The Judge : A Personal Synopsis.

         

          I watched The Judge earlier this evening, and before the closing credits began rolling I had already given the picture two thumbs up. As you would expect, Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr. each step up to deliver  performances worthy of an Oscar.
          Its a good story that portrays interpersonal relationships not only taxed and strained within a family dynamic, but also compounded by a terrible accident and symptoms resulting from chemo therapy.
     As the story unfolds a father/son relationship develops and by the end of the movie healing is needed. I am not here to share spoilers, but suffice it to say, I was moved. Then I thought of my own dad and wiped a tear.
     My father passed away two and a half years ago. During the mourning process I wrote a few lines.

                                                        THE LUMP

 

 

I stood at your grave with a lump in my throat
hurting too much to cry. And couldn't believe
you were gone, but seven men fired twenty-
one salutes and someone played taps.

I returned a few weeks later to find new grass
breaking through the crust of an old earth.
From the blackened soil of a still fresh grave
life sprang forth as you reached up to me.

I longed for the warmth of your embrace,
but the lump remained. I’ve learned, it’s a living
thing growing like a tumor with a pulse,
beating rhythm with my own broken heart.

I miss you Dad