THE CURE

IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE

WE SOMETIMES LOOK FOR A CURE

A MASK, A BAND AID, A SORT OF CLOUD FOR US TO DISAPPEAR BEHIND 

UNTIL WE'RE READY TO DEAL WITH THE SUN - OR THE MOON WHICHEVER IT MAY BE.

A CHANGE OF LOCATION CAN BE SUCH A CHANGE THAT CAUSES THIS HUNT FOR A CURE

BE IT THE CHANGE OF A WORKPLACE, A BEDROOM, A HOUSE, A HOME, A CHANGE OF POSTCODE, CITY, STATE, COUNTRY

OR EVEN THE MERE MOVEMENT FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THIS PHYSICAL CHANGE BRINGS ABOUT MANY PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES, 

AND IT IS WHEN WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THE CHANGE THAT IS OCCURRING 

THAT WE WE START SEARCHING FOR A CURE

A DISTRACTION, A 'SOMETHING ELSE' TO FOCUS ON.

AS I BEGIN TO MOVE MY BELONGINGS INTO A NEW HOME.

I'M SURROUNDED BY BOXES CONTAINING MY BOOKS, SITTING NEXT TO BOXES FILLED WITH RECORDS, AND DARE I SAY IT CD'S.

THEY'VE BEEN LIFTED OFF THEIR SHELVES, AND ARE NOW SITTING IN THE DARK, 

STACKED NEXT TO BOOKS THEY'VE NEVER KNOWN SHARED THE SAME SHELF AS THEM

OR RECORDS THAT SAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM, THAT THEY ONLY KNOW BY SOUND

AND STRANGELY IT MAKES ME SAD, AS IF I'VE LOCKED THEM AWAY (TEMPORARILY OF COURSE)

SAD THAT DESPITE THEM SITTING IN VIEW EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS I'VE LIVED IN MY HOME, 

THERE ARE SOME BOOKS THAT WERE PUT ON THE SHELF, 

AND HAVE NOW BEEN TAKEN OFF THE SHELF. 

READ A LONG LONG TIME AGO, THEY SIT AND THEY WAIT TO BE PULLED OPEN AGAIN, 

HOPING FOR THEIR PAGES TO BE RUSTLED

FOR THEIR VINYL SURFACE TO BECOME INTOXICATINGLY DIZZY FROM SPINNING ON THE RECORD PLAYER.

I DIDN'T AS I NOW SEE IT, REALISE I HAD AN ENTIRE APOTHECARY SITTING THERE

SHOULD YOU BE WEARY IN THE BRAIN OR BODY. 

DESIRE A POSITIVE CURE FOR YOUR PESSIMISM, 

OR REQUIRE A STROKE FROM CHERYL STRAYED OR HERBIE HANCOCK TO RE-BOOT YOUR BROKEN HEART. 

YOU HAVE ALL YOU NEED TO CURE ANY AILMENT 

BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BACK COVER OF A BOOK OR BETWEEN THE START AND END NOTE OF A SONG.

YOU MIGHT FIND IT ON PAGE 42, OR IN THE SILENCE BETWEEN THE LAST NOTE AND THE NEXT AT 3:58. 

BUT BETWEEN MUSIC AND THE TYPE PRINTED OR WRITTEN ON A PAGE. 

YOU HAVE EVERY CURE YOU'LL EVER NEED.

WHEN PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE RIGHT MOMENT, A BOOK, OR SONG CAN ACTUALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE, 

CURE YOU OF WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS AN AILMENT AND INSTEAD INSTIL IN YOU A NEW FOUND EXCITEMENT. 

THIS CURE DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN EMOTIONAL PAIN AND PHYSICAL PAIN; 

YOU'RE JUST AS LIKELY TO FIND A CURE WITHIN A SONG OR A BOOK FOR A BROKEN HEART AS A BROKEN LEG. 

BE IT FROM COMMON PREDICAMENTS YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF IN, SUCH AS THE ABOVE MENTIONED, MOVING HOUSE 

TO LOOKING FOR MR/MRS RIGHT. 

LIFE'S BIGGER CHALLENGES OF LOSING A LOVED ONE, 

TO THE SEEMINGLY SMALLER AILMENTS OF HICCUPS OR A HANGOVER OR EVEN 

A GOOD JOKE TOLD BADLY THAT BECOMES A SENSE OF HUMOUR FAILURE.

I CONSIDER THEM RESTORATIVE READS, OR BRILLIANT BEATS, THAT CURE ALL. 

SOMETIME'S IT'S THE STORY OR LYRICS THAT CHARM; 

SOMETIMES IT'S THE RHYTHM OF THE BEAT OR PROSE THAT WORKS ON THE PSYCHE, STILLING OR STIMULATING. 

SOMETIMES IT'S AN IDEA, OR AN ATTITUDE. 

EITHER WAY, BOOKS AND MUSIC HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSPORT YOU INTO ANOTHER EXISTENCE, 

AND ALLOW YOU TO SEE THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.

YOU MAY THINK YOU'RE SITTING ON THE SOFA IN YOUR LIVING ROOM, 

BUT THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF YOU, 

YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR SENSES, YOUR SPIRIT ARE SOMEWHERE ELSE ENTIRELY. 

NO ONE COMES BACK FROM SUCH A JOURNEY QUITE THE SAME.  

SOME TREATMENTS WILL LEAD TO A COMPLETE CURE. 

OTHERS WILL SIMPLY OFFER SOLACE, SHOWING YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

ALL WILL OFFER THE TEMPORARY RELIEF OF YOUR SYMPTOMS 

DUE TO THE POWER OF MUSIC AND LANGUAGE TO DISTRACT AND TRANSPORT. 

AS WITH ALL MEDICINES, THE FULL COURSE OF TREATMENT SHOULD ALWAYS BE TAKEN FOR BEST RESULTS. YOU WILL BE HEALTHIER, HAPPIER AND WISER FOR IT.

SO NOW THE QUESTION BEGS: WHAT RECORD TO LISTEN TO WHILE MY BOOKS ARE ALL PACKED AWAY. WHAT TUNE WILL CURE?

xx