Category: Uncategorised

Silent reading, a time-honored ritual,

Kickin’ off the final phase of the long school day,

10 minutes leafing through pages while teacher cools off on her table,

Reviewing the final lesson before the bell tolls for class dismissal,

Oblivious to the ones planning and plotting, huddled at the corner,

Carrying on in muffled laughter, day after day putting teacher through the wringer,

Self-proclaimed entertainers, forever fishing for a reaction from the others,

Armed to the teeth like samurais with new ways to stress Teacher on the daily,

Even during reading time ain’t no end to their hijinks in sight,

Drawing and spit-balling got ‘em in hot water already, gotta delve deep within their well of creativity,

While their peers devoured stories they’re gravitating toward dictionaries,

Flouting convention to get a rise from their contemporaries,

Inevitably they are spotted, drawing laughter from those within their vicinity,

Done made a spectacle of themselves, teacher’s dragged into it abruptly,

“I thought I said SILENT reading for ten minutes?” thundered she, forcefully,

Emphasising the point so the little-uns get the point, clearly,

“What are you all laughing at anyway? What could possibly be funny?”

All fingers point to those clutching dictionaries, grinning insolently,

“We’re just trying to expand our vocabulary,” said they, Teacher wasn’t buying it,

“I see you’re all trying to be smart with me,” responded she, defiance begets punishment,

“Put those away on the double, or you’ll be in trouble,

Try me again you’ll be pickin’ up papers, a reward for your classroom capers,”

Message received, loud and clear, but don’t expect a shred of regret,

Smug satisfaction achieved, objective completed,

Yes, ma’am, they still got it.

Pressure’s on, the strain of daily life takes its toll,

Stress clampin’ like leeches, draining the life from out their hosts,

Temptation to cross to the dark side and all that it’s offering,

To live sinfully, temporarily, to escape the bitter sting of reality,

Substances the catalyst to an altered state serving as a reprieve,

Making slaves of participants quicker than they can believe,

Might be easier said on some days, but it don’t have to be this way,

Unlock the secret within, totally free, to keep the blues at bay,

Talking ‘bout the best medicine so the cliché goes,

That of good old-fashioned laughter, and in large doses,

Physical, mental and social, can do you a world of good,

Alleviate stress and anger, trigger endorphins to lift the mood,

Defusing conflicts before explosions, strengthens social ties,

Good for the ticker and burns the calories, don’t believe the hype? Why not give it a try?

Sit down and let rip, gotta go beyond mere shits and giggles,

Go all in, laughin’ out loud and heavy breathing, tears streaming, abs burning, a few Muttleys too for good measure,

You’ll feel like a million afterwards, the weight of the world’s evaporated,

Mind’s clearer, outlook brighter, like you’d drawn the blinds up from out the darkness,

Promote it from the depths of sometime activity, once a day could keep the doc away,

Might be harder for some, we’re all fighting our own wars, but get it done anyway,

If nothing else it’s free, it won’t cost you a cent,

Watch a comedy film, read a book, a vid on youtube, whatever you can get,

Maybe take that trip back down memory lane to moments where laughs were had by all,

Surely there are a few of ‘em, chapters that get you going as you recall,

By all means seek help if needed, some battles may require back-up,

Slay the beast within by any means necessary, but don’t underestimate the power of laughing yourself silly.

For those that were around, remember the uproar that Pink Floyd done caused?

‘We don’t need no education’ blarin’ from the airwaves, got old heads everywhere in a daze,

Got society in a panic before N.W.A ordered young’uns to Fuck The Police,

Nothing like a hard-hitting anthem to flip the bird off at authority,

Could use some of that energy now, the education system’s trying to go woke,

Spectacularly so, taking it to new lows, it’s beyond a sick joke,

Peep at the seriously fucked-up fools running that place at NYC,

Reading, writing, arithmetic appear to take a back seat,

Never too early for the birds and bees, apparently, a lame script and milkshakes weren’t needed for this shit,

These fools fixin’ to stunt youthful innocence? Try not to hurl when you read about this,

Six-year olds should know only one type of playing by their lonesome,

The type where they play games all alone, not what grown-ups do under orders from their hormones,

Don’t be teaching ‘em ‘bout Jackin’ off or Jillin’ off, beating the meat or finger-painting,

$55k in tuition led to this, pity their poor parents,

Off with their heads, those that gave this the seal of approval,

Takes a sick mind to believe this is applicable to six-year old pupils,

Let ‘em read picture books, teach ‘em new words to write and spell,

Sharpen their grammar, teach ‘em art and music, guide ‘em through basic math problems,

Save that nocturnal shit for the teens at least, y’all are way past that proverbial line,

Y’all should be locked up for trying to ruin young minds,

Parents, mind your kids, be their first port of call,

Education shouldn’t be confined within classroom walls,

‘Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone’ got the masses twisted back then,

Might be time to let it loose again, someone gotta save the children.

You’ll see ‘em in the news, pass ‘em sittin’ on their patios, some got their heads in the clouds,

Creaky vessels, long-retired, once were warriors once were proud,

Gawked at like old relics propped up in the Museum of Natural History,

With varying degrees of admiration but from others scorn or pity,

Talking ‘bout former gladiators made a living through their physicality,

Fighting, tackling, climbing, lifting, stacking muscle for serious preening,

Not for the faint-hearted, it takes a special type of insanity,

Success not guaranteed and broken dreams are many, the summit’s reserved for the bold and gutsy,

But there’s hell to pay for putting the body through the ringer, in twilight years the the fallout become apparent,

The tools of the trade – strength, power and dexterity – become a distant memory,

Like ageing structures the joints once firm and dependable rendered rusted and creaky,

The consequences run deep, it’s a horror show down below,

The unlucky ones barely recognizable, often left forgotten and broke,

Check out some examples, the once garrulous icon rendered mute and shuffling,

Some of his peers, other former battlers, trapped in a haze from which they are defenseless,

The former master of the iron now immobile, hard to believe they once called him king,

Former living marble statues damaged, years of shooting up fucked up major vital organs,

Prime years seemed endless, their aura unconquerable, invincible, almost mythological,

But time remains undefeated, even B-Hop succumbed to it, save your breath ‘cuz Ponce ain’t found no fountain,

But hold onto those tears, keep the violins in their cases,

They had a dream and damn it they achieved it, peaks and valleys encountered but still they emerged triumphant,

That much must be celebrated, their hustle and fortitude respected,

Post-retirement struggles vary across warhorses but united over satisfaction and contentment,

Might make minor adjustments if they can re-run it, but for the most part wouldn’t change any bit of it,

Dangers lurked in their chosen adventures, certainly compared to other vocations,

They knew it from jump and accepted ‘em, fuck the naysayers calling ‘em reckless,

Your judgment is unwarranted, don’t talk down on what you don’t know,

The sacrifices were more than worth it, can’t stay drowning in sorrows,

The past is gone, legacies set in stone, save your gasps for horror films,

Like ‘em, loathe ‘em, admire ‘em or revile ‘em, in the end they did the damn thing.

There you go, hunched over that computer,

Locked and loaded waiting to hear from her, the highlight of your hours,

Met her on IG, shit’s so 2020’s, pics and vids got you hot and bothered, snagged you hook, line and sinker,

Liked and commented on damn near all her posts, even slid into her DM’s,

Left you on read again and again but your needy self wasn’t having it,

Then it caught your eye, a link in her bio, signed up for it pronto,

It’ll cost money and your dignity, lust and obsession obliterating reason,

Likened yourself to her savior, the one helping to keep her in business,

Burning a hole in your pocket but gotta live up to your calling,

As long as she’s churning out content you remain her willing customer, to hell with the real world and real people, got you a girlfriend even if she’s virtual,

In your mind she’s yours alone despite other gawkers in the ranks,

Y’all vying for her attention but she’s only looking to make bank,

Mad flexing that simp game just to please, feeding her lines topped with extra cheese,

Got you thinking you’re hitting homers but you know not the tricks up her sleeve,

Here she’s responding to you but don’t get carried away,

She don’t want no date, just hawking incentives for your extra pay,

Give an individual power you’ll see their true character,

Stroke the wrong ego then the mask will slip away quickly,

She was sweetness personified but excessive praises flicked a switch,

The pettiness is out along with that toxic celebrity mentality,

No more Miss Nice Girl, get ready to have your world upturned,

Your lovesick platitudes countered with haughty derision, can’t underestimate the chilling power of words,

Treat her like a goddess she’ll treat you like a peasant, just another disposable source of income,

So she turns it up a notch to reward you for your pandering,

Demanding that you prove your devotion through tasks base and humiliating,

At her command you’re acting the fool and debasing yourself in public,

Her taunts cut deep, call it the fallout of your simping,

Gave her your balls on a silver platter for the sake of some phantom relationship,

Sooner or later it’ll hit you, you’ll never have her and you’ll never hit it,

Once you’re used up, cleaned-up and finessed, talk about hard medicine,

You ain’t no alpha or nobleman or king, just a sucker and object of pity,

She’s doing what she can to get by and survive, you chose to be her patsy,

She’s hustling hard like the masses by any means possible,

It’s worked for her with flying colors, for all her faults you can’t stay mad at her,

Don’t hate the player, Bro, you chose to fall victim to the game,

Save your tears once you crash, it’ll only add to the shame,

Lead with your mind next time, keep your dick and ego on the shelf,

Hate to say it, Homie, you’re going out sad, yes, YOU PLAYED YOURSELF.

It’s often said you can’t love another unless you love yourself first,

Being kind to others be child’s play while an inside job requires hard work,

Expectations, everybody’s got ‘em, ain’t no crime not to live up to ‘em,

We’re only human, we win and we falter, fuck ‘em if they’re blind to your genuine efforts,

No two people are the same, differences extend to capabilities, save for rarities and extreme anomalies,

Gifts and natural talents, everybody’s got ‘em, for some immediately apparent, others may search far and wide for it,

But there has to be a balance, hence the existence of weaknesses,

Folks be mad-flexing on the surface, ain’t nobody buyin’ it, behind the scenes secrets heavily guarded,

With dedication they can be corrected, life’s about perpetual growth and learning,

You’ll stumble and fall, too, but you gotta trust the process,

It’s an exercise in futility, tying self-worth to what you can and can’t do,

Why let mistakes and failures totally consume you?

Setbacks are a pain, that much is understandable, but will you take steps towards redemption or chip away and crumble?

Realize, too, there’s always someone better in some aspects, but that don’t mean you’re useless and pathetic,

They may have a greater aptitude for it or perhaps a greater level of experience,

You won’t always have the answers but no shame in admitting temporary ignorance,

And you may dominate in other areas, rout the competition with your abilities,

They’ll look up to you like their idol, yet you’re hung up on perceived deficiencies,

Meanwhile you’re neglecting what you’re blessed with, gotta nurture ‘em or lose ‘em,

What you take for granted you’ll part ways with, don’t let your assets become your losses,

Continue to learn and grow, become a jack of many trades,

Master the ones that matter, but missteps need not end in shame,

You must be brave enough to own ‘em, only then will you be forgiven, then make a conscious effort never to repeat ‘em,

Perfection’s an illusion, to master all things, literally, is an impossibility,

If the key to your self-esteem is their approval, that’s some next-level insanity,

Reclaim your self-worth from the hands of others, they don’t deserve such power,

You’re limited edition, never forget it, fuck ‘em and their expectations,

Twenty four hours in a day, each one nudging you towards the end,

They’re gone forever once elapsed, will you waste ‘em warring with yourself?

Throw off the shackles they’ve placed upon you and the ones self-inflicted,

Live a life that makes you proud first and foremost, only then will you be truly living.

There you go again, daydreaming, same old subjects that the mind’s regurgitating,

Comparing notes, mental inventories of various conquests, fame and former glories,

Not sure if you made the grade, the competition’s rather stiff,

Eyes may roll and heads may shake when they learn with whom you’re competing with,

No this ain’t no classroom shit, this is proper grown-up shit, somehow your missus is your secret competition,

Yeah that’s right, kinda strange ain’t it? First let’s take a history lesson,

Seemed innocuous, that chance encounter, love found between polar opposites,

She was gifted, photogenic, talented, that combination payin’ dividends,

Him from shakier foundations but defied the cynics, haters and the party poopers,

Chance encounter on the subway after hours, protected her from pesky would-be predators,

Got to talking, kept her company ‘til her ride arrived to come collect her,

Exchanged numbers, ain’t missed a chance to steal those precious conversations,

Year and a half together ‘fore he sucked it up and asked her for her hand in marriage,

Lived happily ever after, that one can’t be disputed,

But behind the laughs and tender moments a flame threatens to blow a gasket,

Her earning power, life achievements, public image, they be dwarfin’ all of his,

Got him paranoid that they be judging why she’s the one supporting him,

No he ain’t no hype man, slacker or hangers-on, certainly not some trophy husband,

Dude more than earns his keep, time ain’t dimmed that heart, ethos and the work ethic,

But he can’t outshine her nor outwork her, got him running on that hamster wheel,

Legs churning, hiding to nothing, in his mind he’s still inadequate,

But it don’t have to be that way, step off and count your blessings, bro,

She chose you from a line of suitors, surely you are someone special,

Why focus on perceived deficiencies than what you’re bringin’ to the table?

She’d have dropped your ass if you were useless and certainly if you’re unstable,

Part ways with this toxicity, ain’t nothing noble with going on like this,

Dudes be turning good gals off when they stay petty, childish, immature and jealous,

She’s your wife and not your rival, treating her as such will lead to your unraveling,

In the mirror lies your competition, it’s clichéd but the truth lies there among the drivel,

Fuck what others say ‘cuz if you play it right she’ll always choose to be with you,

That’s the long and short of it and it’s really all that matters, too.

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.