Category: Uncategorised

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.