Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mirrors

Mirrors

I'm not made of stone
just flesh, blood and bone
My eyes are broken mirrors
that see shattered images of myself
and feet sore and calloused
with abuse and too many miles travelled
The pain in my heart has no rival
"Hold on tightly and let go lightly"
I've never been able to learn that lesson

I watched Croupier today starring Clive Owen. I had never heard of it but it was on tv and I was tired of reading. The line in quotes is from the movie... or at least what I remember the line being. I tried to write today with the sentiments from the movie although not really. I started reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison today. So far it's a good read. I wonder if I'll ever write my book. Maybe I'll be a one book author just like the protagonist in Croupier. Peace out.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Secret

Secret

Don't go digging
because I never speak of her
You might not even know her
I never disclose her name
I love her too much
I keep her close to my heart
I keep her secret

Weird right? I read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde today. Heavy book filled with so much philosophy. So many ideas came to me (and of course, I've forgotten most of them already) but I remembered this one. Sometimes the things we love, we keep secret. I've always thought that I would be shouting things from the roof tops but when I read about that, I was like, "huh, I guess I don't follow my own theory on this one". I never speak of her. Revealing her identity would be revealing too much of myself. Of course "never" never means never. There are exceptions and those in the know. Anyways, off to read another book. Peace out.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Vision

Vision

I am too old and have lost my vision
with age came wisdom
and an unquenchable thirst for silver
secret islands and hidden shipwrecks

Read Nostromo by Joseph Conrad. It was 550+ pages of misery for me to get through. I don't understand why it was given so much praise. I'm feeling really uninspired. Thanks Conrad. Peace out.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Hold 'Em

Hold 'Em

She put me all in
but it was all just a bluff
I called
she walks away having been caught
and I sit alone at the table

I'm trying to read a book today so I can return it tomorrow so I wrote today in haste. I've been wanting to write poem with a poker theme for a long time now. Maybe I will again when I have "more" time. BTW, I'm trying to read Nostromo. Peace out.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Untitled

Untitled

Wake me up from a dream that pretends to be memories
of imagined events that trick my mind into
believing a history that never occurred
The new song - just a variation on our too familiar melody
with two voices intertwined like the helix of the dna molecule
spiraling downwards to a new place
in time and space
coming and going and ever returning
like the needle on old vinyl records
tracing our destinies mapped by engineers long gone

Weird. I'm kinda distracted at the moment because I just found out that some thing that I was signed up on online had a security breach and thus I just went in and changed all my passwords because I started feeling paranoid. I wish there was an easier way to authenticate oneself instead of these stupid passwords that are easily forgotten and easy to compromise.

Anyway, today's piece is based on a lecture I was listening to about a study that showed that by viewing photoshopped images, a person's attitude to a certain event in history can be altered. By seeing the new image, the person creates new feelings about the event and changes whether or not they would participate in a similar event in the future. I didn't explain that well but whatever. I thought I'd correlate that idea and use it to explain why after a night of vivid dreams, you actually feel different when you wake up... because the vivid images (although not real) can affect your attitudes and emotions towards certain subjects. *sigh... that sucked. Well, the good thing about writing more is that I have a chance to write something better tomorrow. Peace out.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Return

The Return

It's the uneasiness in my stomach
a churning that upsets me
that calls me to write again
Thoughts pent up inside me
needing to find release
the beast is getting ready
for the return

I've missed writing. I've missed writing consistently/daily. I know that you would probably expect a better piece than today's after all this time but I think my brain is overloaded at the moment with ideas that just want to come out. I think I'll start writing again. I love it too much I think. If only it could love me back. Peace out.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

The Desert

The Desert

I remain in the metaphorical desert
surrounded by physical sand dunes
My canteen has been empty since morning
with mouth dry from speaking to my only companions - mirages
the illusions of comfort
the illusions of home and a feeling of safety
I've lost faith that if I allow my eyes to close
that they will ever open again.

This morning's sermon was about King David and his low times. I must say that I started composing this then and finished it off just now. I think I've fixed my computer crashing issues. I'm gonna go and see if I can make it crash again... cause this is not the first time that I thought I resolved the issue unfortunately. Peace out.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Anonymity

Anonymity

Hustle and bustle
with parking lot freeways
and touch tone interactions
with machines on the phone
pregnant women standing on subways
while the youth are absorbed in their headphones
In the age of anonymity
we mourn the death of civility

I watched a documentary today about the death of civility. It's really sad. I like to think that I'm a pretty good guy. I open doors and hold them if need be. I say my thank yous and try to give people a hand when I can. I dunno. On the other hand, I also heard a lecture last week about how North America is obsessed with saying "thank you" and how it's not really a common thing in other countries because by saying "thank you", it's an indication that the two of you are not friends... so when you say "thank you" in Spain, it's like saying "thank you for holding the door for me even though we aren't friends". I dunno... I still think it's sad. Peace out.

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Creative Class

The Creative Class

I enrolled you in the creative class
there are three requirements to pass
forget the facts and don't worry about the equations
draw a picture of anticipation
do a dance showing two souls waiting
write a song about one heart breaking
And when you graduate you receive a degree
you'll be able to relate to people
and you'll learn to love the trees

I know that I haven't written in over a week. I've had a lot of ideas churning but I never got around to writing. One of my goals this year was to journal more but I haven't. I feel like if I have time to write then I should have time to journal so my guilt for not doing the one prevents me from doing the other.

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of lectures/talks. One lecture was about how with the onset of the information age, the "working class" is slowly shrinking and a new class, the "creative class" is taking over. The creative class is made of people who aren't exactly blue collar workers and they're not the typical doctors/lawyers of the white collar class. I found it very interesting. Another talk that I was listening to was talking about how children are naturally creative and that education makes them unlearn it. I found that hauntingly true. When I take time to think about it, the arts are really so related and it seems that an artist is an artist no matter what media they decide to use. I'm often surprised that people who are good singers can draw too... or how dancers are closet painters. I hope that I'll be able to continue to unlearn my uncreativeness. Peace out.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Time

Time

Time - defined as the vibrations of the caesium-133 atom
For me, I take it a day at a time
sitting contemplatively and spinning my rhymes
making up words and thinking up grand designs
On your part, you only give me enough time
to share in your broken heart

before you start a new relationship
like the pause between the intake of another breath
And once again, my hopes meet their death
Wisdom says that time will heal
Time for me just makes it more real

Today's piece came from a strange inspiration I think. Yesterday, I was listening to a lecture about how physicists went about creating atomic clocks. It was a very interesting talk. I must say I listened to it twice because I enjoyed it so much. Besides that, the other themes in the piece are some things that I've been wanting to write about for a while now... but I won't get into it. I don't want future Joe to have to deal with present Joe's desire to vent frustrations. Peace out.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Spine

Spine

My hand feels drawn to the small of your back

as if all the chaotic forces of the universe
are at rest when my fingers meet your skin
I trace the bumps of your spine
in this time beyond time

and I'm reminded of our journey together
never smooth
with hills and valleys
interfered with by the ebb and flow of life

Lolz. I didn't think I was gonna end it like that. I think I need some balance of emotion in my pieces. I was really tempted in having the last line be something like "that you'd return... just to cut me with a knife". (edited the poem... now that bit doesn't make sense.) Hahaha... balance though I think. This piece is semi-happy... but when I read it, I read it kinda as a black happy or whatever the proper term is. Maybe. Peace out.

Monday, January 5, 2009

The Falcon

The Falcon

Black and sleek
made of the unknown
coveted by four
lied and killed for...
a fake
it was all for naught

Read The Maltese Falcon today. It was my first time reading it but I can't help but feel that I'm familiar with the storyline and the archetypes. For some reason I think I remember the Muppet Babies doing their own spin on the story...

Today was the gold match in the world junior hockey tournament. It was a big deal to have Canada win 5 straight... it's hard to imagine the pressure on all those kids 17, 18 and 19 years old. I'm proud of those guys and envy them. Few in their lifetimes get to be a part of something great. Maybe being a part of something great is the same as striving to be a part of something beautiful. Peace out.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

5 Ws and a Bonus

5 Ws and a Bonus

What is it that
makes me do what I do?
Why do I torture myself
with pictures of you?
Who is that guy
residing in my shoes?
When you get married
I will be your something blue
Where can I move
to start my life new?
How will I ever
get over a girl like you?

I had an interesting day today. The Food Network was airing a Kitchen Nightmares marathon. I've really been absorbed in the food network lately with all their marathons. I watched the first season of Top Chef and half a season of Hell's Kitchen. I couldn't catch all the episodes cause I had to go out. :( I have such a weakness... I choke up when I see people choke up. I'm glad I'm watching it in private.

Today, Space was showing all these movies about the end of the world (Descent, Core, Day After Tomorrow, Solar Attack, Path to Destruction) but I decided to watch Secretary on a different channel because I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Davies (from Lost) and I really fell for Maggie Gyllenhaal when I saw her in Stranger than Fiction. Secretary was a weird movie... but I kinda used it as inspiration for today's piece. Of course, I also pulled some stuff from my life too. Oh well... day 1 of 2009 and I'm still writing... if you can call it that. Peace out.