Author: musical

Time flies, been more than twelve months and counting,

2020’s definition to extend beyond perfect vision,

Gonna make way for the year of catastrophies, cut a swath like tornados over the prairie,

Daily life changed, no revolution needed,

Dawn of a new normal, whatever that is, gotta get used to it,

Some didn’t make it but many still standing,

A testament to resourcefulness, will, courage and resilience,

The fallout a sight to behold, not in a good way, though,

Uncovered the worst in others, chaos and dysfunction, straight out of cartoons and crime shows, disaster flicks, too, for good measure,

That monster conquerin’ beyond the health and well-being of individuals,

Society crumblin’ to its influence, accusations flyin’ between nations,

2020 in the rear view but we’re still picking up the pieces,

At long last there’s progress, leaps and bounds to be sure, but a declaration of victory would be nothing short of premature,

Vaccines rollin’ out for front liners then the general population, a taste of freedom in some nations, the monster’s iron grip weakening,

But a wounded monster ain’t a dead one, victims numbering, still, in the thousands,

Gotta keep travel plans on hold, ain’t no telling for how long,

The ignorant and foolish are running rampant, in the Divided States, as usual, eruptions rival Vesuvius,

The cretins still attacking those from ground zero and surrounding areas,

Even others that resemble ‘em from all walks of life and circumstances,

Fuelled by hysteria, peep ‘em on the streets and social media, the choice comments sure to induce nausea, it’s a jungle out there, I’m telling ya,

Feels like the world’s gangin’ on ‘em, a hailstone of vitriol rainin’ from all angles, the Asians copping it from other backgrounds and races,

From those that are considered privileged, from the ones stereotyped as illegals and terrorists,

Even those they say require protection ‘cuz they’re being hunted like animals by law enforcement,

About time it got attention, where was it in 2020? No it ain’t better late than never, that’s little comfort to victims and their families,

To hear the authorities call it you’d think the matter’s insignificant,

Just bad days and temper tantrums, what an insult to the victims,

So Daniel Powter was murderous when he dropped that hit from twenty-oh-five?

Disgruntled employees got the green light to take another’s life?

Little kids tantrumin’ ain’t out there murdering,

Screaming, shouting and throwing toys in the corner their only acts of destruction,

The elderly and vulnerable the most frequent targets of these cowards,

Lack of guts got ‘em swervin’ those that shoot back without hesitation,

Fuck turning the other cheek, it’s time to take some initiative,

Can’t ignore ‘em forever, nothing repels a bully like assertiveness,

Speak up, give ‘em a piece of your mind, call ‘em out for crossing the line,

Remind ‘em of their wrongdoings, expose ‘em as dirty racists,

But if push comes to shove and it leads to fisticuffs, kick some ass if they want to throw hands,

They’re out playin’ ‘Slap An Asian’, clap back with ‘Break A Racist’,

Finish what they started, defend yourself but within reason,

Excessive force, though deserved, won’t earn you hero status,

‘Cuz the law might get you for thugging, ironically,

If they were on the wrong end would they view it differently?

If that had been their mother, father or grandparents how will they react?

Something for you to think about, Officer, racists deserve to be cracked,

The law’s fucked if bad days and tantrums can excuse hurting others,

The law needs reviewing if self-defense can lead to punishment,

But a word to the judged and frustrated, don’t compromise your dignity and character,

It ain’t wrong to curse the perps but leave their race and culture out of it,

Can’t conflate the innocent with the degenerates among ‘em,

The fire’s already blazin’, why dump more gasoline on it?

We are but one family, according to Bruce Lee, differences shouldn’t breed pettiness,

We all bleed the same, eat the same, come into the world the same, sleep, piss and shit the same, the fear and hate is such a waste,

It’s the 21^st century, how’s this bullshit still happening?

After years of evolution and enlightenment, it’s time we acted like it,

Gotta keep holding on, it’s still a big bad world out there,

Regardless of race, creed and culture, we’re all in this together.

Hey, you! Yeah, you! Do you have a dream?

A goal or ambitions, whatever you wanna call it, does it keep you hungry and agitated?

Does it stir fear from within or disbelieving laughter?

Got you feeling like you’re staring down an army of Spartans?

If the answer’s yes then you best go after it,

The path may be arduous but guaranteed to be rewarding,

Doubts may spring up, from the outside and in, naysayers may come out the woodwork while the mind be playin’ tricks,

Even your nearest and dearest may be sceptical, may feel like a special kind of betrayal,

Don’t take it personal, they’re just looking out for ya, but don’t capitulate, gotta do what’s best for ya,

Sticks and stones may break bones but don’t underestimate words,

Fuck what so-called tough folks say, well-structured put downs can also hurt,

“You can’t do it,” “it’s impossible,” “it’ll never happen,” “you will fail,” imagine all of that thrown at your face,

Can be disheartening but you must stay strong, grit your teeth and soldier on ‘til you prove ‘em all wrong,

It’s your life, Pal, your vessel sailing through that ocean,

Buck stops with you, Captain, dream thieves can’t steer you in the wrong direction,

Slow and steady wins the race, fools are always rushing in,

Chomping too much too soon can and will spark indigestion,

Efficiency is key, start off with them baby steps,

Break it down piece by piece so you don’t feel overwhelmed,

Keep this in mind when you run into bumps and potholes,

Might spring from out of nowhere and come at you in droves,

Knock ‘em down bit by bit, never mind the hits,

Stumble and crawl if necessary, you’re still ahead of the bored and lazy,

Fuck the cuts and bruises and the stress and worry, it comes with the territory in your pursuit of glory,

‘Cuz in the end when it’s all said and done, when you’ve finally had it won,

The blood, sweat and tears will be worth it, that winning feeling simply gratifying,

Keep that in mind if ever you feel like quitting, it may happen from time to time,

Remind yourself why you started, why you chose to take this fight,

Don’t fear failure, you’re still ahead of those that never tried,

Could happen along the way, dust yourself off after you have a good cry,

Learn from your mistakes and keep trying, quitters are never rewarded,

The end game is clear for those that heard the call but ignored it,

It’s called regret, small word with gigantic repercussions,

At the end of one’s life the impact will strike with a vengeance,

Goals unfulfilled will hit harder than a Tyson uppercut,

Everyone’s got ‘em on some level, but severity varies from person to person,

Some might wish they’d taken life easier, that they’d chilled for two seconds,

That they hadn’t taken relationships for granted, such a load to bear on one’s deathbed,

Then there are those that missed their life’s purpose, out of failure or cowardice,

The former is life’s cruelty at work, the latter the result of personal shortcomings,

The pain must be unbearable, lamenting what could have been while awaiting death’s embrace,

It must suck staring at one ‘what if’ after another right in the face,

Don’t let that be you, Friend, you deserve a much better end,

Be bold and be ruthless so you can rest in peace contented,

It’ll be ups and downs but you gotta keep going,

Leave your mark and fly high, leave ‘em something to remember you by,

You never know just how far you’ll go, only one way to go about it,

In the end you’ll thank yourself when you stand triumphant after mission’s accomplished.

The morning sun playing host to this meditation of sorts,

Carried out while running, gotta keep that engine at top notch,

Body’s poppin’, sweat is pourin’ while thoughts are out the gates racin’,

Almost as hard as its host body, the lungs and joints feeling wobbly,

Somehow the memory of you emerged from the abyss, how’d it come to this?

Been half a decade since our last meeting, got me wondering where you at and how you’re doing,

Feels like only yesterday when I ran into you by chance,

Sure was random and unexpected, been some time since we’d hung out last,

Chopped it up as we strolled through the park, picked up where we left for the most part,

Ain’t nothing changed, you and me were still the same,

That was before you dropped a revelation that I didn’t see coming,

That you’d just come from the courthouse, your delivery casual and straight-shooting,

Got caught up in some bad shit, details of which will be spared here,

It ain’t nobody’s business, plus your explanation was kinda unclear,

Not that I poked and prodded, your summation did suffice,

Your day in court went well, you added, for that thank Christ,

Asked for my number before parting ways, said you’d give me a buzz,

Life’s busy and the battle ain’t over, exchanged best wishes before you set off in a rush,

That was five years ago, ain’t heard from ya since that day,

Wherever you are now, I hope you’re happy and doing ok,

Should’ve got your number, talk about a massive blunder,

Didn’t want to keep you waiting, seemed like you had other engagements,

Hope all your troubles, if any, have been resolved and that you’re winning in life,

That you’d fight on and persevere if you’re ever in strife,

Stay on the straight and narrow, may you achieve your goals and ambitions,

Maybe we’ll cross paths again, stranger things have happened.

Dear Nice Guy,
Once again you’re coming home empty handed,
Still flying solo, the position of co-pilot remains vacant,                          
Dressed to impress, maybe overdid it, it’s a Saturday night though, so no shits given,
Headed out several hours prior, expecting to hit a homer,
‘I’m a nice guy,’ says you, ‘the type that girls should be fawnin’ over,’
‘I ain’t a jerk like the others, I’ll treat her nice and proper,”
“Yes sir, I’ll be getting some later,”
Cute story, Bro, but your history suggests otherwise, that list of lovers sits at zero, you’re just one of those guys,
The ones that girls hate because your approach is so fake,
You lock onto a potential target, sell yourself like a sleazy preacher with that nice guy role you’re overplaying, but the night would end with your crash-landing,
See, you played nice just to get into her pants, proved to be another snake in the grass, no wonder she dumped your stupid ass,
Now you’re home, sitting on the couch and drowning your sorrows, before washing off the humiliation then crawling off to bed alone.

Day after day you wonder why no woman’s checking for ya,
Couples all around and you’re Nigel sulking in the corner,
Hate to break it to ya but it’s not that females are flaky and complicated, they ain’t swerving good guys for jerks and degenerates, they’re lies you cling to for self-preservation,
Look in the mirror to get to the root of the problem, yeah it’s you, Bro, quit blaming the others,
Think back to every interaction with ‘em, each and every woman,
You play white knight, damn near all-out simpin’, promisin’ her the world and everything in it,
Then when she decides to take her chances you go right for the jugular, demand she put out ‘cuz nice guys deserve rewarding,
That’s some creepy shit, Bro, you call yourself a gentleman? Now you’re applying force and coercion, way to cross over to criminal,
Imagine if the tables were turned, think you can stomach it?
What if she had her sweet-as-sugar front on but in reality was milking and leading you on?
What if she made you feel like a million bucks only to use you for a few fucks?
Bet it would hurt like shingles, how do you like them apples?
You could’ve retained some dignity, ironically, if you’d admitted to just wanting to get freaky,
You turned out to be the jerk among men with your hidden motives and ultimatums,
Those so-called ‘bad boys’ are winnin’ cuz they’re all about their business,
Giving no fucks about opinions, defying fear and nerves and just going for it,
No signs of insecurities and trepidation when it comes to meeting women, being honest with ‘em and laying all on the table,
Victory or defeat doesn’t matter to ‘em, they win or grow from the experience,
They’re clear on what they’re after, not ambushing like some fuckin’ predator,
That’s confidence and balls, dude, that’s what real ones do,
Take a leaf from out their playbook, what have you to lose?
Drop that fake persona and hidden agenda, be genuine and see what happens,
Spare her your life story but be upfront with your intentions,
Whether it’s a relationship you covet, the old hit it and quit it or just something casual,
Be out with it, Bro, you’ll earn points for being honest,
And if you fall short don’t kick up a fuss over it,
Don’t beg and plead or get mad at her, she’s entitled to her preferences,
You’ll do yourself no favors in a world where bad deeds and attitudes go reported,
Realize you’re not for everyone, don’t waste time bitching about it, rise above that rejection, just keep on moving forward,
Work on yourself daily, level up to boost your chances,
Self-improvement begets self-confidence, you’ll never play the fraud again,
Fortune favors the bold, Brother, the dating game’s no different,
Honesty is the best policy, heed the words of Billy and tell her about it.

Parked in front of the desk tinkering around on the Internet,
That work-related spreadsheet minimized, mindless surfing’s therapy for the mind,
Five minutes later playtime was over, but a little something caught you at the last minute,
There it was, flashing across the screen, bright colors surrounding huge block letters,
A feast for the eyes and primal urges they were offering, and it was free to boot,
For the first month, anyway, ‘twas too good to be true,
Jumped on it like a hungry lion, all manner of reason and common sense thrown away,
Locked the door ‘lest the missus found out, now it’s time for serious play,
‘Credit card details, please,’ that free offer won’t be forever,
‘No problem,’ says you, ‘I’ll be out before they ask for my dollars.’

Bodies grinding and sweating for your viewing pleasure, time seemed to stand still,
Eyes fixed on the screen, seemed an eternity since you last blinked,
Feeling like a teen again watching filth on the sly,
Worth the transaction, though, a break from day to day life,
One month went by in a blur, sixty minutes of ecstacy per day,
A quick dopamine fix guaranteed to keep the doctor away,
In and out your den of iniquity, the missus and the kids none the wiser,
But you’re setting yourself up for a haymaker right on the kisser,

D-Day finally arrived, gotta part ways with that free membership,
It’s been a wild ride, but time to move on, it’ll surely be missed,
Logged into the website, reluctance setting in, unaware that things are about to go to shit.
Looks like you ain’t getting off easy, should have read the fine print,
You gave ‘em your credit card details, too, now you’re in for it,
One month is up, now you gotta start paying, been living in sin now time to take penance,
That’s money out the bank, you thought it would be one month of free wanks,
Now you’re on the phone crying, demanding to get that money back,
Costs money to make calls overseas, though, and they’ve left you hanging,
Left out in the cold with no shelter while that money keeps draining,
Only a matter of time before strange shit shows up in those credit card statements,
No amount of explaining and grovelling will minimize the damage,
Cancellation’s impossible, gotta ‘fess up to your missus,
Call your in-laws for assistance, their background in I.T’s good for this,
So much for that secret mission, thought you’d get out unscathed,
But there’s always a catch, Friend, look in the mirror if you want someone to blame,
Now your missus is pissed at you, you should have known better,
Your kids are laughing at you, their respect for you temporarily shattered,
Thought with your dick rather than that brain, immaturity reigns even at the cusp of middle age,
Always keep that guard up, you had to learn the hard way,
You played yourself.