Category: Uncategorised

Rise and shine, your big day has arrived,

A new day’s breaking, time for that grand entrance, your bio clock’s off and running,

Mom and Pops, they sure were smitten, in their eyes your presence is a blessing,

Though they might be thinking opposites when you’re trolling with their sleeping patterns!

But all jokes aside know that you are loved, that they’ll walk through fire for ya,

To make sure you’re healthy, nourished and a very happy camper,

The significance of what they’re doing doesn’t quite register, but hours from now it will,

Before they know it you’re communicating clearly, moving independently, growing exponentially on the daily, seemingly.

The day progresses, the sun rises further,

Morning at its peak and you’re raring to go, practically bouncing off walls,

Once an infant, now a child, some degree of independence and strength,

Plays right into your favour, those energy levels seem never ending,

Earlier just an infant now a living advertisement of the human body’s capabilities,

Running, crawling, jumping, rolling, throwing, catching, occasionally crying when ya trip then scrape that knee,

Gonna have to start school eventually, it sucks but if it’s any consolation, might seem scary at first but for Ma and Pops also kinda nerve-wracking,

But soon you’ll make friends, find your tribe for life if you’re fortunate,

Might as well be siblings from different parents, doing damn near everything together,

As the minutes turn you’re getting bigger, a growing awareness of the journey ahead of you,

Though the main priority is living a life carefree as young’uns are wont to do,

Besides keeping those grades up and your room tidy, responsibilities confined to fun times with friends and family,

What was exciting hours prior now seems beneath you, you find yourself wishing to be bigger,

Just like your guardians, free from any rules it seems, free to do as they please,

But you’re not privy to their hustling on the daily to keep you happy and healthy,

Some nights coming home drained, yet still making time with you to play,

Checking to make sure you’re head of the class, put you back in line when you’re acting like an ass,

Listen when they tell you never to take these hours for granted,

You’ll find out soon enough, how much clout such advice been carrying.

Closer to midday now, the past few hours have been most kind,

Crossing into teens, a taste of the world once beyond your reach, soon you’ll see, the big ones ain’t driving down Easy Street,

Slapped with more and more responsibilities, life’s no longer loose and carefree,

Those grades a new battleground, better be diligent or you’ll be found out,

Assessments and exams carrying extra heft, outside class you’re likely to make as many enemies as friends,

Some folks be wolves in sheep’s clothing, fading innocence giving way to ruthlessness,

There’s your early taste of politics and manipulation, flexing and comparisons, big folk games that’ll make your head shake,

Popular among the teens, it only gets worse from here, unfortunately,

What your folks done taught and brought you up with in the morning can and will be challenged, will you evolve or remain defiant?

Ma and Pa can only do so much, the world and your surroundings will do their part, where temptations were once of the sweet and sugary type, perhaps a few white lies, might now involve escapades and substances of the harmful, trouble-making type,

Thinking ‘bout the opposite gender, where once they repulsed and repelled, they’ve all but taken over your mind, thoughts of the sweet and nasty kind,

Years behind those gates under the teachers’ care won’t last forever, gotta plan for life outside sooner or later,

To jumpstart what could well be your life’s work or get you a degree first?

Make use of your newfound freedom to venture beyond that comfort zone, see what else the world has to offer,

Go get what you’re worth, have no fear of failure, start over as many times as necessary, the world is your oyster.

Past the midpoint, here comes the afternoon sky,

Drifting further from morning and closer towards night,

Earlier on lived for the material, to fly high your main ambition,

More pals and hangers-on than you can count, living for the present was what life’s all about,

And now it’s sunset and all your treasures are in storage collecting dust,

That circle reduced in circumference, whatever bubble you’d created long gone bust,

No need to be ashamed, it’s part of the journey, look at you now, reinvented through maturity,

Equipped to make moves on your own, Mom and Pops can take a backseat,

Their roles now that of support system than guardian, up to you to dance to your own beat,

Perhaps you’d found someone to call your partner for life, had you some little ones to carry on your legacy,

Maybe you’re flying with no co-pilot, marching to beats suited only to your rhythm,

Those aforementioned little ones the closest that you’ll get to turning back time,

Been there and done that already, you’re more than qualified to be their guide,

Do your job right you can live through ‘em vicariously, maybe turn ‘em onto what lit your world up bright and sparkly,

Hustling day in, day out as your folks once did, lessons they drummed finally sinking in,

Sadly, they might check out at any time, but if they’d raised you right you’ll continue to thrive,

Looking back on earlier hours wistfully, the world seemed pure under the sun’s full bloom,

But nothing gold can stay, so said Mr. Frost, as the sun’s sinking you feel yourself turning grey,

Day’s more or less half-over, minutes ticking by quicker,

They should have told you earlier the more you acquire the shorter your hours,

Never too long in the tooth to learn something new, stay curious if you want to slow down,

Keep in touch with whom you were earlier, they’ll never let you down.

The sun finally sets, blue skies and white clouds melting into dark night,

Been a long day of triumphs and trials, you’d come a long way since sunshine,

The young ones on their own time zone, perhaps got little ones of their own,

Clock’s turned back again, just like that, for you and for them,

The day’s almost over but your time ain’t over yet,

Will you push on and keep rocking or call it a day then set off for bed?

Time may have ravaged you physically, actions once effortless now require some doing,

Others, still, might be trapped in a fog, left a shell of an individual once lively and strong,

Can’t play like you did in the morning, those joints done took a beating, but anything’s possible, still, as long as that spirit’s willing,

Barring life’s intervention these are your second set of golden years,

You’d paid your dues, that ticker’s still good, might as well go out in a blaze of glory,

Never stop learning or growing, not until St. Pete comes calling,

Stay hungry, curious and willing as you’d been in the morning,

Break the rules, defy the cynics and doomsayers, you needn’t be confined to your rocker,

Be of service while you’re able, that belt has room for extra notches,

Give ‘em miles to recall once you’re finally laid to rest, it’ll be genuine tears shed for a life well-led,

Fly high now, knowing that you did all that,

Your day ends, more new ones begin, the cycle continues like it always has.

They say you can’t lead a horse to water then force it to drink,

Such a saying done forced yours truly to sit down and think,

Better to teach one to fish than catch it for ‘em every day, to take them under your wing until they can spread theirs then fly away,

But resistance is a possibility and in this case it’s kinda scary,

When they ain’t open to learning ‘cuz a free ride’s appealing,

When there’s zero progress because they couldn’t care less,

When the entitlement is such that they’d rather you do the rest,

To hunt and gather day after day to get them a good feed, shoulder the heavy loads until those joints creak,

Give them an inch and they’ll give you a mile, such sentiments rings true,

Tired of pulling their own weight, for all the hard yakka they’re turning to you.

Seemed like a dream when we’d finally reconnected,

Residing in different parts of the ocean, low-key forgot that the other party existed,

One big happy fam again it seemed, the honeymoon period seemed never-ending,

Should’ve done this sooner, the lateness now yours truly is regretting,

The turning point seemed innocuous but should have braced for impact,

Looking back should have severed ties there and then, that’s a sad fact,

You asked your boy for a hefty favour, even through drastic means,

Even if it meant a potential run-in with the authorities,

Opened the floodgates, others rushed in with so-called favours,

Quickly became clear that one man alone bore their expectations,

That’s to be the payroll, no ifs or buts, time and time again,

No problem too big, let him foot the bills, dude be living the life and they all want a slice,

Promised to reimburse but ain’t nothing guaranteed, funny how when it’s time to collect they suddenly disappear,

They think he got it figured out, that he’s swimming in green,

Such sentiments couldn’t be more wrong, let’s make some things clear.

They say you shouldn’t judge someone by where they came up,

No two origin stories are the same, to make assumptions would be insane,

Applies, too, to those they say got all the breaks,

Ain’t just dudes from the ‘hood slapped with labels insensitive and crude,

Some folks seem blessed many times over, the ones that fortune smiled upon,

But they, too, aren’t immune to struggles, bad luck strikes ‘em now and then,

You’d think they can escape any trap unscathed but that’s where you’re mistaken,

Could fumble the bag at any time, perhaps burn priceless bridges while they’re at it,

Health could slide at any moment, not to mention the all-conquering rising costs of living,

Hate to break it to you but that money pit ain’t as bottomless as you think,

More to the point it ain’t yours to abuse, no one believes a liar crying ‘wolf.’

Got your back should you ever run into strife,

By that we’re talking ‘bout the catastrophic type, those that require an army by your side,

Yes, your daily struggles dwarf those of the ones that you’re begging from again,

But it would be a stretch to suggest that yours are situations that are life and death,

If anything you embellish the truth just to get that loot so you can live large on someone else’s funds, read that again and tell me it ain’t fucked up,

We’re giving you plenty yearly so what’s your damn hurry?

Please don’t say you’d burned right through the last damn bags already,

Never needed handouts prior, did this renewed connection change things?

Live within your means if you want to live like kings and queens,

It’s strange how you remain invisible unless you need some bread,

Was contact initiated purely to keep those ever-expanding bellies fed?

Sorry, but it doesn’t work that way,

If this is a game your boy ain’t gonna play,

You ain’t keeping me boxed up in case of emergencies only,

Trapped in a lamp like your very own genie,

Got my own problems like the rest of ‘em, can’t take on too many external burdens,

Take responsibility for your own and face ‘em, like you did back when we were virtual strangers.

Hate to sound callous but should you reach the end of this rope your boy ain’t hanging on ‘til his palms rip, he’s letting that shit go,

Got no use for leeches that try to drain, life itself’s already a pain,

Those that ride with you should be ones that revitalise and empower you,

Flip the script and see how you like it, you really don’t want such problems,

Folks you know made it on their own, why not follow their examples?

You descended from hard-workers and survivors, why not use them as a personal reference?

You’re still better off than others where you’re at yet you’re ducking responsibilities like a brat,

Get up from your knees and hustle, keep moving and moving ‘til the wheels fall,

The view atop that mountain will be sweeter than if you got there on someone else’s time and effort,

That’s enough ranting for today, ain’t nothing personal unless you make it so,

Really hope we can stay on course, but if not it’ll be your fault, Sorry but this bank’s closed.

For most of my life been a loner, no platoon with this soldier,
Took my lumps but I’m still standing, got this far let’s keep moving,
Felt freedom in solitude on good days, thinking ‘fuck the world’ during bad,
Perhaps the latter’s exaggerated, I don’t carry hate and malice like that,
Not without friends and family, very much love them dearly,
Just would rather business be privy to no one but me,
Yet life’s very axis turned upon your arrival, in ways unanticipated,
Irrevocably it seemed, the impact damn near broke The Richter.

Never really was one for companionship, never bought into the concept,
Came out the womb alone, will leave this world the same, decided that it’s destiny, certain that it was fate,
Neither scared nor aloof, it ain’t like that at all,
Life in the shadows is where I’m home, different strokes for different folks,
Wasn’t one to catch feelings, hasn’t happened often,
They say it’s hubris and I hate to make excuses, this game ain’t for the faint-hearted,
People showing true colours too late, it’s quite exhausting weeding out snakes,
Folks would sooner destroy than uplift one another, who wants to be around such behaviour?
As Trent and Johnny sang, everyone goes away in the end,
It’s a big bad world out there, more often than not we crash and burn in the end.

Crossed paths one day, looks like we caught the same wave,
Going our own ways in life, our paths done intertwined in time,
Somehow got to talking, somehow formed a connection,
Awkward in the beginning but thank God we pushed through it,
Your boy made like Prince Akeem after the first kiss, like him gave no shits that the neighbours were pissed,
Many chapters later asked the magic question while on bended knee, then came the ceremony, time crawled and zoomed simultaneously,
How on earth did we get here? All of this seems a dream,
But that’s life, I guess, no such thing as guarantees.

I’d need additional digits to count the ways you leave me awed and amazed,
Could wax lyrical day and night, page after page,
The world’s a brighter place thanks to your very presence in it,
You’re supportive yet assertive, keeping it real and unfiltered,
Not afraid to speak up when I mess up, unoffended when roles are inverted,
Disagreements are inevitable, life will throw challenges, but we’ll get through ‘em all together,
You’re my safe space when times get tough, I’m glad to be the same for ya,
Can’t imagine a life now where I’d never ever met ya,
Previously hard-pressed to trust one another, viewed the world as grey and monochrome,
Your love and warmth done thawed the ice within this individual, jaded and cold,
Every day an opportunity for further self-improvement, to be the type that you deserve,
Love and respect can’t be bought or cajoled, they can only be earned,
Likewise it’s a treat to watch you grow and evolve, to help you achieve your goals,
I’ll keep it one hundred with you, pick you up when you fall, both sides
putting in work,
I savour your warm hugs, hope you love kisses to your forehead and crown,
You’re my ride or die for life through all the ups and the downs.

But this is just pure fantasy, we ain’t even met yet,
Chances are fifty-fifty, a sure bet’s non-existent,
An encounter might occur sooner or later, perhaps it already has,
But neither party had a clue, life don’t offer cues,
The song won’t last forever, gotta step up and join the dance,
Even if you go alone, leave it on the floor until you’re called home,
Would be glorious if these musings become reality, but no such thing as absolute certainty,
But if not then no point getting mad, maybe it was the master plan.

It was a bolt from the blue that shocked the entire system,

Trouble was brewin’ but still you never saw it coming,

Looking back now on those good ol’ days, the contrast is heartbreaking,

It was laughs and good times galore, signs of a rock-solid unit,

The guardians loved one another, you and the sibs their little tribe of miscreants,

Experienced highs and lows like everyone, got back on track after every single one,

Fractured unions now a frequent occurrence but had faith Mom and Pops won’t be one of them,

Then cracks started forming on the surface, smiles rare as diamonds, as time went on and on the future seemed less certain,

Fast forward to the present Mom was glued to the tube while you were messing with the sibs,

Pops wasn’t home, still out on a work trip,

Seemed like good old-fashioned normalcy, a typical Sunday evening,

Then came the berg that sunk the vessel beneath the ocean.

Shouldn’t have been unexpected, been sailing over rough seas lately,

More than a few storms, took ‘em longer to get back on course,

Even what was trivial served as kindling for raging fires,

Old remedies failed to extinguish ‘em, their once undeniable chemistry nothing short of dire,

Still felt like a gut punch from Tyson, nobody likes to lose a parent,

You and the sibs been drifting due to changing interests, nothing like sorrow to get you reunited,

All the while you wonder, as their first-born, how the one you once looked up to, who clothed, provided for and raised you, could up and leave just like that, without a farewell hug at that?

Just a simple text message, talk about insincere, so much for precious memories from the past twenty years,

On the subject of familial breakdowns, night after night prayed you’d never join the club,

But life had other plans for ya, shit is totally fucked up.

You were thrust the unofficial role of co-pilot, Ma can only do so much on her own,

Fresh out of teens, still unsure of your life’s goals, forced into a new role, spat into a world that devours even the bold,

Work turns out to be your safe haven, a distraction from your current situation,

Away from the anguish and bitterness in equal measures, reminders of unwanted changes,

The daily commute serves as a time of reflection, though not in a way that begets enlightenment,

Rather to purge the heart and mind of inner pain and sadness, why did it have to come to this?

Got you contemplating the dark side, embrace many a broken soul’s vices,

But deep down you knew better, for all their faults they didn’t raise a fool and delinquent,

Still, the inner anger got you thinking foolish temptations,

Must be draining to go through pain alone while the world remains happily oblivious,

Misery loves company but strength of mind ain’t having it,

Gotta stay on the straight and narrow, new responsibilities require you to do so.

The fake smiles mask internal tears, got you wondering how many years before the pain subsides if at all, after all, this was one of your worse fears,

Happy fam snatched away just like that, what happened to their chemistry from the past?

Been caught in storms before, no one makes it out bone-dry,

Time and time again they made it to the other side, sometimes different brollies were required, but damn it they got out of them alive,

Then you have the mental gymnastics nothing short of soul-sapping,

You resent ‘em for blowing it, for taking away from you a complete support system,

Takes two to tango, the handiwork’s barely one-sided, but to the one that played deserter the blame is compounded,

Bitter feelings are inevitable, can’t believe he walked away,

Feeling angry, scared and betrayed, will life ever be the same?

Should’ve been here to show the way, act as your guide through life,

But now he ain’t and you don’t know why, just that he left y’all high and dry,

Fangs are out for her, too, for making mountains out of mole hills,

On his case constantly for even the most useless things, who wants to put up with that shit?

Juxtaposed against the love that offspring naturally feel for their parents,

Can try to deny it but can’t simply just forget about it,

The sacrifices made for you and your sibs, through grown eyes you recognize all of this,

Couldn’t get to where you are present had they not hustled hard for it,

As far as parenting you couldn’t ask for better, they raised you and the sibs proper,

Insulated y’all from all manner of harm and danger, guided y’all through your problems,

In many ways you kids were privileged and for that you ought to stay grateful for it,

When all’s said and done they still deserve their flowers, recent occurrences can’t and won’t erase ‘em,

So now you’re left in this conundrum, though the betrayal cuts deep,

Opposing feelings on extreme ends of the scale, haunts you damn near every night before you sleep.

So ends another day, mask on while slogging through work,

Shelved it upon arriving home, life with fam now seems rather awkward,

Before the hard part hit you, that would be the hours before bed,

Hearing sibs and mother crying, their means of purging, the sound reverberates around your head,

Trying to stay strong for their sake, takes every ounce of your being,

Nodding off, finally, a brief respite from grief and uncertainty,

Times are tough right now, Kid, but soldier on and you’ll be fine,

It’s ok to feel sad or mad, to ask and wonder why,

Life took a different turn, certainly one that’s mind-boggling,

Just know you aren’t to blame for it, not all unions go the distance,

Keep a strong front if you must, the younger sibs need someone to hold onto,

Even Momma’s struggling hard, she, too, needs a rock to cling to,

Break down if you must, let the tears fall, don’t keep it bottled up,

On your lonesome, too, if you don’t want them to see you broken and torn up,

Remember that winners never quit and quitters never win, don’t let nothing break you,

He taught you that long ago and it will always ring true,

Speaking of lessons, you can still learn from ‘em, too,

How not to communicate with your significant other, the one with whom you vowed to live happily ever after,

Not to sweat the small stuff, match your emotions with the matter,

Getting hot over the irrelevant, such behaviour does not serve to flatter,

To never quit on one another, they were supposed to be in it together,

For every problem there’s a solution, might take some effort but eventually you’ll find it,

But if the fairytale ends, if somehow it didn’t last, surely there’s better ways to part that ain’t cold, abrupt and crass,

Though you’d rather forget this particular chapter, do file it for reference later,

There’s not telling where life might take you, might find yourself in situations similar,

Until then just carry on, though it’s hard, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,

Step up and thrive where they’d stumbled, you still have a bright future.

Afternoon strolls, always a favorite pastime of mine,

Sunnies on, head up, no chitchat, nothing to break my strides,

Saw him from the corner of my eye, out and about on his lonesome,

A significant figure from my past, been almost twenty since we saw each other last,

Had to do a double take, surely these eyes must be tricking,

Not much ‘bout him changed, save for some subtle signs of ageing,

Some greys here and there, lines near the eyes, hadn’t seen him since graduation,

That’s more than twenty years, I wonder if he remembers who I am?

Only one way to find out, gonna run up on this dude,

It’s now or never, excuse the attitude, hope he won’t think I’m crude.

“Hey, Bud. Remember me?”

A smile spread across his features, this surely was a random encounter,

“Hey, how’ve you been? So good to see you,”

“Ain’t nothing changed, Brother, seems like the same for you too,”

We walked for a while, exchanging war stories from our lives,

Sat down on a bench eventually, chopped it up ‘til the sun started disappearing,

Seemed like old times once more, but then it occurred to me,

Something different about him now, of the type rather sad and melancholy,

Change is inevitable, no one is spared,

It’ll do its work as the time passes, better go with it or be left in the ashes,

But it ain’t always sunshine and rainbows, the good and the bad come together,

Enhancing some aspect of our lives while deteriorating others,

In his case he seemed to have it all, working his dream job and generally having a ball,

But his demeanour seemed unfamiliar, at least from the kid that I’d known before.

He was positivity personified during years past,

Up for fun and laughs at the drop of a hat, couldn’t get cooler than that,

In the present he seems bitter, not talking so much as ranting,

Harbouring bitterness and hatred in seemingly equal measures,

Seemingly contemptuous at what once set his soul aflame,

Sure, we acquire knowledge and changed interests along the way, from birth ‘til death we rarely stay the same,

The contrast, still, of the past and the present was kind of sad and disturbing,

‘Is this really the same dude? Or just someone with more than a passing resemblance?’

Still, we continued to converse, most of it spent reminiscing on the past,

Every once in a while bursting into fits of belly laughs.

Time flew, soon it was time to get going,

Agreed to meet up again but such sentiments seem to mean nothing,

Life gets busy after all, we keep moving different directions,

We may cross paths again but fat chance of that happening,

Probably for the best, what I’d learned about him left me kinda depressed,

What happened to my friend? From sunshine to cloud the dude fell off the deep end,

Once upon a time could talk to him about anything,

At times found myself tip-toeing ‘round eggshells during our little reunion,

Was tempted to ask him what brought about this transformation,

But better to leave the proverbial can closed, don’t want to clean up the contents,

If this is it then perhaps it’s best to wish him well, even if we’re strangers once more,

Hold on tight to memories of when we were small, teammates and brothers of sorts.