haiku 8.8.12

yesterday's old tears
should not be today's wine; it
brings life hangovers

abrupt winters

bitter
can be the chill
of an abrupt winter
someone gives you
when they feel their summers
wither and curl up
in the throes of their own pain
they figure the ice
will eventually melt
like that in tumblers of whiskey
they drink to seal off the tears
patient
is this winter
that settles on the hearts
of those that love them
but tire of walking along ice
towards those
that give up their hopeful seasons
and don't wish to be saved

music break: Sly Dunbar

this past Monday marked the 50th anniversary of
Jamaica's independence, a nation i owe my own
heritage too. so i figured this cover by one
of the island's most acclaimed musicians, Sly
Dunbar of Sly & Robbie fame, would be a good
way to pay homage here. enjoy!

slapboxing devils.

sometimes, you will find yourself slapboxing
with the devils within AND without as if you
inked a deal for 12 rounds and a gaudy belt.
hard, electrolyte draining, intense bouts of
faith and will that makes you appreciate those
champions of the ring even more because they
went through it before stepping onto the
canvas.

i get tired sometimes with these fights. it
gets weary struggling while the clueless, the
stumblebums, the burnouts and the ignorant
ease through life like a hot knife through a
fresh oven baked turkey breast. it gets to
be tiresome slinging fists with the internal
devils you have, especially at the times when
your spirit wanes, you feel your chest heave
as if to vomit, and your body literally aches.
over the past three years, i've dealt with
this over and over. it's as if God and my own
path are putting me through this training
for what's ahead. for example, i've been in
the process of trying to release an eBook for
the past 2 months to no avail. but when they
utter the phrase, 'the devil is in the details'
they don't tell you that shit is in fine print
and single-spaced.(look out for a post on that
on 108 Press' blog.)it has been a fight, one
that i had to learn to deal with with regards
to not only knockdowns, but how to recover
from them. to the point where if there's
another setback, i won't be deterred.

of course, there are more sinister opponents
we all have, with different names. but if you
got this far into the post, i want you to
keep punching. protect yourself at all times.
and most of all, give those devils the pain
they try to give you back three times over.
and make sure when you slap one of them, the
others hear the resolution in it and back
off, if only for a little while.

peace, until the next time...

sultry signal

she said
her phone was about to melt
because of the heat
it would have been third in line
after both of us

haiku for gabby

lovely, Black and proud
by balance beam and tumbles
she conquers the world

half past forgetting

this is where time mimics acid
and burns memory at the edges
like batteries that burst
and crust over

half past forgetting
that desire once lived in your eyes
and beckoned my hands and lips
to be roommates

these are the moments
where you will watch me dry heave
craving your presence
and finding a fix in past thoughts of your curves

half past forgetting
where you let me into your heart
since you've let fear make a maze
and you sit waiting for a rescue
that you've lied about wanting to everyone

except me