Saturday, December 22, 2007

Home for the Holidays

I hug my father at the airport
Daddy;
so much warmer in person
spent all year searchin'
here, at last, a hug with built in support

couldn't stand the cold outside
but i was never alone
was lost but walking home
learning from the tears i cried

what a relief it is to pee
and just to be!! to be!!!
licked my wounds
wrote new tunes
and lived free!

so many cities
short on pity
but the numbers dont lie
so the devil must have been I

that it hurts to love
or that i love to hurt
could have filled up on hope
but came back for dessert
continued my search
and in that hug i found the truth:

that even when it feels the farthest
home is always where the heart is.





Happy holidays, folks!!!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Questions of motive

no can find me shoes
never followed rules
so how we lose?

nah me humbug deep
who gon' sing me 'sleep?
thot you mine for keep

why you make me fool?
me no learn in school
but never treat cruel

built you home
so where you gone?
me bleedin stone

countin every hour
how de time pass sour
wid' out me only flower

questions of motive
got no one to believe
for dis, can never forgive

Monday, December 03, 2007

To my muse

I'm going to tell you everything
cos if i continue to hold it in
i'll explode!
I'm going to go down this road
then hold my breath
either way i face certain death

I'm going to tell you about your smile
actually, your laughter
this might be a disaster
but it cant wait anymore
i'm going to open this door
and say i cant NOT think of you
i've tried to play it cool
but if i dont break the rules
and take this chance
i might forever kill romance

I'm going to tell you about my heart
how i gave it away and had it ripped apart
and how i reciprocated such pain
if romance dies you share the blame
i'm gonna say... i hope i find the words
just wanna get to know you
understand you and what you go through
and find out how to fix what hurts

I'm gonna do it, i'm gonna call you... no!
i'm gonna find you and tell you so
there's so much built up i just have to let go
it might backfire but i have to try this
i'm going to tell you... once i'm over my laryngitis...

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Crave'er

I watched her last night
how the breeze danced with her hair
and i thought: how unfair
the disparity between good and right
that if one chanced upon a lotus bud
imprisoned within the the thickest mud
you'd have to leave it be and risk it moulding
hoping nature sees to its petals unfolding

i craved'er

yearned to engrave'er on my skin
burned to enslave'er from within
as I am enslaved with her

I watched her eyes, her smile, her lips and
craved'er as i never should
she, stuck in the mud, and I, in quicksand
not right, but potentially good

Her eyes, her breasts,
her thighs, the rest...
I craved'er as one might a lotus
her hips, her lips
i tried my best
to crave'er and ignore what i'd noticed

that same disparity which plagued me all night
bearing knowledge that wore down my will
that to do not what's good but what is right
the best move is to hold still.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Terrific Tuesday

Oh, my girl tuesday!
i'm short on what to say
to keep it going
I feel something inside
i'm at pains to explain
constantly growing
bubbling out of control
out of space
love everything about your face
when you smile
heaping piles
piling heaps
you sometimes smile
while you sleep
but, my girl tuesday
while your counting sheep
i'm working on your next big laugh
plotting graphs
painting giraffes
whatever it takes to make
you feel funny and free
tickle your tummy
pickles in honey
unleashing the easter bunny in me
anything to beckon your laughter
because, my girl tuesday
your glee is all i'm after.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Twilight

Clandestine mechanisations
push you into this life
as mortal realisation
reels me out

learn to push harder
in the quest for self preservation
adapt gills, grow wings
and be callous

what if we switched seats?
to be reborn complete
what an unfair advantage
to hold the world at ransom

it would drive one mad
steady yourself for battle
take a deep breath
ignore my death rattle

Monday, November 19, 2007

Lost Water-casks

We hurt

nothing else makes us human
so im angry
frustration festers like gangrene
this cant be what i'm fighting for
heavens, say there's more

i want to believe again
but where is my shepherd?
reality's got me untethered
the darkness leaning in
i just want to be weak
we are kidney stones
in the belly of a freak

the hurt is all we own

love is all we speak
but when that love is grown
it will sprout a leak
dont stain your shirt
evolve
because flirt or hurt
the world will revolve

Friday, November 16, 2007

Shortcut to Control

If i could stare at her B-O-O-B-S
why couldnt i see he was gon' O.D. next?
who'll read his eulogy?
does charity come as hard to you as it do to me?
could be a father to someone, he's just a dude to me
a dude whose only ambition was to get spare change
yeah like i'm in position to judge this fair, man
maybe my indecision's what put him there then
i never offered assistance or a caring hand
i stayed focused on her melons
yeah i got probs too but i dont sell em
if a man robs you that man's a felon
but if this dude robbed me i wouldnt "go to hell" him
i wouldnt wanna fell him
his tree's already down, i aint got the heart to tell him
he'll get help but not from me
he checked out screaming, "can you see?"

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Sculpt 'er

I am MAN
you ricochet
sculpt me with your hands
as you pull away
sculpt me into ice
withdraw while you entice
but you need to be loosed
ripened seed bursting with juice
one taste
why waste a good tease?
you have me on my knees
sculpt my face
i wont stand for play
converting me to your way
exposing me to your culture
i wont learn
i can wet where you burn
for i am your sculpt 'er

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Lovers Anonymous

She gets up to dress
somewhere in the process
i turn a page
when does one reach the age
where animal lust wont suffice?
perhaps this is my price
for cheapening love into a carnal indiscretion
for purchasing it like some second hand possession
oh! how fitting that my price would be so measly
but even beasts in the wild tire of being beastly
so here's to being tamed
could i learn to love her without learning her name?
could she ever love me?
it might lose its appeal if love was free

I watch her carry on as if in reverse
panties back on, then fake jewelery, the dress and her purse
its the strangest sensation
hating the sin but enjoying temptation
craving the unconditional safety of her loins
a mirage, she knows only the weight of my coin
couldn't i learn to love this lady of the night?
maybe i might
love should never have to be a secret
whats it worth if its only valuable to those who keep it?

She's smiling at me now to say she's leaving
about to walk out on me, satisfied yet still needing
i spring off the bed and take hold of her arm
the truth is best now that there's no need for charm
would i give my true self to this shameless vixen?
maybe its the post coital hormones i've got mixing
up with feelings of any real substance
you cant sniff out true passion yet they claim "love stinks"!
what would they say if we became a couple?
could i handle the jocular pressure and social trouble?
i'd never feel secure with another guy near her
how much I seem like a prostitute in the mirror

I declare i want more
she pecks my cheek
doesn't speak
just opens and shuts the door.

Monday, November 05, 2007

The Cure: Afterlife

I permeated through the light
doused in anxious curiosity
nothing we create glows so bright
as this next-world beyond animosity
and what a marvel to behold!
how much it threw into perspective
that from first gargle to when we grow old
we are rendered communally defective

so when i surfaced in my own nirvana
i was inundated with a chorus of colours
that i inhaled like celestial marijuana
untainted by the burdens of others
and as i recalled Mr Frost's "yellow wood"
i couldn't help but feel secure
maybe heaven was blissful solitude
for here, at last, i'd found a cure

Saturday, November 03, 2007

The Cure: Purgatory

I march into the wild
hunting God like an insolent child
throat parched
soul starving
footsteps carving history
as i delve deeper into the mystery
but i'm more furious than curious
why do You have to test me, Lord?
I'm not enough
You have to go biblical
and replace my umbilical
with an investment chord?
I'll call your bluff
cos i'm though proving myself
until i see something pure
You say keep the faith
but i have to be sure
how long can one be asked to endure
without the promise of a miracle?
no, i have to be sure before i turn spiritual
I want to see some wings
some "thing" that will leave no doubt
i want to believe what You're about
but i need to be made sure
i'm dying, heaven send me a cure

Thursday, November 01, 2007

The Cure: Life is now

There's not enough mornings for all the birds in the trees
be sure to taste every new breath that you breathe
and be happy
life is now, life is happenin'
say "yes to love" and "no to war"
forget trying to explain what you're living for
just be nice
smile at the rain and enjoy your rice
life is now and time is fleeting
dont waste the rhythm of your heart beating
there's no answers so ignore the questions
give no advice and laugh at suggestions
just be good
live today as tomorrow wishes you would
be sure to dance
LOOK at the stars, dont simply glance
just be pure
this world isnt ours but life has a cure

Sunday, October 28, 2007

The Mixtape

Look to the sky
He aint comin back
i've had the Big Guy on repeat
since my opening track
and He aint missed a beat
just letting us flow
how's He supposed to nurture us
without letting us grow
and be true to our mistakes?
He just threw us on the mixtape
and yet we fixate on resurrection
you'll find on further inspection
of the illest rhyme
the unmistakable connection
between skill and time
so just keep on spittin knowledge
when it feels like freedom is abolished
and scattered love has turned to fixed hate
remember: He threw us on the mixtape
to polish our lyrics
and if you find the truth in the booth
call it your spirit
lock it down so it never gets loose
call others to hear it
and as long as you're near it
look to the sky for He who wept
He ain't comin' back cos He never left.


*Keep seeking your truth.... J.R.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Watch 'er

She must be a dancer
well.... aren't they all?
it baffles me
that her feet could be so small
and the rest so soft
would she notice me if i coughed?
then what next?
i watch 'er knowing its wrong
but for the briefest flash
the hollowness is gone
and i begin to rise
she should have closed the door
i hover about the floor
before i lift my eyes
to watch 'er knowing she's wrong
to share that most private touch
she knows where i belong
but now she's sharing too much
she could have shut me out
yet she chose to share
i watch 'er knowing she knows i'm there
witnessing her show
in my conflicted despair
i find the room to grow
and wonder if i should raise my voice
do i come clean and let my manhood diminish?
or do i cower in silence and let her finish?
i watch 'er knowing my choice...

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Whispers (Affairs in The Office Chapter 3)

"(Its a gamble...)
I have no clue what i'm about to say
and if you want to leave, i'll move out your way
but i believe every man has the right to ramble
i mean if its something that could rescue a soul
then its important, right?
its okay to look stupid if on the whole
stupidity wins the fight

And you're out of sight

What i mean is i hate this place,
this job, this life, this face
my friends, my clothes and that goddamned work space!!
i hate who i am in a place like this
is it mad to believe you can be saved by a kiss?
I hate everything about this office
but here i stand
much as i'd hoped but not like i planned
where i dream of being everyday
next to you not knowing what to say

except that you're the "why"

cant put this right no matter how much i try
but i've seen the parts of you that hurt
you see, we come to work
and instinctively perform
yet maybe something in us refuses to conform
like how you hum to yourself even though its forbidden
and all your desk ornaments that you keep so well hidden
i'm not even spying on you from where i sit
just been searching for a reason and i know you're it
why keep coming here if it fills me with hate?
why take on extra loads and stay to work late?
why put myself though all that work puts me through?

why even bother? well that "why" is you

if i'm freakin you out, i'll be done in a minute
they say nothings worth doing if its got no love in it
cant carry this around any more on my chest
its so rare that i'm with you away from the rest
but i've been dying to tell you that when we're alone
well home..., you feel like home..."

Monday, October 22, 2007

Coffee Break (Affairs in The Office Chapter 2)

We felt it coming
but what went down between these two?
No one saw so no one knew
but they looked stunning
when they waltzed out of that copy room
floating like cotton candy in the air
thinking they're clever
that they can play their little game forever
ok, we dont know what happened cos we werent there
but something changed
something strange and mystical
befell this pair
and, as always, we missed it all
her with her ruffled hair
and his stupid grin
cant wait for the rumors to begin
then we'll see, this love cant last
no one saw and no one asked
waiting till the last minute of the coffee break
i bet they waited till every fibre of their bodies ached
till every sensation pointed in one direction
thats probably when they burst into unlawful affection
that we never saw and we never heard
all we know is he wooed her with words
thats how the rumors began to disperse
all that we know is there were whispers...

Monday, October 15, 2007

Con-grad-ulations

Finally made it...



Limbo
so i've heard them refer to it
when you're stuck about what to do with
your life after grad
"I'd like to thank my mom and dad..."



this is a party
and i hardly want to think about
the world that fills me with doubt
lets have some food
to get us in the mood



we all gotta make moves



what this grad serves to prove
is that we are champions
even when we're afraid



my dues are paid
my bags are packed
dj bring that beat back
i wanna get funky



but what next?
life is just a ruse
i say we break out the booze
and cheers to the rest



passed the start but far from the end
this is where life begins for me
well not "me" but my dearest, bestest friend
whom i affectionately call DC



oh no, i'm not even close to that degree
even goldilocks here is closer than me!



and lets not undermine the future seeds



and liquor them up soon as they can breathe



no, i spent my time on the sidelines admiring this world



and i realised its so damn full of beautiful girls...



all of heaven's gorgeous pearls



bubble wrapped stars comin out at night



it turns out Sean Kingston was absolutely right:



they're way too beautiful, these girls



life's a joy ride until we're awake



for now i say be happy and eat cake



you made it!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

The Partition (Affairs in the Office Chapter 1)

She sits a cubicle away
untouchable
he dreams of her all day
wishing he could find some excuse
some trivial question he could put to use
as an icebreaker
he wonders if she knows
how heavenly she glows
his life saver
and if she hears his heart pound
each time she comes around
his work area
how to speak his mind without scaring her....

She sits in her cubicle
imprisoned
longing to be with him
burning a hole through the partition
that keeps him at bay
nervously revising her mission
of finding the right thing to say
cant speak of the butterflies he sends to her gut
gotta be careful to not seem a slut
but will he respond to a flirt?
how to put herself out there without getting hurt....


they meet at the coffee break
determined....

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Rock Garden

Learn to take for granted
seeds you planted
and might have to watch burn

just tell her

choose and lose
the unfair
but who's to win
if you cant begin
to stand there
and say the words

"you're the best part of my day"

dont live astray
give way to hope
bite your lip and just plunge
offer her a coke
or whatever she wants to sip
she might say

"Quench my thirst"

you wont be the first
to get drenched in hurt
so ball up your fist
and weigh which is worse
to stay benched
or take the risk

play her music

how can you move if
you choose not to dance
you cant lose it
till you take the chance
to stop staring at clocks
and wonder whats pullin' em
grow some rocks
life is full of 'em

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Martha's Law

Her handbag's full
worry worms its way out the flap
can she handle the crap?
late for school

lawyer's shoes
make room for lawyers' blues
but she's got guts
rolls with the bruises and cuts

tumbles till time gives way
they'll hear what she has to say
for will can change the world
keep your eyes on this girl

not so shy, not so scared
late for class but came prepared
i feel the struggles that you go through
might stay home but i'm right there with you



*For our girl.... lady... for our LADY Martha; not just for the styling tips but for not forgetting us S.6. vaccists. Love you girl, keep your head up and i'm here if ever you need me. (Except in the morning cos i'm sleeping and sometimes in the afternoon cos i gotta nap and not too late into the night cos i gotta get my beauty sleep, but any other time....oh and NOT weekends or holidays cos thats my me-time.... but any OTHER time) "Vie tes reves et reve pas ta vie!"

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Fear of flying

flies for friends
was a time when i could fly to the end
of time and space
now there's too much spit in my face
their love was just a charade
no parades unless you're saving the world
only infantile insults hurled
but you wont see me hoping,
its gone, I'm broken

papers printing prophecies
even my shadow wont talk to me
evolved to obsolete
cant taste the food i eat
because i'm a waste of space
and they spit too much spit in my face
if you cant fly fast
the past doesnt count
only the world around
you jump, its just you and the ground
i cant save lives
its gone and i dont know why

ever expanding evidence
havent slept a wink ever since
they began to build their case
i deserve the wrath but not spit in the face
they used to think i was beautiful
when i could fly
they'd look up to the sky
and marvel but i was just being dutiful
until i let her slip away
if you cant fly fast enough
then you better sit and stay
like a good dog, be rough
cos one slip can cost you everything
you jump not knowing what heaven brings
or what hell presents
my love is gone and i make no sense

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Car ride ( the jitters part 1)

Blue and white balloons
we better get there soon
before i lose my nerve
driver hits an awkward curve
and has to swerve around a kid in the street

lucky child with the world at his feet
i mean i love her
cant stand her family, ESPECIALLY that crazy brother
(its mutual)
but i love her, nothing there unusual
however... are we ready?
am I?
there's so much-... gwe, where are you heading?
driver gives me that eye
probably knows whats intoxicated my mind
"maybe we wont make it in time"

i love her but i'm not yet "there"
its been nothing but weeks of "blue and white balloons"
"purple or pink streamers?" i dont care!
but i'd better start to care soon....

Relapse

Its been several months and countless days
since my last drink
I'd say its toughest pulling off the freeways
when i have to think:

will i make it home tonight?

amidst an infestation of bars
resisting a temptation i dont want to fight
its toughest alone in my car
when all that stands between you and i
is that moral conundrum of: do or die?

you are my catch-22

its not fair how you tease me every night
why cant easy ever be right?
i gotta keep it together
my sponsor says i'm getting better
healing that cut sore
but what for?
give you up and then.... whats the point?
i only ever felt at home in a cheap gin joint
only ever felt loved in your arms
how can i be asked to give up your charms?

The babies
thats whose keeping me strong
without booze steering me wrong
i can fight the urge on the daily
cos soon i'm going to be a father
gotta keep you away if i'ma make it
so i drive passed, not cos i'm not bothered
its that i've taught myself how to fake it.

Friday, September 28, 2007

The first good sex

We've begun to change forever
stripped away the protective padding
exposing the real
i sit up in bed subtracting and adding
the way i feel
about us continuing this together

The curse of the first good taste
now i know who you truly are
not just the job you hate or the cool car
i know your dirty laundry, your favourite channel
you're this living, breathing, feeling mammal
hell, i know your choice of toothpaste!

It was fine before we knew
when i was still falling in love with you
no worries
but tonight i sampled your soul
with no hurries
we took our time
establishing rhythm and rhyme
as i began to devour you whole
and i recall, right before you climaxed,
tensions heightened
for a second you looked almost frightened
then your body tightened and let loose
the exotic flavour of your love juice,
and in my mind, i asked:

Is this the end?

You have begun to change forever
looking at you, i dont see my friend
i see a change in the weather
we can never go back
after the first good sex
we cant just ignore that
i am me and you do what you do best
but not yet
tonight we were free
we'll change, but will we regret?
not me
cos you whispered something, in your look of fright
you said: "Thank you for being in love with me tonight."

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Masquerading Hippie

Corrugated iron roofing
locked gate with burglar proofing
leave me out of it
i want to go home

protest fire illuminates the night
but i wont stay for this fight
we missed our revolution
skepticism dressed as evolution
give me my things
and i go home

4 by 2 and a half foot work space
you think they read humility in my face
or is it clearly humiliation?
masquerading hippie in a square nation
rebel without a clue
child was starving, what could i do?
i sold out for a loaf of bread
should i have been a poor husband instead?

on the frontlines with you chucking slogans
"make love not war" or "free fucking; no guns"?
i sold out to support my fam
there's no rallies on how to be a man
i sold you out without putting up a fight
so i could get home to my wife and kid tonight

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Trying Interlude (The Love Rocks album)

Tryyyyyying

Tryyyyyyying

You got me
Tryyyyyyyying

Tryyyyyyying

I'm trying not to stare
trying not to care
about the way you're makin' me feel
inside

I'm trying not to show
but if i dont let you know
tonight
i'ma wonder all my life


listen....

Track 05 (The Love Rocks album)

...Had to be sure you knew

I've been lookin
but i'd never really seen
no, i wasnt blind
though i might as well have been

cos now that i see you
oooooh, how i need these eyes
why dont you slip on this see through
and just blow my mind

Lets get together
i wanna know you from you head to your feet
we'll stir the weather
with the storm we create when we meet
i'm talkin lightning bolts
a thousand volts
of steamy electricity
i'ma flood your dams
with the tip of my hands
baby when you meet with me

That spot on your neck
is what got me on it
now there's no turnin back
'less thats how you want it

cos i'm willin to do
whatever does it for you
lady when i get with you
its gonna be breakfast for 2


Lets get together
I wanna love you from your head to your feet
we'll change the weather
with the sounds we create when we meet
i'm talking lightning bolts
a thousand volts
of steamy electricity
i'ma flood your dams
with these here hands
baby if you just meet with me

lightning bolts
a thousand volts
of steamy sextricity
i'ma flood your dams
girl look at these hands
baby just meet with me
only when you meet with me
you'll never know till you meet with me

Monday, September 24, 2007

Track 07 (The Love Rocks album)

She's no angel, but she dont have to be
when she's mad at me
i'm still glad to be
part of who she is
she is who i live
i am who she is
this is proof of His
divine inspiration
she's my creation
and i'll fight for her
cos i want a life with her
i'm not always right with her
but i'm right for her
and we make it work
i know love can hurt
but i think its worth
all the tears we cry
and all the times we try
just to see her smile

cos without her i was nothing

hear me out, i aint bluffing
said without her i'm nothing
yes she turned me into something
something major
thats why i gave her
all i had to give
love her as i live
maybe she aint got no wings
but she's my everything

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Man fulfilled

Here i am
steady your stones
i take loans
you break bones
this hurt is my recurring need
its worth it to nurture one's seed

I am here
void of fear
icy steel in my heart
long as i play my part
i cant be killed
this is man fulfilled

Deal your blow
i'll watch him grow
to justify all that i gave
he is master, i am slave
bargain terms now made clear
was i ever really here?

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Eating for two

He doesnt move
brotha cant
breath turns to pant
and the room is spinning
world closing in
options thinning
tick tock
dude is screwed

Waitress eyes him from the counter
"fool better have my money"
she forgets all the static 'round her
and closes in on this dummy

"Thats 12.50, sir, plus tax"
brotha is deaf and blind
any other time
he'd be plotting to wax that ass
but fatherhood schools fools
he just stares at the empty seat
the emptiness of defeat

"Sir! Hey sir!
I got shit to do and kids to feed"
he doesnt hear her
others' wounds dont bleed
when all the pain in the world is his
"Sir you need to handle your biz."

He lashes out at her hand
going half crazy, this man
grabs her, frightened,
grabs her beside him
"Sir, you done lost your damn mind??!"
but he just stares at the empty seat, blind

"She sat there and claimed it was mine...."


p.s. for the record, NOT how i reacted.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Scratch that

I grow a beard because i can
to you its weird but i am Man
do i question your nails or lips or both?
why cant you leave me my facial growth?!

I scratched my balls way back in caves
and i scratched some more when we were slaves
now when i scratch you hiss "Behave!"
woman, you'll hiss me into my grave!

What do you expect when i have an itch?
its human nature so dont be a bitch
just let me claim my masculine birth right
Man and his balls equals love at first sight

Since the dawn of time and through the ages
the measure of Man has come in 2 stages:
the length of each individual facial hair
and the ability to scratch away and not care

We have left you your lotions and silly trinkets
so dont speak of my beard, hell, dont even think it
just turn a blind eye and dont stir up trouble
when i scratch my cojones and then scratch my stubble!

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Track 02 (the Love Rocks album)

Breathe easy
i'm doing fiiiiiiiii- iiiiiiiiiine
please leave me
gotta do tiiiiiiiiiiii- iiiime

dont let the wind blow
think i'm seeing phantoms
they're haunting my window
never knew that i had 'em
travelling space
oh
and they've all got your face
the haunting features of a crush

breathe easy
i will be fiiiiii-iiiiiine
please leave me
i gotta do tiiiiiiiii- iiiiime

call me a doctor
and tell him i'm haunted
got nothing to offer
but you're all that i wanted
you've got me possessed
yes
i feel sick in my chest
that painful weakness of a crush

cant breathe easy
i need to get fiiiiii- iiiine
it wont levae me
until you are miiiiiiii- iiiiiine

breathe easy
i wanna be fiiiiiii- iiiiine
dont leave me
say you'll be miiiiiiiiiii- iiiine

just breathe easy......

To all those painful weaknesses in my chest, past, present and future. Breathe easy, the lot of you!- Rich

Track 09 (The Love Rocks album)

Pasty with blur
what makes me differ
i cant bends spoons
God kissed the moon
and placed it in your eyes
so cry until they dry
all i can do is try

keep on forgetting my lines
no use in betting this time
we owe too much
bone to the touch
you filtered through the sand
but rocks dont understand
no i cant be a man

paint running through
i'm tainted with you
filtered through the sand
but rocks dont understand
i'd love to be a man

no rocks cant understand
i'd have to be a man....

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Track 08 (the Love Rocks album)

You say you need room to grow
i gotta learn to let you go
but its all fine with me
take your time and be

Cos i aint tryna block your way
so i wont holler "stop" or "stay"
i'll say "its all fine with me,
just take your time and be"

but you'll still be my girl
when i go to sleep
that dream is mine to keep
so dont lock your doors
tonight i'm exclusively yours

we'll move into a nicer house
aint that what you're iced about
its all fine with me
we'll find rent for free

and if we cant work it through
i aint got no beef with you
its all fine with me
just take your time and be

i'll just turn out the lights
and go to sleep
you are my dream to keep
so unlock your doors
tonight i'm exclusively yours

and when we look back on
the days where we went wrong
i know i'll hope to see
you trying to be
exclusively for me

and you'll still be my girl
when i go to sleep
cos you're my dreamgirl to keep
unlock those doors
i'm always exclusively yours


special thanks to the goddess who inspired this through a conversation ages ago. hope you're finding you.- Rich

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Back-up (The Beach House Re-visited)



Cosy
is how i feel in your ride
as we just glide
slowly
through the city
i feel pity
for these bad guys and crooks
with their envious looks
while we got groovy sounds, both heads noddin
look out you clowns, its Batman and Robin
and its cool that i'm in the passenger seat
next to you for me is next to complete
cant nobody steal our mojo
together, we got too much
so forget about the po-po
we're Starsky and Hutch
and while you're shifting the clutch
i'm playing super navigator
rescue me for now
save superman for later
this is where i love to be
cruisin vigilantes, you and me
no crime tonight but dont freak out
we'll go throw a party at my beach house.

Friday, September 07, 2007

The Beach House


You're made of light
thats why you're lost in the dark
they're trying to steal what shines so bright
that glowing beauty in your heart
but you cant let go
you're the best person i know
and not just cos you're terrifically undecided
or the home of such infectious laughter
like God created, with his attention undivided,
my own personal joy and gift wrapped her
i know i should share you with the rest of the world
as long as you promise to still be my girl
thanks to you, i'm growing into a man
its not important which one of us is older
when you're troubled , lean as hard as you can
just be sure you dont break my shoulder!
it'll kill me when you have to go away
cos you're the one hug that always keeps me warm
i'm building a beach house and you can come stay
when you need shelter from the storm.



To my side kick, my best friend, my hippie: DC, whatever you need, i got you. I was wrong; there is still beauty left in this world and that beauty is you. Not just cos you got boobs.... (though they help).... but cos you got heart. When shits gettin you down just listen to Katt and "get some f*ck it in your system and see if that dont change your perspective... MURDERED? Murdered WHO???!!!"
Lovin you.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Forget you not

I'll build a time machine
right?
yeah, i'll just build one tonight
go back and wipe the slate clean
i mean
they figured out gravity and space... stuff
you give me an hour
-i know its tough-
but give me an hour
and i swear i'll set things straight
"I've got the power"
haha
it was a joke... no, wait!
i'll just... please... ummmm
Come back, sit, please come

I'll....
just give me a sec...
okay i've had this idea for a while
but its...oh! what the heck:
roofies
huh? whaddya think?
i'll pop a couple in your drink
watch you sink those babies down
and... haha.... all our bad days go "poofies"
-okay i swear no more jokes or fooling around-
but that'll work
you'll forget all the times i made you hurt
or every time you diminished my worth
basically everything that led to this
cant wait to hold you in my arms and kiss-
Ow!
There's no need for you to get pissed
i'm trying to fix things but i dont know how
at least i'm trying
you're just... oh no... stop crying
each tear you shed is me slowly dying
so dont
i'll.... we just gotta...
you think i'll give up but i wont
i'll find something, there's alotta-

What about weapons of mass distraction?
no, i heard what i said
been there done that?
you watched fatal attraction?
remember when she clonks him over the head
with...i dont know a bat?
that would do it, you know?
be like we never went through it
the "ugliness"
short term memory loss
i could pull it off, i guess
we didnt choose for our paths to cross
yet here we are, well you kinda left
so i guess its just i not we
i say roofies it is for my memory theft
to forget you but i got me.

Friday, August 31, 2007

A love of ice and fire

He sketched her silhouette in bed
"so i'll always remember," he said
but she couldnt understand his mind
he painted her to forget he was blind

Her infectious giggle
he tried to capture the essence of her charm
he sketched her, dying a little
with each new stroke, love dealt harm

She said, "Show me what you've got"
but his wounded heart had begun to clot
he had to hide that he was sick
her magical portrait was fading quick

What would he miss the most?
how could he illustrate what he felt?
almost as if he'd loved a ghost
he sketched her knowing she'd soon melt.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Climbing rocks

Careful!
she's got claws this lady
hell no! you cant have my baby
black cat in the still night
purr, kitten, purr
watch her try to put up a fight
err, human is to err
climbed in through the windows
both of us strays
happiness fades, misery stays
climbed in and licked my thin toes
quite kinky
wrapped me round her pinkie
climbed to the top of the roof
cold air
set against the life of a solitaire
climbed up off the rocks
reversing clocks
familiar warmth in a bubble-wrapped box.


For Painkiller J... consider me your bubble wrap.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Her testimony

"...for acts egregious..."
i'm quoting from the papers you filed
Lord, Jesus...
who are you to call me vile?!
After all the years we spent
through job promotions to when we had no rent
i stayed
sleepless nights not knowing where you went
i prayed
and somehow thats egregious?
Heavens please us!
You were right in one thing:
I will fight for every cent
did i ever leave you wanting?
swear it now in front of the judge
when you were groaning and panting
were you ever short of love?
No, you just weren't clever
i let your cheating go on forever
and your thanks is to take me to court?
Isnt that egregious thanks for my support?
But i wont be the fool
cooked your meals, took Junior to school
massages, fanned you when you were hot...
you're gonna pay me everything you've got
and you will get me everything you dont
for go on playing the fool, i wont
claiming you loved me without returning proof
too long, i've ignored the burning truth
And of course
you thank me by filing for divorce
Suddenly realising that our son needs us
He's needed us for the twelve years since he was born!
Your Honour, i submit his love as the act egregious
for it has turned me to a woman scorned.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

HIs Testimony

Not my son

please

here, you have me on my knees
i know
go on, smile
enjoy the show
here, is this what you want?
public humiliation for me?
you vile fucking cunt
no wait, no, i'm sorry
your honour, ladies and gents
strike that
i havent slept in a while
she's egging me on cos she knows i'll bite back
thats her style
but i'm not here for the dollars and cents
i want only my son
thats it, my son and i'm done
are you pleased with yourself?
dragging our boy through this shit
he's only...-yeah, pardon me for that-
he's only twelve
oh, you probably forgot
do you really think he can handle it?
think of his health
see, you cant raise him on your own
a job? i'll get a job TODAY
or a fucking loan
yes, i'll make up for the child support i have to pay
is it always about the money
you fucking bitch
sorry
fucking... sorry its just funny
your new man is bloody rich
and you're sweating me for a few hundred?
you heard what the fuck i said!
sor-.... no wait...she's...
let me finish before the verdict is read
please
judge, members of the jury
i want only my son
but hell hath no fury.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

In the thick of it

They took the capital by night
reports suggest heavy losses
on both sides
as the situation worsens
loss of anonymous lives
the malnourished kids versus
the land owning bosses
i can report there was indeed a fight
(not a massacre as they'd predicted)
an all out war in this "third world" nation
presidential advisers will puzzle over their miscalculation
thousands, tens of thousands evicted
from their homes
only they cant seek refuge in superdomes
reports coming in...
scattered reports of mortar fire
in a land that bears martyrs for hire
the heroes cant win
only the just
visibility impaired by a cloud of dust
one can barely make out the moon
reporting live, more to come, stay tuned.....

Friday, August 24, 2007

Recurring thoughts

Complexity
is not having you next to me
wish i could take it all back
get some rest-
whats this vice-like pain to the chest?
My God! i think i'm having a heart attack!
and your face is all i want to see
before i'm gone
your beautiful face crying for me
knowing i've been wrong
my entire left side's gone numb
all i have is the memory of your voice
baby, we dont get to make a retrospective choice
but is it too late to say i was a dumb
stupid, shitheaded bastard jerk?
maybe if i.... if i could just...
no, sympathy wont work
i'm blacking out, dust to dust
i've figured out... i've.....
listen
i was only alive....
there's so much in my head
.... only alive because of that thing you said:

Complexity
is recurring thoughts of you vexing me

and this is as plain a letter as i can write
dust to dust, goodbye sweet night

Legacy

Dont speak to me of destiny, you hypocrite
if fate spells doom its best to be illiterate
invest in me
let your love bloom and manifest in me
you've been blessed with me
so to disrespect would be like bless-phemy
its your quest to see
the world doesnt think more or less of me
than i am
just a man
bangin out his master plan
resurrect in me
the best of me
and damn whats left of me
there's nothing left to see
give all you can
the rest is free.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Land of the mulatto

Ah ah! these ones dont grind corn
they eat "cornflakes" out of boxes
i wonder where they were born
i'm like a jackal in a country of foxes

Eh mama! check their skin
oba how do they be so thin?
me let me admire their figures
nanti some of us are black, some niggers

Even their language is a secret
where ervery worrrrd hars arn erxtra "r"
they walk like soil hasn't touched their feet yet
us all we have is who we are

But its like their hearts are broken
like they miss home or they've forgotten
after so long again our paths crossed
bambi, i think they must have been lost.

Childhood Skates

Dont forget to kiss her goodnight
right before you turn out the light
put your lips to her ear and say:
"I die each sleep you go away,
i bleed when i cant dream of you..."
and a million other sweet things untrue
but try to mean it

you dont have to be honest to be sincere

just tell her you love her while she's still here
cos one day you wake up and cant recall
why you even bother to open your eyes at all

And if she loves to dance
then now's your chance to sweep her off her happy feet
do your best to make her fantasies complete
and search for all the things she's yearning for
its the little things that wound the core
for when you're no longer her private dancer
you'll observe how love becomes a cancer
but you wont want the cure
just tell her you love her while you're still sure

The fights, oh! relish the fights
when she's left
Paris will dim to blurry lights
and you'll remember how she wept

those tears are yours on demand

when the delicacies of the world taste of sand
you'll search for her reflection in the plates
cherish her like a pair of childhood roller-skates
for one night you wake up alone and then
you'll fight sorrows just to live
once you realise she will never be here again
"a bright tomorrow" is just a myth

Monday, August 20, 2007

The Proposal

The callous sun beats down on him like a bully
one eye open: "what hour of the day is it?"
barely there, he can not stretch himself out fully
ringing headache like a stray cat back to visit

The aftertaste of courage seeps out his ears
stupid ring in his palm stares back at him defiant
refusing to misplace itself amongst his fears
he planned to bail but fate had long snared its client

In time her train pulls into the station
foggy steam blackening the already gray sky
one never is quite prepared for such a situation
we skip the "how?" and merely cater to the "why?"

Throngs fliter out, the tension is numbing
"Who the hell are all these people who are not you?"
Suddenly, he remembers that she's not coming
he never knew her, never let himself want to

He just tried to do what he knew was right
no matter how much beer he needed to do it
he'd waited all day and drank through the night
she wasn't coming and at least now he knew it

To think that love weighed no more than a hollow ring
he tossed it where nothing good would ever grow
and closed his eye hoping death would be following
"You're not coming and at least now i know."

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Remember we

Even rocks bleed
here we tryin to paint the moon
but Jaja done plant the seed
soon, freedom come soon

O the earth not gon' tremble
me no humbug from the pain
great grandchildren all assemble
rain, Lord let it rain

Dusty drums recall the echo
sun dried memory fade away
the time has come to let go
today, we free today

Monday, August 13, 2007

Pillow Talk

Let me rest
What? what is it you want to hear?
that i found you almost attractive- at best!-
after several rounds of beer?

I'm using you

needed to clear my head
you're just a rest stop i'm cruising through
on MY way to MY half empty bed

I was horny, you were willing
its not like we're mar-...what am i killing?
the mood? i'm killing the MOOD?
trying to sleep here and you're just being rude!

I'm using you
its not easy getting over a goddess
you give yourself away without choosing to
like you did to me... look: i'm just being honest

Yes, you were better than good, you were great!
is this gun-point flattery why you're keeping me awake?
I mean you already kinda, sorta helped me recapture my youth
there's no more need to pretend, so here is the truth:

I am using you
to get over losing She
I'm abusing you
to bury the wounds in me

Friday, August 10, 2007

Dropped call

If flowers never again should bloom
then drowsy whispers bespelled their doom
may tears of penitence flood the earth
so one should learn a woman's true worth

If i'm nevermore blessed with that voice
then i shatter my own ear drums by choice
and shed my skin in spiritual rebirth
so one should learn a true woman's worth

If, indeed, the phone line's gone dead
then one grows rocks where hearts are bred
while his youth longs for its days of mirth
left contemplating the truth of a woman's worth

Perfect fit

Let me to my misery for at least she is faithful

I dont want you
I want misery because she never leaves
you are temperamental but she haunts my every dream
whispering to me, even as she breaks my heart
"Misery will be your only company, we will never part."

So to hell with you and your tears of joy
and those mood conditioned hugs
i'm eternally misery's boy
because i am who misery loves.

State of Grace

You are losing friends
living as the means to an end
come close
i will love you where you hurt the most
love you in all my splendour
offer absolution through holy ghosts
say after me: "i surrender"

the world is left in ashes
force one tear passed your eyelashes
and i will save your soul
weep for me and i will rescue you whole
save for that unwashable human stain
which will in leaded blood remain

but i am you and You set free
will You spare some absolution for me?

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Back in time

Imagine seeing how time aged
Never afraid, never deathly intimate
I stand here truly amazed
Not awestruck, no.... dazed infinite

Cant help thinking about you and that doesnt bother me anymore
I resign to being a living sore.

1439

Cant always be about what i want
but you wont teach me to give you what you need
I'm trapped on Mars, babe
what's a kiss worth if it aint ours, babe?
Would have never pegged you for a quitter
i guess you could say i'm bitter
thats probably the best way to describe how i feel
bitter that what we had wasnt there, wasnt real

except for one minute

when you made my every wish come true
and promised me an eternity with you
we'd never even met
but its how that one minute felt that i cant forget
knowing you fully believed in me
might seem silly now but back then we were free
and all we had was a dream of a 50's lounge
somewhere in space... how weird that all sounds

just for one minute i had all i wanted in mnd
yet it cant be about what i want all the time
so i block you out for all the other 1439
but for a minute each day, i relive when you were mine.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

The battle of the alleycats

I wished he'd just kick me in the butt
cos if i felt something, i'd know i wasnt a fluke
he read my mind but kicked me in the gut
asked how i felt, i said," like puke."

He said i looked like it too
like the heavens had barfed me onto platea
what if it was just something i was going through
he had no right to call me out like he was a soothsayer

I explained to him i had lost a goddess
he didnt appreciate me being honest
so he told me the most truthful lie
he said,"we are all born to die."

He said,"Hearts are given so we can feel the pain,
the sun is only here to illuminate the rain..."
and he just went on and on kickin knowledge
he didnt realise i didnt need to go to college
to know that i was a victim of his hustle
"i dont lift weights, i just flex my brain muscle"

But he still wasnt impressed by my ironic wit
he kicked my chair across the room while i was on it
thus began the battle of the alleycats
i hoped he'd just beat me up badly, fast
cos i was tired of remembering her sleepy voice
i let him kick my ass like i didnt have a choice
just let the pain overwhelm me till i became someone else

-then ma turned on the light and yelled, "Quit fighting with yourself!"

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Inanimate love prank

Your shower cap?
That was cruel but funny
you took my cars, my house, my money
but to leave that plastic abomination of water-proof hair net...
that stung
still such a drastic confirmation that you weren't quite there yet
still not over me
left it there so i could see
and do what?
Regret?
How many fights?
How many curse filled nights did we waste arguing over that elastic banded,
heavily-decorated-in-flower crap?
Yes, i'm talking about your lonely shower cap
I'd let it drop to the floor, you'd get mad and BAM!
You'd give me a power slap
But damn....
you left no scars
What if your shower cap was sorry it had let you down?
You cant just abandon your things like that
your lonesome shower cap NEEDS you back
you left it there to haunt and ruin me
quite funny, indeed, but laden with cruelty
your shower cap's sure doing its job, no doubt about it
here's hoping your hair falls out without it.

Monday, July 30, 2007

The Painter (Version 2)

If only I'd mastered the art of brushstrokes
I'd paint over this canvas of crushed hopes
and replace it with a happy ending
instead of spending a neverending
heartbreak lost, wishing and waiting
for something thats not even real
anticipating an illusion
because no matter what or how i feel

you're just a magic trick

you are love, perfect as I imagined it
but what's tragic is
I was born of few talents

If only I could learn to paint
I'd give you everything in the world I aint.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Speak on it

Check out my ice but dont get lost in the reflection
i know its tempting but dont try to get your theft on
dont wanna mess with impenetrable, i'm nice like teflon
read the bible the other day, Jesus got his wept on
they crucified him on a cross that his body was kept on
but thats life, man, dont over reflect on it
you'll bleed it dry till aint nothin left on it
this life here is the mission that i got sent on
but i got dreams of my own that i'm hell bent on
my dreams are straight crooked, got my straight bent on
saw a ticket to Mars so i got my went on
momma kicked me out the house, had to get my rent on
so what if it meant moonlighting at McD's and gettin my swept on?
if they trample on your rights, brother, just get your left on
time to make moves, need to get my cent on
you leave your mark, son, i'm a get my dent on.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bantuman: The interrogation of Steve Biko

I go where i like
this is my country, that is my right
we're browner than black but you're pinker than white
this is my skin, that is my fight

Who are you to measure my worth?
that is my soul, man, this is our earth
slap my face and spit on my shirt
this is my country, that is my hurt

All you've done is sell us lies
that was your truth but these are our eyes
and now the time has come for us to rise
for this is our country and we have our pride.

Bantuman II: The Murder of Steve Biko

They starved and beat him to death
were you expecting something poetic?
they robbed him of a dignified last breath
in fact, his death was kind of pathetic

But his life

just to hear the lion speak
would reassure you that you are not weak
that white or black
you could die submissive
or fighting back

No, his life they could not diminish
The measure of a man is how he lives
and not how he finished
Thus Biko is more men than most
they crucified his body
but long lives his ghost
and the consciousness he imprinted upon us
his death was a blasphemy, if i can be honest

But his life

the truth he taught us to seek
we are weakened but we are not weak!
Biko loved
and Biko was loved by many
richer than most yet he had not a penny
he had the roar of our fathers down the ages
they tried to break him systematically in stages
but they could not break his words inside us
they could not take his spirit that stands beside us
and whispers the cry of war
we cried till we could cry no more
Oh when they took him, his people cried
but we were reborn the day Biko died.

Friday, July 20, 2007

In search of a muse

Its making me want more
cos i dont feel worthy
finding someone worth dying for
where i know death wont hurt me
I dont know where to stand
so that you'll see me as a man
so i just build
and hope your heart is filled

They say to look out for signs
that love is spelled out in the cosmos
ours reads:"headed for troubled times!"
but signs like this tend to cause those
What is it about past mistakes?
cant see if your heart mends or breaks
so i just love
and hope that I'm enough

Whats the point if we cant take a chance?
i'll plant the seeds and pray they grow
close my eyes and watch you dance
my muse, and you dont even know
cant let things go to waste
a world of hurt is worth the taste
yet i'm still confused to see
shreds of the man i used to be.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Smiles in retrospect

Hair flowing down her back
je sais plus
but her smile
why am i so weak?
Am i weakened or just wicked?

On dirais que j'etais deja tombee
mais je me battre encore
because i know i can be better
its just the smile
one i've seen before
and know quite well how much misery it holds

J'en sais plus rien
et en plus, je ne voudrais rien savoir
parce que quand elle sourit
nothing i know matters
knowledge is no power
see i've been here before
not too long ago
et je ne souris plus.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Lilac

I hit send when i know i shouldnt
you're my favourite mistake
think of you when i'm sleeping
dream of you when i'm awake

I dont wanna fight
but you insist on being conquered
lets do this right
love should be co-sponsored

Hesitiation
i can spot it from a mile away
what does it mean for me
to love you a smile a day?

Its just i've been here before
i've kinda seen how this ends
lets stop while we can
and just be friends

No, i'm not chicken
you just dont know what i do
the truth is a bitter pill
but you shouldnt be lied to

This will hurt
but the way you're smiling at me now
says i cant give you up
dont want to, dont know how

Fuck it, life's too short
promise you'll have my back
just before you knock me out
i could swear i smelt lilacs.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Shorts 2

Dont wait for paradise
been there and it wasnt that nice
wasnt that bad but it could have been better
would have been heaven if we'd been there together.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

The Painter

These hands are all i have
so when you said i had enough
how could i help but fall in love?

Back when you still believed
i could do things i was yet to achieve
back when you were able to see
the man inside i hoped to be

Remember when?
We dreamed of love back then
of painting animals down the small of your back
dreams that in time derailed off track

No one else understands
they claim i left you hurt and tainted
but all they see is these hands
and not the world they could have painted.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

The vibrator ( or why i stopped loving hip hop)

You used to turn me on
on my block
because i'm a gangsta
and i wanna thank ya
for making moves
seducing me with your grooves
for fucking me
then chucking me

Hip hop is dead
but its rhythm lives inside my head
the day before yesterday was Wed-
nesday
thats the phonetic pronunciation
and this is my poetic urban creation
even though it sounds absurd
everything you've heard
was planned and plotted down to the last word
you better act like you know it
signed, yours truly, the angry poet.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Break Through

I'll stare first
you sit there
I've this rare thirst
to be a player
you say something
I'll say a prayer first
stop laughing
i know its a rare verse
believe me many fare worse
you laugh like an angel
stop it! i know what you're doing
warning signs of DANGER
i'm who's meant to do the wooing
tell me one of your secret dreams
oh! i cant believe you just said that!
is this really what it seems?
i didn't even hear what you said last
wait-

does this mean we're falling in love?

Cry Baby

Flies, way too many flies
where in hell is his mother?
he cries, louder and louder he cries
no one's brave enough to bother

to lend a helping hand
oh, i understand

its cold, this world we're in is cold
he'd rather learn that here than tomorrow
when he's old, it'll make sense when he's old
how we all feed off of his sorrow.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Serve chilled.

How did he die?
but she would not tell
she would not cry
"You can all go to hell!"

Though his wounds were surface
her sorrow was deep
"Today we serve our purpose
tomorrow we sleep."

Still she would not shed a tear
pulling her lover's corpse to her side
she put her lips to his lifeless ear
"I forgive you, i'm just sorry you lied."

Then the poison in her blood dissolved
so two lives that night abruptly ended
as for motives of murder still unresolved
the truth would come to light as she'd intended

A suicide note was found without hassle
tucked safely in the death grip of her hand;
"Every man wants to be king of his castle
and each woman the most beautiful in the land."

Saturday, June 23, 2007

I cant say murder

Cocoa skin
despite how much coffee she drinks
the way she looked that night
made the stars shine especially bright
the gods were right not to let me in
i didnt win
but no matter what i think
I cant say murder

I know where she's sore
but does whe understand
what it means to be a man?
the youth i'd have to give up
expectations to which i cant live up
I wished i was more
after i saw her that night
i could have given up my sight
but no matter how hard i fight
I cant say murder

I lost her
because i wouldnt play second fiddle
to everything else in her universe
I lost her when i put me first
seeing her that night i died a little
and felt like such an impostor
you should have seen her, like she was made of light
but no matter what i feel is right
I cant say murder

See that night i saw her pain
and couldnt believe i was its source
how does unrequited love morph into undesired force?
we should have just danced in the rain
cos she looked like magic in the moonlight
but i understood something, seeing her that doomed night
I couldnt make her happy so instead i just hurt her
they'll try to say i killed her but i still cant say its murder.


*Special thanks to Nice for that inspiring title. Hope you get to see this someday.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

The Fog

It's been countless hours since my last taste
what a sadly ironic way to go to waste

but I'm getting better now

roughed the darkness redefining my rhythm
clearing you out of my system
and waking's still not easy
believe me
still gotta pry these eyes open
every single morning of each day
knowing there'll be no surprises, no point in hoping
just phantoms forming every which way

You are in the thick of the fog

I let you in too deep
let you seep into my core network
and the deeper you got, the more it hurt
to not be able to breathe you in
so I've had to re-learn how to breathe again
it's the simplest thing but just not easy
i'm in control, i see you and control leaves me

that's when my hands start to shake
conjuring up our past
i slip into a relapse
so it's still hard to wake

or even hear your name mentioned in passing
getting over you is a battle everlasting
the appeal of you is so blinding of others
got me trapped in a fog in a world full of colours

but they say i'm getting better now

that somewhere inside, i have headlights to cut through the murk
it takes swallowing pride to get this to work
i gotta not whine or moan or bitch
or complain or whatever you wanna call it

Thank you all, my name's Rich
and i'm a recovering alcoholic.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

24

*The following takes place between 2.00 p.m, April 5th 1983 and 2.00 p.m, April 5th 2007



I came, I saw, I cried
probably cos that nasty guy was slapping my ass
I said, "Relax, Doc, relax"
obviously no one taught him how to throw a welcome party
i started screaming, shitting, pissing, eating and farting
and giving my parents all kinds of regret
days of wickedness i was lucky enough to forget
i rejected milk from the breast
Doc said it was best but i didnt trust him
if I had known the words i would have cussed him
and cursed the day i slipped into this earth
pay attention; that was the first birth.

I dont remember saying goodbye to my mother
i figured one lap was just as good as another
so i was content to board that plane
not foreseeing my life would always remain
a little bit out of the norm
slightly disfigured out of its regular form
because of that transcontinental flight
from infantile warmth to eternal night
out of her arms i'm told i was torn
this would be the second time i was born.

One yellow duck, sweet pepsi and loads of bugs
still a childhood filled with love and a few hugs
too young to roll with the thugs, i learned to read
and write and ride my bike, thats all i would need
as long as i could dwell in my brother's shadow
and never have to swim out passed the shallows
more planes, a train and a talking car
the jetset life for a kid leaves a lifelong scar
i super mario'd my way into pre-adolescence
where i learned one of life's hardest lessons
that there are no shadows when the room goes dark
so when big bro left i had to grow another heart
watching him and my sister leave must have been the worst day
upto that point in my life, which i will label my 3rd rebirth day.



New countries, new schools and new mistakes
who writes the rules that the rebel breaks?
i remember going in for my first kiss
eagerness and inexperience equals near miss
but no one saw so no one knew
phew!- what hell puberty is to go through
already wondering what life might have been had I left
almost as if fate had committed some grand theft
by robbing me of my balance of awkward confrontations
so i decided to become a part of the hip hop nation
but then Pac died, Biggie died and Ma$e got saved
as if the musical mirage around me suddenly caved
for the first time death almost seemed possible
we can consider this the 4th time i came home from the hospital.

Only one girl has had the power to break my heart
but she didnt have it in her to make me a cynic
so i belong to her forever, if only in part
for not sending me off to heartbreak clinic
we started dating the day we met
just like that, we just seemed to connect
and i could have spent years in that puppy love
and pretended that i was actually lucky enough
to always love the way she looked after me
but there was a burning truth i just had to see
and the truth hurts when its true she wont put you first
i learnt that breaking up is truly the worst
when there's been no fight or lovers' spat
years later i would be forced to re-live just that
but for then and for always she'll be my first cut
deep, lingering and heartwarming to look at
love you always, Angel, for whatever that's worth
this would count as my 5th new birth.

I was crushed by several painful crushes
never quite found love despite a few close brushes
skipped town and headed for the snowy land
where i struggled for much longer than i understand
one of man's greatest strengths is denial
because that leads to trial and retrial
never getting any closer to success
but remaining convinced that failure hurts less
and less with each step closer to the grave
i searched desperately for some soul i could save
and in that way fulfill my duty as God's invention
and then magically vanish into the next dimension
like Jesus did, except He had much cooler powers
so i gave up and just killed the hours
getting fat and growing my facial hair
i'd close my eyes and pretend i wasnt there
that i'd been sent to some isolated space station, to man it
then i'd open my eyes and for the 6th time, re-enter this planet.

Tough choices, dumb mistakes and not much learned
i burned down bridges when i left home
that i was forced to rebuild when i returned
because the streets are no place to live alone
and despite not having a clue as to where to go
i knew the things i certainly knew i didnt want to know
and distracted myself with that little bit of disinformation
took that time off for some spiritual reformation
discovered blogging and became a recluse
figured "unlimited cyberspace? might as well put it to good use."
meanwhile my life was going down the crapper
i, who once had the potential to be smart and look dapper
had somehow pissed away any friend i had ever had
at this point i had a deep one-on-one with my dad
and right in time, for i had been on the verge of submission
but he helped me quit all my whining and dumb bitching
and pick my life up out of the sewer
my 7th rebirth, my lives getting shorter and fewer.

After that, i was thrown into a different state of limbo
where i was "almost there" and always would be
i'd daydream of grasshoppers and kimbo
and thank Gman upstairs for setting me free
moved around abit more, resucitated my existance
life is tough and you gotta learn to be persistent
because maybe there IS something out there worth the struggle
you cant let rainy days just burst your bubble
i found my life filled with such mantras and sayings
it turns out Gman was listening to me praying
cos its about then i met my electrolove
who brought me back from a scary place
with the warmth of her voice and the smile on her face
and the exquisite beauty of her unique soul
for the first time in forever i began to feel whole
but "almost there" and yet never quite
suddenly it seemed that salvation was retreating into the night-


then time exploded and i ended up right here
my past a hangover and the future unclear
alone in a room, just me and my ghosts
started typing it out and this is what i wrote
never having a clue as to when or how the story ends
but I guess the truth is that it all depends
on how i'll feel when i open my eyes,
win or lose, the fun is in the surprise.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

The Last Dying Star

A wounded boy floating loose in space
was amazed to come upon a dying star
and loving how its light felt upon his face
he forgot his every burning scar

So he took it, stole it right out of the sky
heading for an oasis hidden in the desert
hoping to make it there before his star should die
he prayed that the moon would heal its hurt

Now the heavens thundered learning of this theft
and sent down torrents to avenge the crime
but on seeing that the star was all the boy had left
the rains carried them safely to the edge of time

Where they were let into the heart of a supernova
to rest safely in the bosom of creation
yet the boy, seeing his star's life was nearly over
was forced to carry on to their destination

By now every creature had heard of their flight
every animal, every tree and every grain of sand
such that at each step closer to the desert light
the boy and his star found a helping hand

But when at once the star's light extinguished
all of nature shed tears of utter disbelief
and the boy disappeared as his star had wished
carrying nothing with him but grief

They wont say what became of that wounded child
or how long he survived the desert sun
but i hear he still cries out there in the wild
counting the stars and missing just one.

Friday, March 09, 2007

True Crime

I had to stab you in the heart
and make sure the blood would never cease its flow
that my tree would never grow
from where i yanked the roots apart

it's the only way, don't you see?
to be free of me, just to Be

i had to sting you in the eye
to shoot and watch you die
knowing i pulled the trigger
so that no matter how much i pled
if you lived or returned from the dead
you would never turn forgiver

You would never take me back
i had to shed your trust
and make sure you would crumble into the dust
at the ferocity of my attack
the only way to save your life
was to taint you in hatred and strife

its the only time my love was true
this morning when i murdered you.

Lemonade

Tearing away at my fabric
the magic's in absentia
drowning in dementia
sitting by the phone
standing, pacing, suffocating
facing the closeness of being alone
waking, thinking, breaking down
lying here waiting to be found

and it's empty

the clock tick tocks in casacades
i block out all the lip locks of past days
and turn bitter
not knowing who to blame for the growing pain
its a crap shoot and we crapped out
the type of dispute we laughed about

water under the bridge
hang in there, kid
water over the damn
's the only way i know to be a man

The Brew

I'm sick of being the villain in this fairytale
hocus pocus, gotta keep focused
the same ole, same ole's turned very stale
maybe there's just not enough love for both of us

so i hit the brew
its the only way to keep from thinking of you
and thinking i'm wrong

Is she eyeing me, this saucy minx?
Methinks she is so I play it cool
I'm no fool but- Oh! how this stinks!
I love my girl so i turn my stool
and face the other end of the bar

but not too far

just enough so i am not cheating
and, damn, is my heart beating
pumping, thumping, bursting
first things first-

i can offer her a drink
and if worst comes to worst
if it hits the fan before i have time to think
it'll atleast cure my self-destructive thirst
cos lets face it, clean or sober
we both know this is over
but we play masquerades
yet i never took to such charades

the minx is still eying me and i eye her back
she bends over and i eye her rack
that was intentional, most conventional
easiest way to trap a fly
is to slap it in the eye
and boy am i drunk!
this minx's got me super funked

so i'm sorry now for what i'm about to do
the wierdest thing's just struck me true
right before i crossed salvation into taboo
my very last thought was of hurting you.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Jess

She liked to wear her hair in curls
that was her thing
I didnt sing much about it
just tried to give her the world

she wouldnt take it
she believed that i could make it
she'd say, "tomorrow is yours for the taking"

Do you know what its like to have someone believe in you
especially when there seems no reason to
except for that spark of magic they see in you
her faith was all i had to to see me through

Yet i never told her
I look back on it now that I'm older
and i know it was best to let it go to waste
because just maybe her faith was misplaced

just like the curls she loved to wear
i spent hours longing to touch her hair
and now when i pull out this photo of us and stare
i see who she thought i was and wish i was there.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Time Machine

I used to count the hours
and have to take cold showers
cos of the spiritual hold you had on me

Now i'm without a clue
of whats going on with you
and whether or not you still want us to be

I'm having trouble manipulating time
so this is me hoping for a sign.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The Forgotten

Imagine if Barbara Jean looked more like Baby Jane
or if I was born mean and chose to stay the same
would i still have a shot of making it to paradise
i say you cant achieve alot by faking being nice
you gotta say something and put yourself on the map
shoot hoops, be a teacher, save a life or rap
but say something before you lose the power to speak
this is the hour, life is now, those are the stars now reach
this is for all those who found the courage to fight back
i know it might sound hurried but this is the right track
its the song of the revolution coming your way
its wrong but I've made a resolution to stay
and say something that counts
because all we be amounts to squat, zip, zero
show me a fallen hero and I'll show you disloyal fans
you dont need to shake royal hands to change the world
the future lies in the plans of every little boy and girl
every street urchin and outlaw, every crook and the forgotten
this beat we workin got me hurtin, lookin at rock bottom
paging God, thinkin I got Him then being left on hold
its time to fold up those dreams and have this story retold
cos I'm the writer, I'm the fighter and I decide what's true
Barabara Jean or Baby Jane, the choice is up to me and you.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Her favourite toy

She keeps me propped against the wall
looking down on her other trinkets
she knows i see them, i see them all
it angers me so i try not to think it
cos i'm the one she loves the best
spends more time with me than the rest
and that should be enough, right?
maybe she doesnt play with me every night
but I'm her favourite, she said so
do you know how special that is?

its like.... its like.... REALLY special, okay?

its just there's never enough room for her to play
with me and the rest of her INSIGNIFICANT playthings
see, we worked it out such that she can cater to her cravings
just as long as it's me she loves the most
i can look them in the eyes and boast-

no, .....we didnt set it down in stone
or sign a contract
but when we make contact
i know i could never again play alone
that's not the same as being misused
hey, I'm a GROWN ASS MAN and this is what i choose

-well not a man but sure as hell a grown ass toy
just sometimes wishing I was a real boy.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

The Songstress

I'm drawn in from the streets by her song
my hurting feet know no sleep, nights are long
when you're a hobo trying to sell a jazz tune
in a city as lit up as a Topaz moon
I've never been to this lounge
they dont let hounds like me in
not in this town
but tonight the crowds are thin
one can barley make out the stage through the smoke
these people drink and choke on their struggles with hope
their battles with age bury them in fear
they chatter on too busy to hear

The lady's got so much soul

she bores a hole right through me
as she makes love to jazz through her microphone
the saxman guides her and the night along
the blind man taps away at his ivory keys
but she sings to me and i freeze
how does she know the things she sings
buried deep beneath where no one sees
she sings to me of troubles i have lived
i plead for her to please forgive
and sing me a new song to change my days
the blisters on my feet just fade away
down to the ground where they cant be found
because of the magic of her sound

This lady's got so much soul

i'm the only one she's singing to
the crowd drowns out to obscurity
and everthing she sings is true
this songbird's voice is curing me
she was luring me in to her club
cos she longed for jazz and i yearned for love
now i'm all she has and all she needs
thats how she knows the things she sees
I can lose myself inside her lyrics
so she'll never again sing alone
cos when she sings, only I can hear it
that's how i know I've found my home

My lady's got so much soul.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Freefall Mechanics

We dont choose

its vital to absorb this one fact
or else each step will be two steps back
and its only after you have lost your mind
that it will occur to you to pause and rewind
by which time it'll be far too late
for love doesnt wait
or give second chances
there's no such thing as resuscitated romances
love never dies, it just changes
thus ex-lovers wind up strangers
only till some trivial item triggers a lost memory
then they risk that one night at the cost of everything
and just let themselves devolve into an unholy mess
that's what happens when the young confuse love with loneliness
so listen to my every word
such that if it be the last thing you ever heard
then nothing else would be worth being said
listen to me before love is dead
there is only so much we can control
but you gotta lose it first to win it all
there's no way to make myself understood
yet sounding crazy can do some good
when speaking of insanity as a manifestation
of your seemingly inextricable situation
pay attention because i have stumbled upon the key
to letting go and flying free
see when i confronted my deepest fears and panics
it was revealed to me the secret of freefall mechanics:

We dont choose who we love

we stand on the edge of the cliff and dive
and should we die, at least we'll know we were alive
which means destined or befated, we cant lose
as for who holds the keys to our hearts, we cant choose.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Lorry Driver's Mistress.

I told her

because no one should be a substitute
a seat filler, second choice prostitute
for the desires of such a needy man
some nights I just need his hands
to rub away thoughts of my seedless plans
my past mistakes and those still to come
to erase any trace of where I'm from
to drive his lorry across my plains
camoflouge dejection among orgasmic stains
its miraculous what the touch of a human hand can do
if I could rip the heart of that woman's man in two
I'd keep a half for myself and our little bastard.

I told her

maybe just to see the look on her face
see this kind of love leaves a sour taste
3 hearts in love means one goes to waste
I might lose out, hell, I took a chance
just couldnt stand any longer to watch them dance
and wish that I was the one on the ballroom floor
that I was the pride of the gala not the midnight whore
it hurts, to love so much that you grow five hearts
to forget who you are but only be loved back in parts
every night I vow it's my last mistake
I watch him sleep in my bed till at last he wakes
then he reaches for my heart as, alas, it breaks
knowing love doesnt heed to "void passed this date."

I told her

because no one deserves to be
a substitute for love, no, not even me.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Brink state of mind.

Some days i wish you'd never said
that sweet unrest inside my head
the words you spoke on which i choke:

"I love you, Rich, i love you broke,
my shield and spear, i love you true."

Just so we're clear, i love you too

but we cant dream the end to remake the start
so just how does one break a heart?
Do we sleep together but wake apart?
Or say forever then fake the art?
Because love is to be appreciated,
respected, honoured and non-negotiated

yet I've seen you cry
how does one begin to say goodbye?

Some days leave blisters across my skin
and the moonlight whispers: "You've lost again"
give me amnesia, give me some help,
how does one do this to someone else?

Do i kiss your tears and hold mine back?
dismiss your fears of dying old and fat
and alone?
How does one tear down a home?
How does one go through the motions?
Cry me a river, flood me an ocean,
drown me in this blissful commotion
wash the hurt away.

So here i stand on the brink,
gravely wounded and losing Ink
i wish i had more time to think
to imagine how you feel at night
in the rain, in the sun,
when you're wrong, when you're right
does happines learn to decieve?

Or do i just open the door and leave?