"Over There"

John Cleese says the creative individual, or at least the individual who wants to do something creative, or the individual who wants to create something, needs to be in “open mode.” By that, Cleese means open to possibility. Open to an alternate approach. Open to a better idea, a funnier joke, or a more riveting piece of writing. I am reading Tom Robbins’s collection of autobiographical essays (he insists it is neither an autobiography nor a memoir), Tibetan Peach Pie. Robbins is someone who seems to have lived, and is presumably still living, his life in open mode. I’m working on it. I may spend more time closed than open but I have, however, paid attention to my dreams for many years, and occasionally one of them provides the inspiration for a decent set of song lyrics. You may judge whether or not this is one such set.

Over There

© 1984 Brian Hutzell

They stand looking at a painting

Lines twisted into intricate designs

Entitled "The War"

Neither of them had seen it before

But it seemed familiar and disturbing

"I'm in there," she said

He looked but saw only black and white patterns

Then as he looked

The lower right-hand corner turned green

And the figure of a hooded peasant girl appeared

Her robes touched the ground

Her face was hidden

The figure walked slowly away from him

Down a dusty road

He wanted to follow her but he couldn't

She disappeared and he was left alone

“RZZZZZ!”

Brian Hutzell