Author: musical

Here we go, two strangers at the bus stop,

Ten minutes ‘til that 750, might as well chop it up,

One of the two sporting a beautiful gold chain,

Pendulous around her neck, contrastin’ her dark top and flowing mane,

The other be admirin’, ‘your necklace is nice,’ says she,

‘Thank you,’ smiles the gold-bearer, blushing ever slightly,

Then she goes another direction, ‘it’s nothing special, really,’

‘But it looks nice on you,’ the retort was delivered nicely yet forcefully,

Back and forth they go, almost like a tug-of-war,

Like a two-sided brawl, trading shots like Gatti and Ward,

Finally she gets it, the one with the gold,

Here comes the 750, they take different seats once they’re aboard.

This is just a glimpse of what goes on lately,

Seems there’s nefarious activity among people and society,

Ain’t talkin’ ‘bout covid, that’s already been established,

Speak to another glowingly and you’ll notice something is amiss,

Ever heaped praise upon someone for some good deed that they’d done?

For any goals accomplished, even for dressing stylish?

For something nice they owned that you low-key wished was yours,

Even for being a light in a cold and cruel world?

They’ll happily catch the bouquet at first, perhaps even blush a little,

Then watch how quickly they drop it, like they’re shamed and embarrassed by it,

You can hand it back to ‘em, reassure ‘em it ain’t fake,

Some may take it back while others won’t, before y’all know it it’s a stalemate.

Makes you wonder when this trend started,

Negatives readily accepted, positives dumped as though poisonous,

Initial thoughts suggestin’ that what glitters ain’t genuine,

Hidden agendas and snakes in disguise conspire to trigger suspicious minds,

Could also be a state of mind and a means of avoiding pain,

Multiplied many times over when spawned by losses following such massive gains,

Like there’s trepidation in enjoying the good ‘lest it be snatched unexpectedly,

Why subject one’s self to that sort of torture willingly?

But there’s a hard truth that needs to be said, get it into your head,

Everything is temporary, the good, bad and very ugly,

Time is limited, who and what you have, none of it will last,

Enjoy the good things in life, don’t be embarrassed to do so,

They that shame you are likely victimised by pettiness rooted in fragile egos,

As long as it’s real, no harm in accepting compliments,

Life’s too short to live in fear of losses, the end will come for all of us,

Be proud of your achievements in a way that ain’t bragging,

Nothing wrong with rewarding one’s self, could be good for personal motivation,

Go and get what you want, be kind to others, take chances ‘til the wheels fall off,

Savour the good and get through the bad ‘til the sand runs out that hourglass.

Parenting, it’s a role fraught with challenges,

Endeavouring to raise the kids proper, being provider, teacher and entertainer while swerving judgment from others,

Might seem overwhelming in the beginning, rookies’ heads be spinning,

But as the lil’ ones grow and blossom you’ll realize such a role was rewarding,

Ain’t no official guide, no so-called right way, everyone got their own ways,

Different paths taken to the same endgame where their respective offspring turn out ok,

Having expectations ain’t new, surely every parent’s got ‘em,

How they take it when the young’uns grow up different, here’s where the plot thickens.

You’re familiar with the pattern, seen it all before,

Kid’s born, mom and dad dictating which way they should go,

For the most part ain’t nothing set in stone, just mere high hopes,

As long as the kid grows up honourable and can get by on their own,

Could start as expectations for their academic performance,

Then beyond the school gates, into the path of life, maybe even who they’ll call husband or wife,

Nurture that which lights their fire, encourage ‘em to mingle, don’t keep ‘em sheltered,

No harm exploring the mysterious beyond, as long as they exercise caution,

Expose ‘em to new things and experiences, they’ll surely thank you for it,

Teach ‘em right from wrong but also let ‘em grow up well-rounded,

Sooner or later they’ll find their purpose and life’s work,

Might take away from what you’d planned out for ‘em, on some level your concern is warranted,

Hate to break it to some of y’all, but while you’re free to guide ‘em in their youth,

You may face resistance from ‘em once they cross over to young adulthood,

Ain’t right to rob ‘em of their passion, rip the carpet from under ‘em,

Can’t meddle, either, in matters of their ride or die and co-pilot,

Life will dish out challenges, might find your kids among the sources,

But breaking rules and pushing envelopes aren’t always acts of insolence,

Rather than dismiss ‘em why not try to understand ‘em?

As long as they’re adding to the betterment of the planet surely they’re entitled to it.

The long and short of it is this, pay attention and drink it in,

The actions of others are beyond your control, as are the little ones’ dreams,

Dare to throw a spanner in the works watch how quickly they’ll hate and despise,

Beware the individual suppressed, it’s a different type of anger and spite,

Accept that outside forces will mould ‘em, too, you can’t protect them forever,

They’ll tread their own path, beyond your set perimeters, it doesn’t mean they’re disrespecting,

If they ain’t providing fodder for the evening news, wretched and acting the fool,

Let their true selves thrive in full bloom, pursue what they were born to do,

Have faith in ‘em to do right, to leave the roost and fly high,

Let ‘em take the hits necessary to achieve their own victories, no need to keep that chopper hovering constantly,

If you’d done your job proper then you should trust that they got this in the bag,

That they’ll take on the world and triumph, proudly represent Mom and Dad,

Blood is thicker than water, ain’t nothing changing if you played your cards right,

They’ll still count on you if ever they stumble or need good old-fashioned advice,

They’re still yours, now and forever, always,

Let ‘em find their way, wherever it is, have their back anyway.

This is it, another turkey ready for bastin’ and roastin’,

Dream jobs in the scrapheap thanks to L’s of the self-inflicted variety,

Losing your gig ‘cuz of leaked dick picks nothing short of idiotic,

But let’s take a look at one poor fool who only had one job to do,

Sent up north for an interview, an exclusive, too, for good measure,

The envy of your peers and rivals, scored a win for your beloved Network,

She’s the hottest star in world of pop music, but don’t call her a comeback queen,

Been around for years, recharged her batteries before returning to the scene,

So off you went, hopped on the plane, travelled to an opposing timezone,

Touched down ready to rumble, got yourself comfortable,

Then the interview started, here’s your moment, go out there and get it,

But just like that it was mission failure, a glaring omission brought about your undoing,

Admitted to her you didn’t listen to her album, of course she was gonna be offended,

How you gonna rock up to a professional setting woefully under-prepped for it?

Just like that she’s storming out the room, ain’t nothing you can do about it,

Your golden moment crashed and burned like the Hindenburg, no excuses can soften it,

Gob off all you want ‘bout missed e-mails, ain’t nobody buying that shit,

You done played around IG during that special assignment, surely the real pros would’ve checked their e-mails for anything last-minute,

At the very least you’d gather background info of your subject, immerse yourself in their latest projects,

You’ve been on the job long enough, your lame excuses don’t carry much water,

It’s a long trip back down under, prepare to face the music,

Enjoy that two-week suspension, your dumb ass surely has earned it,

Take the L on the chin, Bro, it’s the least you can do to salvage that rep,

But while you’re at it hang your head down in shame, Dude you played yourself!

There you go again, struttin’, braggin’, hypin’ yourself again,

Crisping in your ego jacuzzi, self-love taken to extremes,

Flexin’ ‘bout your life’s achievements like they’re the stuff of myths and legends,

Convince yourself every morning that you’re the alpha, still, among fellow humans,

Keeping an eye out, too, on the others like an enemy sniper,

Your level of hustle dictated, seemingly, by peers’ everyday movements,

Donning on that costume when in a face-to-face environment,

Chest proud, shoulders back, eyes up, simple tells you’d rehearsed over and over,

Selling yourself as a chess master, always several steps ahead,

They ought to tremble at the inventory of worlds that you’d conquered,

Joke’s on you, though, as you’ll realise sooner or later,

Get your head from out the clouds and peep at the outliers,

The ones lurking in the shadows away from the population,

Folks like you call ‘em scared and tentative, silenced by intimidation,

You’re dead wrong for believing they’re scared to compete with others,

Not all waste time searching for new people to one-up and get one over,

Some prefer to compete only with the individual within the mirror,

To overcome obstacles no bigger than whom they were just days and weeks before,

No need to feel threatened by the achievements of others, such a mindset is reserved for fools and suckers,

You liken yourself to a warrior, one to be feared, envied and admired,

Hate to say it but they see through the bullshit, you’re just a weenie drowning in insecurities,

Enslaved yourself to your peers, most of whom are just minding their own business,

Letting ‘em live inside your head, rent-free, talk about a wretched existence,

Think about that the next time you prance and preen,

Relying on others to measure yourself against, the rewards are limited indeed.

Traipsin’ through the park in random directions,

The mind’s doing likewise, thoughts touchin’ upon different subjects,

It’s a nice summer afternoon, the holiday season imminent,

Yours truly ain’t even started buying those Christmas presents yet,

The mind’s speeding train suddenly derailed by the presence of a stranger,

Wearing a loaded backpack, clutching the image of one of the city’s landmarks,

Slightly annoyed at being snapped out of my trance, but this fella needed assistance, might as well give this dude a chance,

Language barrier cancelled a verbal exchange, showed me the picture in his hand in order to communicate,

Clear as day that he was looking to get to this place,

Poor guy had lost his bearings, turned to the kindness of strangers to help him somehow,

So lost was I in my thoughts I hadn’t quite returned to the here and now,

Lived in this city for most of my life, certainly familiar with its icons and sights,

Yet I’m lost at sea with this traveler, home had suddenly become unfamiliar,

Pointed to some random direction, where I believed he should go,

Laid out that path for him, it wasn’t quite the yellow brick road,

Nevertheless he was satisfied, thanked me in his native tongue,

Then off he went, happily, into the afternoon sun,

‘Hope he makes it there,’ thought I, resuming my walk,

Headed towards the exits, out to the street, almost time to head home.