Some Words Choose Themselves....(Sub-Clear-Un-Conscious Musings, Part II)

What Up World!!! It's me again, ready to share some more "poetry" of mine. Stumbling across these gems in some of my old notebooks was a trip! I had a good time typing them up & making small adjustments. They exhibit my romanticism (despite what my friends may say I am, at heart, a hopeless romantic), my constant battles with the ideals of permanence, & my perspectives on being Black in America.....hope you dig.

En - AMOR - ed

I wish my words could stir your soul.

Act as a longing gaze you would dare not break.

An intensely inviting, yet inquisitive stare.

I wish my words could be a soft caress when I'm not there.

Or a symphony of sweet nothings whispering gently in your ear.

Inspiring smiles that start each new day in song,

& mark every evening with a lullaby that soothes you to sleep.

For I watch you lie in beauty softly, & think that this all must be a dream.

I listen to the rain, beat gently against the window pane,

& faintly hear Coltrane's "A Love Supreme"

Holding you, I wish I could join you, in sweet surrender for a while.

I close my eyes & pull you closer to me,

& to calm my restless state I simply picture your smile.

Oh, captivating beauty, how you intrigue me so.

All that makes the mystery of creation so beautiful.

Inspiration lies in the contours of your body.

Fascination lives inside your eyes.

Nurturing lover...sister, daughter, mother...you are the essence of life.

Sultry seductress of my soul, I am but a slave to your will.

A simple touch...a single smile...are all evidence that God is real.

To Make A Memory

Moments always fade so quickly,

like the words we forget to say.

Fleeting with the feelings we tend to take for granted,

when foolish pride gets in the way.

Drinking in each moment isn't always easy.

At times it seems you're more likely to drown.

For in a lucid life, sober is safe...but no idea is sound.

We all know that time waits for no one,

& things often never go as planned.

But if you brunt the risk to reach out for someone,

be sure to hold on as tight as you can.

A Black Militant Message To An Endangered Species

We once said...fists up, eyes open, power 2 the people.

We fighting for freedom elsewhere when our rights aren't equal?

I saw the (sur)reality of Katrina & I ain't waiting for the sequel.

Politics are a circus, just look at how they treat you.

Politicians are all the same & their gimmicks are see-thru.

Lobbyists are now their base, so they act like they don't need you.

Strange that ignorance is bliss, but power lies in knowledge.

Ever wonder why there's more black men in prison than in college?

Former felons can't vote or hold public office.

How about we take a closer look at the projects?

View it as a project in institutionalized slavery,

a psychological study in what behavior will be,

when living in poverty with more probablys than possiblys,

a skewed media image, & stereotypes infinite.

Second class citizen, it's their world that you're living in.

Broke, but got to make the rent?

What a sad predicament.

Caught in a trap, they set knowing that crime pays.

When you're expected to survive on $5.25...

until they get you in the system working for 35 cents a day.

Now that sounds like slave wages.

Just turn back the pages.

Peep all the stages,

of how they have made us,

niggers & killers...

prostitutes & pimps.

Conquered by the divide into Bloods & Crips.

(Ain't that some shit?!?!?)

Moving On

What up world?!?!?!?

-It's been far too long since my last post. I've missed you, but to be completely honest, the break was rather nice. I feel as though not sharing everything via written (or typed) word, I was able to save a little bit for new musical compositions, & boy, are there some new compositions in the works. It's wild how things work out within the arts. Lately, I've added music instructor to the many hats I wear, & the process of teaching others has opened up new creative avenues in my own process. Perhaps it's growth from sharing my knowledge with another, or simply inspiration from the excitement & appreciation that my young students exhibit with each lesson. All I can say is that it's been highly enjoyable & has immensely influenced my outlook on life as of late.

These are the moments I love to relish in. When I can't objectively notice, but yet in still feel creative strides being made. Completing the Boss Level EP has been a trip & a half. Lord knows it's been a long journey, but with that chapter coming to a close, new opportunities presenting themselves, and how the band has been flourishing @ our live shows & in rehearsals, I'm excited for what's next.....whatever that may be.

It's been 5 years here in Dallas. I've seen many friends move on and out to new cities, new jobs, new relationships. It's wild when you take a step back and attempt to take it all in. I know there are many there in the world to like to quantify their life within certain spans of time. "Where do I see myself in 10 years?" Questions like these are prevalent within surveys, personality quizzes, and many people's minds. I feel like I've always been one of those souls that is far more concerned with where am I now than the hypothetical musings of my imagination. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for goal set mindsets, but none of us can predict who or what will come into our lives and shake things up, even the ideal future that our hearts desire & our minds dream of. I hustle hard, but it's never for a material or tangible purpose. I do it for the love, & though that may seem so cliché.....it's true.

I still remain focused. I desire to be a better musician, artist, writer, & human being. I hunger for more knowledge. I long to connect.....to inspire & be inspired. It's these things that motivate me far more than money.....far more than fame. I'm just thrilled that things are falling into place, that I'm fully open to more growth.....and all that comes with it.

Each & every one of us have dreams.....let's make 'em realities!!!

(I promise I'll keep in touch more often.....salud!)

Some Words Choose Themselves....(Sub-Clear-Un-Conscious Musings, Part I)

{...from the Catholic Encyclopdia}

-Consciousness:(Latin conscientia; Ger. Bewusstsein) cannot, strictly speaking, be defined. In its widest sense it includes all our sensations, thoughts, feelings, and volitions--in fact the sum total of our mental life.

{...from Mirriam-Webster's Dictionary}

-Conscious: Perceiving, apprehending, or noticing with a degree of controlled thought or observation - sharing another's knowledge or awareness of an inward state or outward fact.

What follows are a few words that came from within my own consciousness about my perception about everything from the cliche (love) to current events (the artistic merit of popular music culture). Many of these works stem from failed attempts to write lyrics for songs that were works in progress & somewhere along the line my focus shifted. I'm a big proponent of "if it don't fit, don't force it," so sometimes I write just to be writing, all the while hoping that the release would generate something greater or give light to something else around the corner, in my mind, that I was waiting to discover. I guess it's what many would many consider poetry, but I just think of them as expressive thoughts that I held in what feels like a long time ago. I hope you dig.

MUSE: First Movement

As I journey through this land of thieves & cutthroats,

I summoned the "Queen of Hearts Within All Art(ist)s" for help...& hope.

It was rhymes that she wrote.

Not Murder.

Because in a world so wide, why not try to free one's mind in order fly further.

For shouldn't we all know by now why the caged bird sings?

You can pick to kick tragic tales of street dreams gone awry. When hopes that sky skyscrapers...all in the name of love of for that paper, tempt you to taste the sweet sins that sugar the American Pie.

But not I.

I'm far too busy trying to build wings out of words.

MUSE: Second Movement

I intensely search my mind, so I can find...just the right words to construct my lines.

To speak of powers greater than what you feel with a 9' or 32's, for true fools think that guns save you.

Or that tecs bless protect...in any context...& can grant you the respect that you seek.

That's why I attempt to infect & affect the minds of the blind that treat statements suspect as sustenance for the mental.

Can't you see that the situation is critical?

My essence is independent, but you label me a liberal.

Since my beliefs, individual, lean to the left...perhaps I'm just not quite right.

But aren't we all...not...quite...right???

Perfect imperfections that say that "it is" because we say so.

Yeah, I'm left. Left handed. A left-handed thinker, so I guess that makes me right brained.

Or is it left?

Looks like I'm not quite right.....again.

Though I scour my mind for lyrics.

The essentially absurd adjectives & adverbs speak spoken word.

Do not fear it.

For it is the fear, the pain, & the struggle...to understand...to grow...to simply be, that manifested itself in words, compelling me to express.

Febuary 14th

I refuse to settle.

Though I may wear my heart on my sleeve, it shouldn't be difficult to believe.

Cause this is me.

And when love, actually, isn't anything that it used to be...I feel like I've gone crazy.

To have faith that butterflies may signify all that can only be revealed in each other's eyes, for these windows to the soul hold no prejudice for whom they leave exposed. So, I plead for them to let me know that the feeling is mutual.

I mean, it's already so hard to communicate in this breathless state that you cause...so I give pause to let our eyes to the talking.

Still...I refuse to settle.

To settle for a notion in my pants that speaks of lust to pass for love.

To settle for falling in love with the ideal of what one "could be" rather than who they really are.

I refuse to settle.

And I refuse to give in & give up the search for that true connection...but that's just me.

And upon further inspection it's as clear as day to see...that I'm just like any ordinary hopeless romantic.

Romantic...hope-less-ly.

Against the Norm - Erykah Badu & The Freedom of Artistic Expression

Once again, I'm back, giving you another comment I posted on a subject near and dear to my heart.....artistic expression.

Recently, a music video was released for Erykah Badu's latest single "Widow Seat". The video is a metaphor for relinquishing the constraints of conformity & the consequences for doing so. It's provocative in the fact that it also contains an instance of public nudity captured via a gurrilla filmmaking style. The link below is from a Yahoo! media blog that discusses the controversy surrounding Ms. Badu's latest effort. Many comments that were posted in response to the article were laced with indecency themselves, retorting to name calling, pleads for criminal charges to be filed, & threats of violence if said people "would have been there" while it was happening.

My own value for artistic expression combined with my personal views of the "groupthink phenomenon" predicated my response to much of what was being posted on the comment page. Below is the link to the article. The actual music video is embedded below as well.

~{The video image was truncated when published, double click the video pane to be sent to the original music video}~

Check it out...watch the video...read some of the comments posted to the article....then return to "Soul Speak from Backbeats" to read my own response. It will give you a better frame of reference to understand my perspective as stated in words.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hiphopmediatraining/257081/erykah-badu-disrobes-in-video-to-promote-individualism/

My comment was as follows...

"The comments on this article support the message Ms. Badu was conveying musically & visually in "Window Seat". The group think of what is obscene & the ostracization she is receiving for it is exactly the point. Individualism in thought isn't celebrated any longer, for many people hide behind a veil of political correctness rather than thinking, speaking, & acting for themselves.

What this article has left out & what most of y'all screaming bloody murder by calling for her arrest fail to realize is that this incident happened weeks ago...no complaints were made...& no charges were brought forth. I don't have kids, & I'm an artist myself, so perhaps my own perspective is biased, but what I do know is, the purpose of art is to inspire thought, emotion.....hopefully both. The clarity & execution of Ms. Badu's vision within this video is commendable. Granted, this same narrative could've been conveyed using visual effects, & honestly from the lack of reaction in the video, I thought it was.

I currently reside in Dallas, & many of my peers find it odd that there are so many visitors to the city who venture out to Dealey Plaza. Traffic in that area on weekends is regularly slowed due to the hordes of people taking group pictures, strolling about, staring @ the book depository window. If one wants to pay their respects to President Kennedy, they should do so @ his grave, not the scene of the crime. It's nothing for the city to be proud of, & as a native Texan I regret such a luminary figure met his demise in my home state.

This video is not disrespectful to Kennedy's memory. It just serves as a mere reminder of the inherent danger within going against the norm. Kennedy.....Lennon......King.....Romero.....Jesus Christ...sadly, the list goes on."

Well.....that's the way I see it. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from. I have to give mad props to Ms. Erykah Badu for continuing the efforts to expand the collective conscious of the masses by fostering a supportive environment for individual thought rather than mere "groupthink".

If you've gotten this far...thanks for reading!

I Wish You Peace, Love, & All That's Beautiful in this World (& the next)

-D

Sorry, I Didn't Mean to Crash Your Tea Party.

As I'm sure you are all aware of, our nation's Congress & President have set into motion historical reform to American healthcare as we know it yesterday. The county's political climate has been severely strained leading to this vote & remains so in its wake. In this age of social media, much of the discourse (or lack thereof) occurs online via sites such as Facebook. I previously posted a long drawn response as a blog entry before & as this blog serves as a means to get some things off of my chest, I think it's only right to share this as well.

As a progressive, many of my friends & I have been on the defensive now that pundits such as Glen Beck have placed us on their attack list. This exchange proved no different. My good friend Paul posted an editorial from the Huffington Post entitled "Good Wins Over Evil. Period". Now, I'm not one to incite more division with such bold statements, but I will speak my mind & heart when someone makes assumptions or indictments of my character. I commented lightly to the posting of this article, making fun of the writer's previous works, yet someone found the article and our support of it downright incendiary. Granted, "good and evil" are always dangerous claims to make, but though the author acknowledged his words were directed toward the "fringe" and not the entire GOP, this was an insufficient designation that I felt merited a retort.

What follows is my response/release about their view on our stance in support of this particular editorial.

(~for frame of reference I was told I should "read Mein Kampf instead of the Huffington Post".....yup, real classy, I know. Tell me if you've heard this one, "so this Neo-Con called me a Nazi"~)

I'm glad you said Mein Kamph & not the Koran, but hey, this is the "information age" so everybody with an opinion has MULTIPLE streams by which to express themselves for the WORLD to take notice. Whether it's statistical concrete facts or emotionally driven opinion, isn't that an exercise in freedom of speech? I'd say it's about as much of an exercise in freedom as assembling in front of congress with signs that read "American Taxpayers are Jews for Obama's Ovens," "No Voo-Doo Medicine," or (my favorite) "If Brown Can't Stop the Bill A Browning Can!"

All I can say is this, if these "fringe" people who have no shame in protest, as well as nut-jobs like the Joe Stack, are praised & accepted by a so-called "movement" then not only do I not want ANYTHING to do with them, but I'm ashamed that they are considered my FELLOW Americans. Though I'm sure they don't even give two s#!ts what I think.

Patriotism is fine and dandy when it's veiled within support for an unpopular war, but it's apparently an absolute bitch when veiled within angst towards an "unpopular" bill. Taxes aren't going to end anytime soon, & unfortunately neither is the Fed. Government has been and will do with our money what they damn well please, so whether you think Medicare & Social Security are at risk because of the latest bill or are aware of numerous times in our past that the federal budget have been "re-appropriated" to fund the military industrial complex or PSA's & Plan Colombia to fight the "War on Drugs," I guess, it's neither here nor there.

All I know is the benefits for individuals & estimates for the cuts this bill will make to our deficit don't come off as negatives to me. The last time I checked nations with far reaching socialized medicine (which isn't even good word to describe what was voted on in Congress) haven't gone bankrupt because of it, yet many individual Americans & families alike are & have been because of the current cost of healthcare. Also, if the next generation's debt is your concern rather than their access to affordable healthcare, ask yourself this, when since our nation's inception have we NOT been in debt & how long did that last? The fundamental purpose of the reform is to put the emphasis on the American people & not the insurance companies' profits.

So, if the opposition to this reform can't take the time to actually become aware of this & would rather label it "Socialism" (which it's not), & proponents of the bill as Nazis (which is absolutely ludicrous), allege that is a means to invoke "white slavery" (just plain preposterous), or speculate that what women may or may not choose to do with their now required PRIVATE insurance has a direct connection to federal funds, then THEY'RE A CLOSE MINDED, LOST CAUSE & THEIR MISGUIDED INDIGNATION IS SOMETHING TO FEAR (see Browning comment).

I'm not saying they're evil, but their reveled ignorance & vitriolic rhetoric saddens me.....gives me reason to pause.....and watch my back.

That is all, Peace.

In the days since this posting reports of racial & homosexual epithets, death threats (explicit & veiled), & vandalism (from bricks & pellet guns breaking windows to family members' gas lines to their homes being cut) have been suffered by Congressmen & women who have publicly supported this bill.

Recently, I listened to an interview with House Majority Whip James E, Clyburn. In speaking of the current furor by the Conservative fringe, he mentioned a recent visit to a university where he discussed his involvement in civil rights during the '60s. When faced with what seemed insurmountable odds, threats violence or jail time for fighting the status quo, Mr. Clyburn said that he took the slings and arrows in the '60s so that ensuing generations would not have to endure or witness these ills again. Strange that over 40 years later human decency & governmental decorum have vanished, bringing forth the same reprehensible behavior he thought he would never witness again.

If you're reading this, I wish you.....

LOVE, PEACE, & All That's Beautiful in this World.....& the next,

-D

Casualties in the Battle of the Sexes - Round 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5Ens-qNRc

CLICK THE LINK ABOVE TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR FRAME OF REFERENCE...(I wanted to embed the video, but no dice.)

Recently, I came across a video that a friend of mine shared online. It was a parody/response to the "Men's Last Stand" commercials for the new Dodge Charger. For those of you unfamiliar with the commercial, it's basically features a number of guys staring intently into the camera as a voiceover lists the many compromises "men" make for "women" in relationships so that they can earn the right to choose the automobile they want to drive.

The parody/response uses the same visual context but shifts the perspective to that of a female. Some of the compromises listed deal with normal relationship issues, but most of what is presented argues popular political and social stigmas from a feminist point of view. Whereas the original commercial utilized minor agitations of emasculation to sell an American MUSCLE car, the parody is far less humorous in it's presentation. While many of the comments that my homegirls posted in regards to the parody were supportive of its views, most of them stated that the video wasn't as funny as it was depressing.

While I sympathize with my sisters, I began to think of the dichotomy based within these videos/commercials & found it complimentary to the subject matter of my previous posting on the "Battle of the Sexes". Lately, the most popular complaints are that of guys complaining of emasculation, women arguing sexism, & both parties placing the blame on one another rather than presenting indictments on indoctrination, nature vs. nurture, instincts, etc. To try to lighten the discussion & offer a humorous counter-argument to the parody, I wrote the comment listed below. I hope you enjoy!

1) I can pack my own lunches

2) I never forced you to eat just a Grapefruit for breakfast, Cosmopolitan did.

3) Please, don't be so judgmental of my loser friends.

4) There's a difference between being bitchy & being assertive...a BIG difference.

5) You will catch me staring, but be honest...in some situations, you like it when I stare.

6) They're your children as well.

7) Diet, botox, & wax??? See number 2.

8) Size doesn't matter...right?!?!?!?

9) No one likes a freak in the street and a lady/gentleman in the bed...do they?

10) If you can have your ridiculous "off limits" towels & needless pillows...I should be able to play Fantasy Football in peace.

11) I DIDN'T CRY @ THE END OF "RUDY"!!!! I cried @ the end of "Brian's Song"

12) If you don't want to see unattractive men with beautiful women, stop watching "reality" tv shows on Bravo, Oxygen, & the rest of "women's" television.

13) I haven't cheated on you, so don't let your jaded perspective allow you to lower the bar on your expectations of me...or I just might cheat on you.

14) You liked "Paul Blart: Mall Cop"...admit it.

15) Don't elect them if you don't trust them

16) My air-drumming is the s#!t, & you KNOW it.

17) Don't be so touchy. Sometimes...it just MIGHT actually be that time of the month.

18) I didn't ask for your pity...or permission to buy my car, so get your own vehicle & get over it...ALL of it.

*I had to put my dukes up on this one. I really get the ultimate message, & while salaries can't be disputed (I believe in equal pay for equal work) most of the stuff in BOTH ads/parodies are petty, inconsequential, but humorous nonetheless. Don't take this stuff so seriously!!!

Much Luv to All My Ladies.....Puro Peace (Paz) y Chickengrease (La Grasa de Pollo)

Political Rant

{TAKEN FROM A NOTE I WROTE ON FACEBOOK}

I came across an article on Yahoo! about Fox News' newest "Infotainment" correspondent...Sarah Palin. She was reportedly asking for Rahm Emmanuel's resignation for the use of the word "retarded" to describe a tactic used by a liberal special interest group against Conservative Democrats not supportive of healthcare reform. Palin went on to write an entry in her blog called "Are You Capable of Decency? Rahm Emmanuel." I won't get into the details, but the comments left on her facebook blog entry were entertaining, saddening, & frustrating to say the least. I wanted to post a comment myself, but once things got rolling my words were far too much for a single comment (& I didn't want to be bothered reading the responses in my email), so I decided to make it a note instead. Just some food for thought...enjoy.

-I guess we should change the terms "handicap" in golf & "ritard" in music notation, so that no member of the human race can be offended. Despite all that Palin (and much of the people here that have commented) say...EVERYONE has thought, said, & have acted in a manner that supports stereotypes & are politically incorrect in nature. Hell, I & the NAACP could call for Sarah Palin's head for daring to compare this improper choice of words to describe a political tactic to that of a racial slur unjustly placed upon the people of my ancestry, but I wouldn't & I wont...because that would be utterly idiotic.
Perhaps, almost as stupid as all of the silly party politics that have had this country stuck in neutral & aimless for so long. United we stand...divided we fall, so cliche...yet so appropriate. For, as long as we blindly hold onto partisan politics we'll continue to bicker amongst ourselves about something as inane as someone's word choices in a country that is supposed to have freedom of speech.
And as we're distracted by hurt feelings, not sticks, stones, or broken bones, our politicians can continue to enjoy the perks of a career that's privately funded (thanks Supreme Court), such as gifts from special interests for earmarks in legislation that hinder all legislative progress & being overpaid by 30% for doing nothing (bunch-o'-fillibusters). All of this, while so many members of their own constituency are jobless, underpaid, or lack simple health benefits.


God bless America...& God help us all.

{FOOTNOTE}

In the weeks following these events, Sarah Palin was paid $100, 000 to speak at a Tea Party Event. Being the consumate professional that she is, she presented few ideas & needed to write notes on her hand such as "Budget/Tax Cuts & Lift American Spirits." ON HER HAND!!!! So inspirational. My college speech professor would've been proud.