was
Still convinced that I go to
School to learn. Oh silly me
How wrong I was! No I did
Not memorize those laws and
Equations, how to do those
Homework questions step-by-step,
I thought that was pointless! Oh no,
I was wrong. It's not enough to just
Write down what's important in neatly-
Packaged bullet-point notes, so even if
I forget I can simply reteach myself
The whole lessons, no! That's the pointless
Thing! What's important is do, do, do! Do more
Of it; more practice; more homework; more and
More and more until I'm a calculator at it, that's
What's important, because that's what gets me
The grades that are my whole life. Who cares if
I don't understand any of it? Knowledge is not an
end in itself, fool, is a means! It is a means
To an end and that end is grades! Grades, fool!
Get it into that stubborn head, grades is the end!
Forget knowledge, forget wisdom, forget learning
How to learn (unless I'm learning how to learn to
Acquire those grades), forget it all if I want a future,
If I want what I don't know whether I even want,
forget it all. All but grades is expendable.
Get it into that head, fool. Get it.

Failing Out of Time

G!

Sometimes I think
My brain is
Not conditioned to
Think it through
Quickly, which is
Why I run out
Of time writing
Tests. "You have
To realize that
It's your fault",
My teachers tell
Me. They say,
I don't know
How to manage
My time when
I'm answering those
Questions; they kindly
Inform me as
One would tell
A little child
How much they
Do not understand
In the world.

The ironic thing
Is I understand
The lessons, I
Just want to
Learn it on
My own terms
(Which I guess
Is the wrong
Way to learn),
That means writing
Slowly and thinking
As though I
Have all my
Life to complete
This paper in
Front of me.

What do tests
Actually measure? Surely
Not our capacity
For knowledge,
They do not
Care about that;
I personally think
Tests simply test
Our ability to
Write tests, which
They assume represents
Our intelligence and
Capacity to hold
Information, though they
Are more likely
Different things altogether.

I forfeited my
Test paper, a
Whole quarter left
Unfinished. I wonder
What the unanswered
Questions are about,
Because surely I
Knew the answers;
Sadly, the question
Is taken away
Before I could
Answer it. What
Saddens me about
This is not
My inadequacy at
Writing tests according
To their standards,
But the void
Of an unanswered
Question, an incomplete
Solution, an essential
Part of a
Whole, missing from
The canvas of
Knowledge and reasoning.

This black, hollow
Void is in
Me now, because
I did not
Fill it when
It presented itself
For its duration
Of 45 minutes.
I did not
Have the time
To fill it.
I have failed
Out of time.
I have failed.

Why I Love Romanticism

G!

Between the Enlightenment
And the birth of modern
Industry, there was a period
Of about fifty years (or longer,
But times are irrelevant) where
Intellectuals felt rather than
Thought, and produced some
Of the best works of literature,
Music and art which I am still
In the process of discovering.
Romanticism, I feel, wasn't
Really concerned with the
Practical messages artists
Of beforehand or since have
Focused so insufferably on;
It was instead a movement
Of sublimity, awe, and the
Appreciation of beauty in
Itself. I care not for the
Meaning of life, so long
As mine is filled with the
Grand aesthetic beauty
That engulfs my vision;
So long as I hear these
Magnificent melodies in
My ears as I close my
Eyes and think: 'Ah, this
Is great!' Not everything
Must have meaning, the
Most attractive things of
This earth are not practical,
Yet wholly necessary.

Self-esteem

G!

I stand upon a rock;
It's a big, hard type of
Rock, maybe a granite,
And on a good day it's
The size of four minivans
Lined up two by two and
Wrapped in a bundle.
The top of the rock is
Flat, with enough room
To lie down, pace about
And jog in little circles on.
The sides of the rock are
Smooth and polished, and
Are impossible to climb.
The only way to get on my
Rock is via a rope ladder
Which I can lower and raise
At will, and this way I control
What gets onto my rock, and
What doesn't. When I stand
Upon my rock I can see for
Miles around, and what I see
Are many rocks just like the
One I stand upon, yet most of
Them are vacant at the top.
Some people might think me
Foolish, for standing atop my
Secluded rock, where there's
Only room for myself, but
I believe as firmly as the
Firmness of my rock that
Where I am is a good place,
And I'd like to stay here.

What do you stand on?

What would Herman say about sall this?

By G!

If Herman Melville were
Alive in our time I'd
Like to venture forth a
Plausible theory that
He'd have written a book
Even more sprawling than
His masterpiece Moby Dick
Which I'm in the process
Of reading. Ours is a time
Devoid of meaning but
Full of implications;
A time that assaults the
Senses but leave nothing
Behind; a time fitting
To gaze into the pro-
Found nothingness and see
Our reflection composed
Of pixels. All that used
To be sacred is now muted
And we are left with a
Feeling of loss attributed
To some source we but
Dimly decipher. Were
Herman alive today he
Would have composed
A lament on this matter
Of such proportion to equal
The volume of ten Moby
Dicks. If he found the
Whiteness of the whale
Terrifying, what terror
Would he make of the
Blackness of the computer
Monitor? What existential
void would he find gazing
Into the flickering television
Screen? How many mad
Quests would he discover
How many indestructible
Foes in place of nature?

31. Master of the Imagination

G!

I have a small
Library of movies
From my childhood
That I had seen I don't
Know how many times,
Because when you're that
Young every movie seems
New no matter how many
Times you watch it. Most
Of those movies back then
Were Pixar or Disney, and
Then there's Spirited Away,
Which I Loved like A Bug's
Life or Toy Story, but never
Understood as much as those
Other movies until I got older;
I didn't catch on to the fact that Haku
Was a dragon until well past the halfway
Mark, I didn't understand why the river spirit
Was covered in sludge, and Chihiro's memory
Of getting saved from the river was lost on me.
Still, the things I didn't understand did little to
Detract from how awesome I felt the movie was.
And now it almost feels painful when I watch
Spirited Away again, because now I understand
It all, and the movie just becomes more and more
Relevant to life. Aside from Spirited Away, I was
Not introduced to the films of Hayao Miyazaki
Until 8th grade, when I saw Howl's Moving Castle
And was blown away by it. Incredible to say, the
8th grade me still did not understand everything
That occurred in the movie (and I had already
Caught the movie fever by then), but oh it was
A magnificent experience! After that, it's another
Year of silence until I happened upon Castle in the
Sky in 10th grade, and I became determined to seek
Out all of Miyazaki's films, I could have kicked my-
Self for missing out on so many amazing movies
For so long. Kiki's Delivery Service, Nausicaa of
The Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke
Quickly followed, as did My Neighbor Totoro and
Porco Rosso, capped off with Ponyo and The Castle
Of Cagliostro. The other films of Miyazaki's Studio
Ghibli I too had meanwhile watched in succession,
Brilliant movies like the lush Whisper of the Heart,
The quirky Pom Poko, and the very, very sad Grave
Of the Fireflies. Watching The Wind Rises last year,
The sadness I felt at the fact that Hayao Miyazaki
Had announced his retirement from filmmaking
Made the experience all the more bittersweet. One
Day, I hope to own a collection of Miyazaki's
Filmography. My favorite director of all time had
Been around all this time; it's ironic how I've only
Gotten to know him in the last 2 years. I find it
Difficult to delve into something I love so much, so
I'll do what a fanboy normally does: You should to
Watch the films of Hayao Miyazaki, and I mean all
Of them (there aren't even that many); every one of
His films is magnificent, inspired, and perfect; there
Is nothing that can be added to them to make them
Better. Beautiful scenery painted of watercolors, epic
Storytelling where everything falls into place, and
Thoroughly dynamic characters that leap off the
Animation into real life are the facts in a Miyazaki
Film. No other filmmaker of the present time had
So well utilized every aspect of the art of film, and
So immersed himself in the filmmaking process,
Than the undisputed master of imagination, my
Favorite director for all times, Hayao Miyazaki.

29. Honorary Mentions

G!

Time to face the facts: I'm running
Out of favorite directors to sing my
Praises for, and to a greater extent
I'm running out of sufficiently original
Praises too. Before I unveil my last and
Personally most revered director of all,
Here's a haphazard salute to some great
Directors I did not cover with this odd-
Numbered cycle of monologues: Robert
Altman, the salad-making rebel fighting
The Hollywood system, whose movies
Of huge ensemble casts, unorthodox
Storytelling and improvised naturalism
Are spectacular sights to behold even
If you do not like his style; Sergio Leone,
Whose spaghetti westerns represent the
Pinnacle of the genre, and also produced
Once Upon A Time In America, which I
Find to be among the saddest and most
Atrociously underrated films ever; Martin
Scorsese, who also made one hell of a sad
Movie, with Raging Bull, and is of course
Best known as the godfather of gangster
Movies (that aside, he had directed an
Excellent adaptation of The Invention of
Hugo Cabret, which does fall into the
Entertainment for all ages category), and
A stellar handler of period styles; Akira
Kurosawa, whose most reputed movies
I had watched all just this summer, and
Show the Japanese master as a pioneer
Of original, wildly influential cinematic
Tales, humanist compassion, and grand
Black-and-white photography; Ang Lee,
Versatile adapter of a rich collection of
Literary works; Michael Mann, the go-to
Director to make stylish urban thrillers;
Brian De Palma, another stylist (and the
Second most prominent user of bloody
Violence after Sam Peckinpah); and
Ingmar Bergman, Sam Mendes, Danny
Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Alan J. Pakula,
David Lean, Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock,
Howard Hawks, Don Siegel, Sidney Lumet,
John Frankenheimer, Franklin J. Schaffner,
Isao Takahata, Steven McQueen, Darren
Aronofsky, Steven Soderbergh, and more
Greats I've yet to be introduced to. Of these
Fabulous directors I sang no long-winded
Praise for because I either had not seen
Enough of their films or they had not
Amassed a sufficiently wide-spanning
Filmography to be deemed consistently
Great. A great director uses the medium
Of film to communicate the language of
Art. Aside from music, film is arguably
The most expressive communication
Form there is; such a medium of
Expression cannot be bound solely
To commercial interests or mass
Appeal, and I think all great
Directors have understood
That, hence their ability to
Produced films of great
Merit, not simply because
They entertain, more
Because of what they tell.

27. The Sentimental Favorite

G!

I am thinking of Steven Spielberg
At 2 am because I had forgotten to
Write a monologue on Wednesday,
And I am trying to remember the
First Spielberg movie I ever saw,
But I can't, though I have a minor
Suspicion that it's Indiana Jones
And the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull. Steven's movies are great
Because they have a lot of heart,
Which isn't what most great film-
Makers are known for; Spielberg
Is the sentimental master, and this
Is seen in everything from E.T. to
Amistad to Saving Private Ryan to
Schindler's List. No matter how grim
Or depressing the subject matter at
Hand, Steven handles it with the kind
Of compassion mostly reserved for
Cut pets. Steven's second forte is
Wholesale entertainment. Jurassic
Park, Jaws, the Indiana Jones flicks,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind,
The genre of action adventure would
Be a lot less entertaining of Steven
Never made movies. His ventures
Into darker territory, such as Empire
Of the Sun, Minority Report, Munich,
To name a few, are equally engrossing,
But still sentimental. It seems almost
Criminal for a Steven Spielberg film
To depict the unpleasant head-on, such
As in War Horse, an execution takes
Place at the foot of a windmill, and
The firing squad shoots just as the
Sails rotate in front of the camera
To obstruct the 2 young deserters
Getting shot. Even when things get
As bloody as they do in Saving Private
Ryan, the story at the core of the movie
Is a noble and good-hearted one. With
The possible exception of Munich, Steven
Has not made a single movie where a
Trace of innocence, or optimism, is not
Preserved. All the better, because while
Great films can make us confront reality,
They too can wrap us in a reality better
Than the one we occupy, which is why
In the arsenal of great directors Steven
Spielberg will always be my
Sentimental favorite.

25. King of Style

G!

If a monologue about eclectic
Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino
Were to contain a reference
To some obscure movie twice
Every sentence, only that would
Do his name any justice. He who
Is the king of homages, pastiches
And bold spins on the works of
Other directors is a fine example
Of film bluff to movie director, and
The living proof that if you've seen
Enough movies, you could probably
Make a few yourself. Quentin's hot
Streak of modern classics started
With Reservoir Dogs, an excellent
Crime caper and nod to Kubrick's
The Killing. His next film is the one
Everyone knows: Pulp Fiction, in
Which John Travolta, Samuel L.
Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce
Willis and ensemble simply ooze
With style. Despite only being
Twenty years old, the movie is
Already an icon. I'd quote one
Of the numerous famous lines
From Pulp right now, but I've
Only seen it once, sadly. I have
Also not seen Quentin's homage
To blaxploitation films: Jackie
Brown (though I did see Django
Unchained, but that one's more
Of a southern western; like with
The Coen Brothers, you're never
Sure what one genre Quentin's
Movies belong to). The two Kill
Bill movies (best seen as one whole
Martial arts epic with intermission)
Again features an over-the-top
Amount of cool, style and pure
Badassery, and affirmed Quentin's
Prowess with high velocity action
Sequences (In Reservoir Dogs and
Pulp Fiction, the violence was more
Restrained to sudden outbursts),
Something he repeated in the way
Of car chases, with Death Proof.
The first of Quentin's movies I've
Seen turned out to be his wacky
WWII thriller, Inglourious Basterds,
Which ends the war in a way only
Someone who really enjoys their
Fiction can end it, Tarantino style.
From unexpected plot twists to
Hilarious use of expletives, with
Gruesome violence and badass
Characters on the side, topped
With indelible dialogue that must
Be heard in all its blazing glory
Within the film for maximum
Enjoyment, a Quentin picture
Is a movie bluff at his glorious,
Finest two hours.

23. A Maker of Thrillers

G!

The beginning of the speedy decline
Of the once great Alien Franchise
Can be attributed to the third film in
The series, the directorial debut of
Now highly acclaimed filmmaker
David Fincher, who can't be blamed
For the film's failure, as his otherwise
Excellent filmography will show. A
Quick glance at the works of this
Exceptional craftsman indicates a
Strong affinity towards the thriller
Genre; first there's the terrifying
Detective thriller Se7en, one of
The scariest movies ever made;
Then came cult favorite Fight Club,
A wickedly smart psychological
Thriller that is arguably the best
Movie ever made on the subject
Of anarchy; distorted reality thriller
The Game and home invasion thriller
Panic Room also came out of this
period. Fincher's canvas expanded
beginning with Zodiac, the true story
Detailing the investigation of the
Zodiac Killer cases, still very much
A mystery thriller. His next effort,
The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button, finds Fincher departing
From the thriller genre for the first
Time, creating a biographical period
Drama with hints of magic realism;
The element of mystery still features
In this strange tale of Brad Pitt aging
Backwards against the backdrop of
The twentieth century. The Social
Network, the most hip movie of the
Year it was released in, substitutes
Thriller conventions for a taut and
Suspenseful drama about deception
Using the creation of Facebook as
The basis of its fictionalized plot. The
American adaptation of The Girl With
The Dragon Tattoo sees Fincher's
Return to his signature thriller genre.
His upcoming feature Gone Girl also
Seems to be another mystery thriller.
His relative consistency in genre aside,
David Fincher is also distinct among
Acclaimed modern directors as a
Subtle master of style. Unlike his
More flashy contemporaries such
As Michael Mann and Ridley Scott,
Or more nuanced ones like Paul
Thomas Anderson, the technical
Polish of David Fincher's films are
Varied yet extremely consistent, from
The decadent city in Se7en to the
Vintage look of Benjamin Button,
From the noir-like atmosphere of
Zodiac to the bleak grimness of Girl
With the Dragon Tattoo. Stylized
Title sequences, precise execution
Of story, intensity of atmosphere
And effective camera angles are
Other commendable features of
A David Fincher film. His works
Touches the equilibrium between
Art and entertainment with greater
Accuracy than even Christopher
Nolan; perhaps no other director
Of the present age has achieved
Such fine balance, such thrilling
Balance.

21. Masterminds in Animation

G!

This monologue will be quite
Different from all the ones
Preceding it; it is not about
One director; it is about five,
Namely John Lasseter, Pete
Doctor, Brad Bird, Andrew
Stanton and Lee Unkirch.
These names might not ring
A bell for you unless you've
Only become introduced to
Their work after you've
Reached the age where
You begin to look at movies
Based on who directed them.
You will however recognize
The name Pixar, the name of
The greatest movie studio in
The history of cinema (aside
From Studio Ghibli), animated
Or otherwise, whose perfect
Track record had only just
Recently been soiled by one
Mediocre movie. Epic in scope,
Meticulous in execution, awe-
Some in creativity, unparalleled
In originality (except against
Studio Ghibli) and almost never
Without heart, Pixar's assembly
Of great films are in need of no
Introduction: the Toy Story Trilogy,
A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Cars,
Finding Nemo, The Incredibles,
Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and
Hopefully more to come. I have
Not seen Brave or Monsters
University, but when it's Pixar,
I can safely expect a good film,
With good production values,
If not a great film (Cars 2 was
A good spy flick, it just wasn't
Exceptional). If anything, the
Work of Pixar has proven the
Animated movie to be right on
Par with its live action counter-
Part. The animated film is wholly
Capable of everything live action
Can deliver, and more. Those
Essence of great filmmaking:
Plot, characters, imagery, and
Music, are never forsaken by
Pixar. We need to realize that
Animated movies are not just
For children; the medium of
Animation does not appeal
Solely to people unburdened
With the responsibilities of
Life; the enjoyment of creativity
Is a privilege every human being
Shares, and rightfully deserves.

19. The Artificial Storyteller

G!

With a style more distinct than
Any other filmmaker, eccentric
Director Wes Anderson has
Made some neat little pictures
In his not yet two-decade old
Career that make the words
'Unique' and 'creative' sound
Like understatements when
Applied to describe his work.
Wes Anderson's style has not
Changed at all since he made
Bottle Rocket, a heist movie
I have not seen. I saw his
second movie: Rushmore,
Which might be seen as a
High school movie from the
Perspective of an autistic
Observer; and after that one,
The Royal Tenenbaums, a
Family drama also from the
Perspective of someone who
Is likely autistic. Anderson's
Characters all possess a blunt,
Deadpan quality that makes
Them quirky, almost likable;
A more introverted, naive, or
Loop-sided Monty Python,
If you will. The Life Aquatic
With Steve Zissou, a sea-
Adventure story, I have not
Seen. Then came two movies
That can arguably represent
The maturation of Anderson's
Style, which I maintain has not
Changed since his first picture:
The Darjeeling Limited, where
Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson
And Jason Schwartzman take
A train trip across India on a
Spiritual bonding journey to
Ditch their emotional baggage,
Which is sort of a continuation
Of The Royal Tenenbaums; and
Fantastic Mr. Fox, which proves
That Wes Anderson's style work
Just as well - if not better - in
Animation as it does live action,
After all, his movies all resemble
Storybooks (a narrator is some-
Thing used often in his films), the
Story is narrated while image,
So much like stills or illustrations,
Display on the movie screen; the
Stills themselves are usually and
Obviously artificial, which adds
To the impression of being a
Picture book. After Fantastic
Mr. Fox came Anderson's best
Film to date: Moonrise Kingdom,
A charming romantic adventure
Story that can be likened to a
More benign version of Malick's
Badlands. Then it is followed by
An epic of Anderson-proportions:
The Grand Budapest Hotel, where
Storybook images and multiple
Narrator-within-narrators work
At their most frantic to tell a
Quirky and surprisingly dark
Fable of a murder mystery, a
Prison break-out, and other
Grand story events best seen
Than told by me. After all,
Wes Anderson is the best
Storyteller (literally) who
Presently happens to work
In the medium of movies;
And a great storyteller is
All you need to enjoy the movies.

17. Failure's Satirist

G!

At first glance, you will
Not realize that the films
Of Alexander Payne are
More or less all about
Ordinary people getting
Failed in life, and getting
It hard. This is because
In an Alexander Payne
Movie we the audience
See the utter failures of
The characters through an
Intimate yet mocking lens;
When depressed alcoholic
Paul Giamatti loses it and
Drinks himself silly while in
California wine country with
Broken-nosed Thomas
Hayden Church, we laugh
At their sorry state of affairs
Because their misery is so
Incredible it makes life
Seem ridiculous, as often
Happens when we're
Depressed; when high
School teacher Matthew
Broderick (with a bee sting
On his eyelid) gets the ax
For sabotaging the school
Election (perhaps for the
Better), we laugh at the
Total disintegration of his
Life up to that point and
The cruel hilarity of his
Predicament; and when
George Clooney rages
At his comatose wife for
Cheating on him (the best
Of such scenes since Marlon
Brando rages at his dead wife
Beside her coffin in Last Tango
In Paris), we feel sorry for him
But laugh at his powerlessness
To settle his case in a meaningful
Confrontation (it's even funnier
Because it's George Clooney
Doing the raging). Sideways,
Election, The Descendants,
And a pair of road movies:
About Schmidt and Nebraska,
Where old Jack Nicolson and
Bruce Dern realize they've failed
Quite majorly their whole lives,
Are all movies about ordinary
People whose lives are in
Disarray, who fail in their
Quest to improve them-
Selves and go on living
Just as they had before.
By all accounts Payne's
Movies should be quite
Miserable experiences,
Yet they are not; at the
Rock bottom of misery
Lies the humor of black
Comedy; the wonderful
Films of Alexander Payne
Showcases failure in the
Most satirical, enjoyable
Light.

15. Botched

G!

The hilarious Uncyclopedia
Article on American filmmakers
The Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan)
Sums up their career as follows:
"The Coen Brothers are a pair of
Brothers from Minnesota that
Make movies about fringe
American cultural stereotypes
And their botched crimes"
Which, believe it or not,
Sums up their filmography
In a way they probably would
Have agreed with. A Coen
Brothers movie holds the
Distinction of being instantly
Recognizable due first
Of all to how their characters
Talk. Whether it's hapless
John Turturro getting a verbal
Barrage from Michael Lerner
In Barton Fink or Frances
McDormand talking Minnesota-
Nice in Fargo, the dialogue in
Their movies are a feast for
The ears; arcane, inventive,
Charming, off-beat, or just
Plain verbose, if "the Dude
Abides" doesn't enrich your
Speech, what will? Then there's
All the botched plots, from the
Off-the-wall wackiness of
Raising Arizona to the in-
Comprehensible brilliance
Of Barton Fink; the pitch-
Black idiocy of Burn After
Reading to the befuddled
Head-scratching of A
Serious Man; the brutally
Funny out-of-control
Kidnapping plot of Fargo
to the straight adaptation
Of True Grit. With a Coen
Brothers movie, you never
What twist will come next
In their ever inventive plots
To keep their characters
Suffering blatant misfortunes
And cursed blessings. The
Genre-blending work of
The Coen Brothers has
One consistency among
Them: every one of their
Films is one part crime
Comedy; what the other
Part is you can only guess.
The same filmmakers who
Created the ultimate laid-
Back flick The Big Lebowski
Also made the bleak air-tight
Thriller No Country For
Old Men, with the fast-and-
Loose Homer adaptation
O Brother Where Art Thou
In the middle. They crafted
The cynical gangster movie
Miller's Crossing, and the
Cynical country music
Drama Inside Llewyn Davis,
Everyone from hitmen to
C.I.A. men to men suffering
A midlife crisis had been
Depicted in the quirky,
Unpredictable genius of the
Coen Brothers. They epitomize
The outlandish original that
Spins stories only they want
To tell that only they can
Come up with; their camera
Goes places most would not
Dream of to go; their style,
It ties the room together.

13. 'A P.T. Anderson Film'

G!

If you want your movies to
Fly in the face of everything
That's supposed to happen
In movies (and if you're not
Thinking about the works of
Charlie Kaufman after that
First sentence), then indelible
'Wunderkind' director Paul
Thomas Anderson is surely
Your cup of hot 80% cocoa
Chocolate with cinnamon
Marshmallows. The heading
'A P.T. Anderson Film' has
Several connotations: in such
A film you will encounter a
Vast array of characters, some
Of whom are prone to sudden
Outbursts of violence, threats
To commit acts of violence
(Especially memorable was
A character played by Tom
Cruise threatening to drop-kick
Some dogs; not just kick them,
But drop-kick them, and that
Makes a big difference between
Sophistication and a mindless
Threat), or just batshit crazy
Tantrums. That is not to say
All his characters are like that,
Some are just clueless and
Benign, some others are
Weary and senile. And all
Of them are easily the most
Interesting and extraordinary
Fictitious humans created on
This side of the Coen Brothers.
And what are intriguing characters
Without an intriguing camera to
Follow them around? Indeed, the
Thoughtfully framed, cerebral
Cinematography of A P.T.
Anderson Film has the kind
Of enticing self-awareness
That reels you in towards the
Delirious images not unlike
How a bug zapper attracts
Flies. The music in A P.T.
Anderson Film are also
Worthy of note, for they
Are of the best kind of
Off-kilter music providing
A pleasantly uncomfortable
Soundtrack to the off-kilter,
Strange and intense images
On screen, opening new
Possibilities for percussion,
A dominant feature in the
Soundtracks. P.T. Anderson
Has thus far six films to his
Name, I have seen five of
Them, and not one is weak:
there is Boogie Nights, an
Epic chronicle of the California
Porn industry during its golden
Age; Magnolia, the greatest
Salad drama since Robert
Altman's Shortcuts; Punch-
Drunk Love, a cute and crazy
Rom-com; There Will Be
Blood, where Daniel Day-
Lewis drinks everyone's
Milkshake (figuratively);
And The Master, which
Is about...well, something
Along the lines of a man's
Dissatisfaction with a New
Age religious movement
Perhaps, I'm guessing here.
A P.T. Anderson Film is a
conglomerate of Stanley
Kubrick, Quentin Tarantino,
Robert Altman and who knows
Who else I haven't caught on to?
His work bears a distinctiveness
And individualism like peppers
And cabbage in cake icing; let
Your tastes be enthralled.

11. An Australian In Any Genre

G!

I admit I have limited
Knowledge of Australian
Cinema, in fact, I have only
Seen at least one film from
A mere two Australian
Directors: Philip Noyce,
And the subject of this
Tribute, Peter Weir.
Weir's filmography
Indicates a director
Capable in any genre;
Like a more mainstream
Stanley Kubrick or
Paul Thomas Anderson;
A master seemingly
Without trademark.
That is no to say his
Films are bland, in fact,
Some of my favorite
Movies owe to his name
In the credits: the beautifully
Baffling horror mystery
Picnic At Hanging Rock;
The authentic and thrilling
Sea adventure Master and
Commander: The Far Side
Of the World; the brilliant and
Original Truman Show, which
Belongs in a category of its
Own; Witness, a detective love
Story unlike any other; Gallipoli,
The most devastating war film
Since All Quiet on the Western
Front; and of course, Carpe
Diem! A sentimental favorite
In the genre of boarding school
Dramas, Dead Poets Society.
On the side, there is the political
Journalism story The Year
Of Living Dangerously, the
Psychological thriller The
Last Wave, the Jeff Bridges
Character study Fearless,
And noteworthy efforts in
The horror genre. Weir's
Reliable tendency to make
Good movies out of good
Stories has produced one
Of the most stellar track
Records in all of cinema.
Weir is among the small
Group of filmmakers who've
Never made a bad movie,
And that's not even owing
To any distinctiveness in his
Style; the man simply has
A great eye for great ideas,
And that's something even
The most acclaimed director
Cannot do without. And
Did I mention that I think
Peter Weir is arguably the
Most grossly underrated
Directors working today?

9. Big Questions

G!

Who has seen the philosopher
And encountered his art?
What could be made of these
Sublime images of nature?
What meaning is there in the
Contemplative, soul-searching
Voice-overs? Why do plot
Lack significance in this one
Man's film, but is indispensable
In the works of other directors?
How is visual beauty the center-
Piece of everything? Where does
The transcendence originate?
Why has no other filmmaker
Attempted to evoke the
Muted romanticism of Badlands,
The haunting yet whimsical
Tragedy of Days of Heaven,
The solemn meditation of
The Thin Red Line, the
Intangible profundity of
The Tree of Life? Who has
Seen the New World; who
Has been To the Wonder?
While you and I toil in
Banality, what new visions
Greater than man's under-
Standing does the elusive
Philosopher dream of to
Show to us next?

7. Devil's Stare

G!

The now iconic opening
Sequence of Christopher
Nolan's The Dark Knight
Depicts a bank robbery
Perpetrated by gunmen
Wearing clown masks; I
Think one reason why the
Scene was so thrilling was
Because of said clown masks
And the originality of their use.
Little did I know that Nolan
Was in fact paying homage -
Whether he knew it or not -
To an old heist flick by
The name of The Killing, in
Which Sterling Hayden robs
A racetrack vault wearing a
Clown mask. And the director
Of that movie: Stanley Kubrick.
Kubrick's is a name that needs
No introduction, because I
Imagine more film books
Have been written of him
Than the number of films
He's made in his diverse,
Illustrious and enigmatic
Career, none of which I
Have cared to read. Kubrick
Is a director who never made
Two movies that are alike yet
Never directed two dissimilar
Films. His early works, the
Aforementioned The Killing,
The scorching, anti-military
Paths of Glory, and the
Hollywood epic Spartacus
Are among the best and
- in the case of the first two
titles - most original films to
Come out of their time. Like
Japanese master Akira
Kurosawa, traces of his
Pictures have been lend to
Numerous movies that came
After, The Dark Knight was
Only one that I've managed
To pick out. Kubrick's late
Black-and-white adaptation
Of Lolita I have yet to see, and
Dr. Strangelove, possibly the
Cleverest war satire ever
Made, I enjoyed very much.
Of his full color pictures I
Have viewed all except the
Lavish period epic Barry
Lyndon, and of those the
One I loved most was -
Oddly - Full Metal Jacket,
Which is worth seeing just
For Lee Ermey's performance
As the merciless Sergeant
Hartman on its own. As
Every Kubrick film is a
Film famous for its distinct
Reason, no introduction
Needs to be given of A
Clockwork Orange, Eyes
Wide Shut, The Shining (a
Horror film that also isn't,
According to conspiracy
Theorists), and 2001: A
Space Odyssey (which I
Saw after reading the book
And was gladly more prepared
For it than the average
Unassuming viewer. Alas
This lackluster tribute to
One of cinema's true originals,
A model to be copied but
Never replicated, must end
Soon, so I can only say that
Stanley Kubrick has created
A body of work so
Vast in artistic depth and
So strong in creative force
They are pictures to not just
Be enjoyed but interpreted
For all times. Interestingly,
Most of his films are
Adaptations, yet these
Films do not adapt by
Their source material;
The source material
Adapts to Kubrick's
Vision, and in that
Vision, you can
See Alex Delarge,
Jack Torrance,
Private Pyle
And other
Iconic
Characters
Holding a
Devil's stare
As if to say:
'Who else
Can do
This?'
None
Other
Than
Kubrick.

5. A Stylish Visionary

One can argue that
Ridley Scott stopped
Making great movies
After Gladiator. I argue
That he in fact made
An even better movie
In 2005: Kingdom of
Heaven, which is sadly
Underrated because few
People have seen the
Superior Director's Cut
As opposed to the shitty
Watered-down version that
Was released in theaters. I
Will find time in the next
3 weeks to watch Kingdom
Of Heaven: Director's Cut,
Along with other fine movies
Of his, namely Matchstick
Men and American Gangster
All in the near future. Although
Ridley Scott's filmography is
Less studded with classics
Than you might think, he has
Successfully dabbled in a
Wide variety of genres to
Brilliant results, cases in
Point: Alien, one of the
Originals of the sci-fi
Horror genre, featuring
What is arguably the most
Terrifying alien ever to
Be depicted in film; Blade
Runner, a dystopian sci-fi
Noir worth watching just
For the stunning visuals
Alone, even if you - like
Me - did not completely
Grasp what its story was
Getting at; Thelma and
Louise, an enjoyable road
Movie and some might
Call a chick flick; Black
Hawk Down, one of the
First movies to succeed
In depiction modern war-
Fare; and Gladiator, which
during one summer I watched
Once per day for a whole
Week, it's easily the greatest
Purely commercial popcorn
Epic ever made. I won't say
more about what I think
Is his masterpiece, Kingdom
Of Heaven, because I've
Ranted about the movie
Too much in other places.
It's true that Scott has
Made many truly mediocre
Pictures, like Body of
Lies, Robin Hood, Hannibal
And Prometheus among
Others which I've avoided
For that reason. Always
A commercial director, his
Less than stellar track
Record can be expected,
But what cannot be refuted
Is that Ridley Scott has
Crafted some of the best
Looking movies ever to
Grace the screen since
The 80's. Large-scale
Sets, sleek editing and
A eye for the epic best
Viewed on a wide screen
Define Scott's vision. Like
Michael Mann, Brian de Palma
And Christopher Nolan, Scott
Is a director artist bound by
Commercial appeal, which
Sometimes and inevitably
Dilutes his artistic vision, yet
otherwise elevates a film
To the equilibrium between
Art and entertainment, which
All popular and everlasting
Movies strive to achieve.

3. Ballad of Bloody Sam

G!

The first film by 'Bloody' Sam
Peckinpah I gained exposure
To was his most famous: The
Wild Bunch, a western so
Ahead of its time, even if you
Watch it today, you'll still
Think it's better than the
Action movies released just
Last week. In a way, Sam's
Tragically short career was
Defined by the way he helped
Revolutionize the depiction of
Violence on the movie screen,
And to go even further he might
As well take most of the credit
For it, because while Bonnie
And Clyde, Dirty Harry and
A Clockwork Orange were
Also watershed films in the
Portrayal of violence, only
Sam was bold enough to
Return to the subject again
And again. That is not to say
He glorified violence - which
Is an easy thing to do; he
Simply pointed out the
Necessity of violence,
Especially for the outcasts in
The cruel, deterministic place
He saw the world as, where
Survival is the greatest
Virtue. Outcasts are what
His characters are made of;
From his most pedestrian
Character study that is Junior
Bonner to his most sordid
Masterpiece that is Bring Me
The Head of Alfredo Garcia,
The movie's hero is always an
Individual who has been
Abandoned by society
Which has moved on without
Them; an individual who is
Fighting a losing battle and
Has no alternative but to
Continue swimming against
The strong current. Before
The maturation of his personal
Style which included freeze-
Frame titles, slow-motion
Action shots, and intense
Editing, Sam turned out two
Somewhat old-fashioned, and
Immensely enjoyable westerns:
Ride the High Country and
Major Dundee, where his
tendencies of on-location
authenticity and masculine-
Centered narratives already
Showed in surplus. Starting
With The Wild Bunch, every
Sam Peckinpah movie
Became a Sam Peckinpah
Movie, instantly recognizable
From the first titles frame, and
Endlessly controversial as
Some people made them out
To be, especially Straw Dogs,
Which I thought had a good
Point to prove about the
Nature of man, despite the
Pervasive sexual violence in
That picture, which made the
Point all the more valid. There's
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, a
Mostly sedate revisionist western
Where plot takes a backseat to
Scenery, tone and atmosphere,
The Getaway, a purely commercial
Product crafted with Sam's
Artistry and still works, Cross of
Iron, the most madly devastating
War movie ever made, and
Three other late-career pictures
Not worth mentioning, as they
Were made after alcohol had
Drowned most of the artist
In the man. Perhaps Sam
had it coming; just the sound
Of his name: 'Peckinpah', evokes
In my imagination the image of
Some redneck Peckerwood,
Prone to violence and sadism
In a beer-stained jersey wielding
A short barrel shotgun and a
Cigar hanging off his mouth...
Or maybe that's just me. Ok, this
Monologue is getting weird, that's
It for the indelible, mad auteur
That is Bloody Sam Peckinpah.

1. The Directing Machine

G!

A 'directing machine', as
One critic once termed this
Filmmaker, Woody Allen is
A director you needn't look
Twice to recognize at half a
Glance. His trademark titles
Against black screen, use of
Jazz in soundtrack, and ever
Talkative characters are
Endlessly consistent in the
Almost annual stream of
Pictures he makes, made even
More marvelous considering
that he is nearly 80. Out of
Allen's 40 something films I've
Seen only 13; I suppose due
To his distinctiveness no Woody
Allen film is ever an awful
Film, but many are mediocre,
And those ones I have not
Seen. Some others I have
Not seen because despite
Their high reputations, they
Are not available from the
Library, and it sucks, because
I know that Zelig, Broadway
Danny Rose, and his early
Flicks are quite respected
Among the critics. Nonetheless
I have seen Annie Hall, Hannah
And Her Sisters, and Manhattan
All at a time when Woody's
Humor and satire sadly eluded
Me. I'd say Sleeper was the
First of his flicks I enjoyed
immensely, and hope someday
He'll make another sci-fi comedy
Because Sleeper was pure
Gold. Then there are the latest
ones: Match Point, Midnight in
Paris, Vicki Christina Barcelona
And Blue Jasmine, witty talkative
Flicks set in the present period
But owe their due to his earlier
Masterpieces, which include
Interiors, Husbands and Wives,
Crimes and Misdemeanors, and
Bullets Over Broadway, enjoyably
Pessimistic and deliciously dark
Fares showcasing the brutal
Failings of human beings in the
Most empathetic light. I had set
Out to write about things I
Enjoyed specifically in his
Flicks but that has come
To naught. Alas, if you the
Reader haven't seen much
Of Woody Allen, try these
Titles, and you may discover
How one neurotic wimp has
Made all the things that
Depress us into something
We can laugh and giggle
About, and that is where
The genius of Woody lies.

Profoundly

by G!

How else to see the
World, but profoundly?
On what can the mind
ponder, but deep thoughts?
Why live this life at
All, but to seek meaning?

What makes all you
People stay on the surface?
Like plastic bottles floating
In the sea, carried by waves?
When you think you are empty
Bottles, you are actually rocks?

Why don't you sink down
With me, and brave the depths?
Why are we expected to do
What is common and banal?
Why are mediocre minds more
Valued than the great masters?

Lastly, why am I thinking
Such elitist thoughts?

Tiredness

By G!

You often tell me you're
Tired, well aren't we all?
Perhaps you'd like to write
A poem about it. Why, you
Might ask, aren't you writing
One? Why this is not a poem
About tiredness, it is merely a
Monologue on the meaning of
The subject, which as I see you
Have little interest in. On the other
Hand aren't we all self-absorbed and
Stuck in our own bubble; fated to face
Our own shortcomings alone and alienate
Others while we flounder in the quicksand
Of disillusion and despair? Maybe such dark
Sayings are only applicable to me, after all, you
Are not stuck in the vortex of absolutes, you even
Said yourself, dignity is not one of your most valued
Virtues; alas the same cannot be said of me. Now onto
The subject: fatigue. I suppose I'm not talking about that
In the physical sense, as common sense will easily dictate
Its meaning, but the state of fatigue that works on the mind,
Breaking down hopes, dissolving motivation, clouding up any
And all sense of purpose. From unsuspecting locations this subtle
Agent rises to take over the mind's workings. Was it the absence of
Purpose that brought about its ascent? Was it an inherent weakness of
Man that caused it to seize control? Was it always there in the first place?
Ah fatal fatigue, it grows strong and wears you down, until the next moment
And it's gone.
Where has it gone?
What will keep it at bay?
Why and when does it strike?
I suspect I know the answer
As well as you do: I don't.
By the way, the shape of
This monologue is that
Of half a lamp, isn't
That cool?

If I Were a Dictator

by G!

If I were a dictator,
I'd force everyone to
Ride bicycles, and run
Subway tracks everywhere
For the lazy citizens.

If I were a dictator,
I'd let the pundits criticize
Me to their content; a
Great leader must always
Transcend dissent.

If I were a dictator,
I'd thumb my nose at
The world economy, my
Country should produce
Only for itself.

If I were a dictator,
I'd build orphanages
For unwanted children to
Go so that abortion wouldn't
Ever be necessary.

If I were a dictator,
I'd give money to the
Artists, until the culture
Of my country is
Revitalized.

If I were a dictator,
I'd castrate all the perverts,
Burn all the terrorists, and
Donate all sociopaths to
Scientific research.

If I were a dictator,
I'd dash the hopes of
All separatist minorities;
Alone, they'd lose the little
Independence they have.

If I were a dictator,
I'd have to seize my country
With tyrants, murder them all,
And be left to govern it with
Humble intellectuals.

If I were a dictator,
I'd eat at home what
I cook for myself; the lavish
Life of pathetic despots
Is not for me.

If I were a dictator,
I'd help my country become
A democracy before I
Retire, I'd hope it wouldn't
End like King Lear.

If I were a dictator,
I'd like to survive a few
Assassination attempts, learn
Martial arts, study music,
Learn another language...

If I were a dictator,
I'd come before God at
The end of my life to
Repent for my sins, and be
Forgiven before I die.

If I were a dictator,
Oh how wonderful
The world shall be.

Am I Ready For Love?

G!

Nowadays love is
Described as 'cute', yet
Is it not also supposed
To be profound and
Meaningful?
Cheers to you who
Thinks love is 'Cute', but
I am not looking for
Cuteness, and that is why
I am not ready for
Love.

A chaste life is no
Longer the pursuit of
Young men, yet that is
What I believe. Love is
More than cute, it is
Transcendental, true,
And final.

Am I ready for the
Final decision? Am I
Ready for commitment? Am
I ready for love? Alas I
Am not, if I swear by
These questions I ponder;
I still stand alone.

I am first and
Foremost enamored
By myself above all
Others. You think you're
Selfish; I am truly selfishness.
I belong to me, not
Us both.

If affection makes you
Happy, I will give you all
That I'm willing, but
Be aware of my limits to
Give, for I am yet a true
Gentleman, I am yet a true
Giver, and I am yet truly
Ready for love.

You have my affections
Only for the present,
Not for the future.

The Truth Above All

One of my favorite
Songs - that still retains
Lyrics - is Dan Hill's
Sometimes When We Touch.
From the first verse it goes:
'I'd rather hurt you
Honestly, than mislead you
With a lie.' How true.
Love songs are pleasant when
They do not apply to
You, and they're damn
Awkward when they do.
Let it be an awkward
Confession then, that
I am no one to judge your
Faults, if it matters to you.
I treat you by my truth,
I only hope you treat me by
Yours in return, and no
Trust is breached.
We are yet too young to
Overcome the pride and
Identity that defines us, and
We need not force change.
Either way, there is the best
To be found in each other
And the best is what my
Truth compels me to seek.
There is nothing to for-
Give, and no transgression
To answer for.
We all believe in a
Difference truth; for me
It's the truth above all.

Untitled

G!

I have once mused that
I, and people everywhere,
We believe in God, because
There is nothing else to
Believe in.
Little did I know of
The truth in that statement
Until I realize now that
I have placed faith in a
Lesser thing.
I have lost all faith
In the education system,
Which I should say comes
As a surprise to nobody, or
Should it?
I am sick of doing
Things I don't want to do,
Listening to people who
Have no real qualification to
Judge me.
So why am I a
Yet a slave to this careless,
Indifferent bureaucracy
To which I am a sequence
Of numbers?
Once a loyal servant,
Now I see the master's
True form, and what do I
Do but feel very, hopelessly
Powerless?
I remain inscribed,
Indentured by a system
That retains me and
Cares not about my
Well-being.
I have lost all faith
In homework and
Assignments, and these
Meaningless digits they
Call grades.
I once believed I
Could leave this trap with
All I could take; instead,
It has taken everything
From me.

Untitled

G!

Why do I stare?

Sometimes I
Ask that question myself.

Perhaps I am
Transfixed by something incredible
And no words are
Necessary or sufficient to
Detail what I see.

Perhaps I am
Bored and does it on purpose
To make other people
Uncomfortable under
My glassy gaze.

Perhaps I am
Trying to communicate with your
Mind telepathically.

Perhaps I am
Disillusioned and haven't a care
To look away.

Perhaps no reason.

Perhaps I see
In your eyes what I find
Nowhere else, after
All, you do have
Beautiful eyes.

Whatever my reason, know
This: I stare to see, not to
Look; to observe, not to
demand.

I may be terrible at
Breaking silences, but in those
Silences, I simply sit
Back and stare.

Tell Me What It's Like...

by G!

Tell me what it's like to be in love;
I'll tell you what it's like get a taste of love
And then have the feeling dissolve away.

Tell me what it's like to love another;
I'll tell you what it's like to love yourself.

Tell me how far you want to go;
I'll tell you about the oath of celibacy I swore
To a God you don't believe in.

Tell me what's it like to experience change;
I'll tell you what it's like to be resistant to change.

Tell me about how you love someone;
I'll tell you about how I love something.
(The thing I'm talking about is music.)

Tell me what it's like to want more;
I'll tell you what it's like to have enough.

Tell me how you miss someone when they're absent;
I'll tell you how I, for the most part,
Just thinks about something else instead.

Tell me what it's like to feel;
I'll tell you what it's like to want to feel.

Tell me I'm cold, passionless, insensitive.
Because for the most part, I still am.

Longing For You

by G!

If what has been said is true
That the world takes away from us
The things we love most
The longer we are in it,
Then perhaps my perpetual
Longing for you is not so unusual
After all.

I wish to profess my love
For you, or I believe I should.
I believe we are destined for
Each other, or it's just the nice thought
Of an inner romantic whose
Heart is shy and recluse and maybe
Even cold.

Why do I deny the words I want
To say to you? Why am I merely
Aware of your presence? Why
Do I merely acknowledge it, yet
Hold myself back from you. Why
Would I rather long for you than be
With you?

This longing I feel manifests itself
In awesome feelings of euphoria
And exuberance, and suddenly I
Feel, that beauty admired is not
Enough, and I must embrace it,
Hold it, possess it. Of course, that's
Wishful thinking.

The world is made more beautiful
By your existence; it is comfort
To know that there is light in
Life, and the darkness has not
Overcome it. I have no excuse, but
That the world keeps you
From me.

I do not care for the physical
Touch of love. That is but a passing
Fancy which reaches climax in an
Instant, and is felt no more, and
Though pleasurable, it is not substantial
To the bloated individual who seeks the
'Higher' you.

I procrastinate, and stall, and do
Everything I can to make you
Insignificant. Perhaps it is my
Tragic flaw. Perhaps the world has
Corrupted me, and I no longer
Want you; I just want to long
For you.

I look to any places for
What I love most,
In the end though, I'll
Only find what I need (and want)
In you.

I've realized that,
And with realization,
I hope actualization is
Soon to follow.

Her Smile

When she smiles, the smooth features of
Her face radiates a kindness I
Want to let into my cold heart,
A sweetness that penetrates
The misery of my mind like
A brilliant firework in the night.

When her back is turned, I fix my
Eyes on her long dark hair, and feel
Myself getting smaller, as her
Hair fills my periphery, and
Engulfs me in a soft bed
And I whisper, "Spectacular".

On lonely days there is solace
Found in hearing her voice in my
Ears, like the second movement of
Emperor, or the Tallis Fantasie,
a voice of music, one that
Reminds me of joy and beauty.

Her eyes fascinate, transfix
Me in the same way sheet music,
Maps and trains do, profoundly
And completely, and leads me to
Forget I am staring, which is
Impolite unless she notice.

The moment of bliss passes me by,
I smile on the inside and breathe
In the shallow, mundane air,
And behold my secret treasure:
Beauty which draws no attention
To itself, it is the most beautiful
Of all.