On the Wings of Hope: Prose (Recognized)

And on the screen

A blow – and the opponent has bent. Running jump – and a kick in a stomach. The opponent falls down. A rattle from a throat. Blow. Blow. Blow.

He was finishing him off – beating the lying one. The rival – the enemy! – has no more forces to resist, even to rise up – and to strike back. He would surely strike back – if he had risen, of course. And that's why he should not be given that chance, he must be – finished off. He has been pursuing this bastard for so long... through half of a country... and has finally caught up. The destroyed family, his family... this wound was still bleeding. But it will be cured... when he will see his mortal enemy, begging of mercy on his knees – which he won't get. Ever.

This final triumph was so close already. Now that berk is already hardly creeping away from him, leaving a viscous trail of blood. A little bit of time – and there will be a triumph... his long-awaited triumph! This, surely, will not bring his family back – but nevertheless, this swine will get what he has deserved! His family has already faced the consequences – and only he still remained...

Another blow – and the enemy has stopped moving on the ground. Moved no more. Absolutely. Finally. Meet your death, bitch!

Final strike... He took a pistol from his hip-pocket. A gunpoint, set on a bent and lying still a man, a spiteful smile in eyes of the killer... Click.

Button click. A TV remote, thrown aside. No more! No more! No more!

Foolish action films! Murders, blood and revenge, animalistic rage and terrific hatred... On almost all of the channels. When they will finally stop broadcasting these slops? Only a handful of channels, speaking about culture, creativity, worthy human undertakings and achievements still live on – but are people accustomed to watching this? They are being fed with crap and assured that it's a food of gods, the way it should be, a significant cultural achievement of all developed countries. And some even believe that...

It's necessary to change this system! Mass-media need to seriously think on what they give to the people and of what they deprive. People need to think of what they would really like to see.

He will not stand aside. Tomorrow he will bring up this question at deputy meeting. Tomorrow he and his like-minded will tell their word against violence, against cruelty – even those exclusively cinematized. But will they be heard? Will they be listened to by millions of viewers, by each one of them? He hoped greatly that they will be. For so much depends on that – on choices of everyone – and this choice as well.

Sat down to watch TV for the first time in a month... And – take it, eat it, bless you. Fie! I'll better play and have fun with my child this day off. Yes, it's a right choice and a valuable contribution, and not some consumption of slops.

"Alex, let's go and play 'horses and rider's!"

"Wow, father! The new game, yes? Fantastic! Tell me, tell me about it quickly!"

"Yes, we'll now play with you in 'horses and riders', and then have a jog to the stadium and back. All right?"

"Certainly, pa! That will be great!"

"Fine. So, well, listen here. Game rules are really simple..."

26.12.2004