Life, life, life…
Life is crazy.
Crazy as the deranged guy
on the Broad Street Line
with eyes darting in different directions.
Having shouting matches with his own reflection.
Proclaiming to be Jesus Christ resurrected
as his reeking stench of beer and piss
pass through the train car
he pulls out a jar to relieve himself
asking, “Who wants a little Jesus juice?”
“How ‘bout you?”
by Anonomz
Life, life, life…
Life is a bowl of cherries.
Wild black cherries
presenting the perfect marriage of bitter meets sweet
on a hot summer day
Tasting so juicy, so ripe.
Trying not to get stains on crisp white linen.
Attempting to come up with a
more sophisticated way
to dispose of the pits
rather than simply spit
them in your hand
napkin
or right back in the bowl.
by Anonomz
Life, life, life…
Life is a bitch!
A sexy bitch
with an exotic tramp stamp
on her lower back
enticing you to hit that
with hopes of no strings attached
for ten maybe fifteen minutes of raw passion
that ends
far too soon
as you find your croonin’
for a little more of her affection
oblivious to her infections.
by Anonomz
It was about four years ago that I heard Lupe Fiasco’s CD Food & Liquor. I was enlightened and found many of his lyrics to be thought-provoking. Specifically, “Real” encompasses so many profound lines, but the ones I resonated with the most were about life and God’s role in our lives. Regardless of your religion, if you believe in heaven, hell, or reincarnation, you are who you are in this life for a distinctive reason. Actually, I don’t know the reason why I am who I am or why I am here; perhaps you don’t either. Nevertheless, we must all make wise choices and be cognizant in our day-to-day actions. Nobody is perfect, including me of course. But I am constantly thinking about how my decisions and actions not only impact my life but the lives of others and try to conduct myself accordingly, which is not always the easiest feat. Do you think before you speak or act? Do you consider how what you are doing today may not just impact your tomorrow but may impact your next week or possibly next year or even the next week or next year of someone else’s life?
Lupe Fiasco also addresses what he “got honest” from God and sharing it with others by giving “it light.” Do you think about the gifts God has blessed you with and how you are utilizing them for the greater good? Think about it…today only comes around once…bringing us all one day closer to the end of our lives on Earth. I want to make sure that I am sharing my gifts and talents with the world and hope to leave it better than when I first got here. How about you?
Life is a journey for us all, and as much as we would like to get it right, we might have some missteps along the way. Perhaps what we consider to be missteps are actually leading us in the right direction. Wow, that’s something to ponder! Regardless of where you are presently, all hope is not lost; focus on the positive as the story and journey of your life unfolds. I’m right there with you on my journey too. As Lupe Fiasco says, “But sleep on it; that’s why God gives you night!”
Please feel free to share your thoughts
~Anonomz
Bonus English Lesson:
Lupe Fiasco’s line “That’s why God give you night” is an example of incorrect subject verb agreement. It actually should be “God gives…”Oftentimes in rap lyrics and in many types of creative writing, the writer may employ grammatical errors because it is the vernacular of the writer or the persona or it has a better flow or sound because of the syllables or meter in the line. Keep in mind that many rappers who are well-versed and considered lyricists tend to familiarize themselves with the standard grammar rules prior to breaking the rules in their lyrics.
How often do you say, “My pride won’t allow me to do ‘X’ or ‘Y’ even if it might be the appropriate action to take? Maybe ‘X’ it is forgiving a person who wronged you, or ‘Y’ is accepting help from someone when you really need it. This line from Murs’ (If you’ve never heard of him, he’s released a few top notch CDs with Ninth Wonder) rap song really struck a chord with me. Even though I do make a conscious effort to practice forgiveness and do not consider myself to be prideful, I do often struggle with swallowing my pride when it comes to asking for help. I convince myself that I can do it all alone or sometimes feel too ashamed to ask for help or that I am having difficulties if I underestimated how much work something would take because I brought it all on myself.
To use an analogy derived from Murs’ line, perhaps I struggle with reaching out for help because I hear my mother’s voice from childhood saying, “You asked for all of that food, and you’re not going to leave this table until you’ve cleaned your plate!” We’ve all got to eat to survive, but it most instances it is the swallowing of the food with the proper nutrients, not the junk, that sustains us. As an adult, I have learned that forcing myself to eat because I can’t admit that I put too much on my plate may not only cause me to choke but may also make me sick on the stomach resulting in everything else I enjoyed or managed to eat to come right back up. This is a scene I don’t want to envision for myself nor for my family and friends who may be in a similar predicament.
Do you struggle with pride? Has it hindered you, the progress of your relationships or success in anyway? I know it has for me occasionally and probably will in the future. Sometimes it is best to swallow our pride…isn’t it?
Please feel free to share your thoughts
~Anonomz
Bonus English Lesson:
Murs’ line is an example of an idiom because it is a common phrase made up of words that cannot be understood by their literal meaning. People cannot really swallow their pride…can they?
How often do you dwell too much on the past or focus too relentlessly on the future without acknowledging what is going on presently? This is something that I have constantly struggled with until I heard Common put it so simple yet so eloquently. Of course, it is important to evaluate my past to avoid making the same mistakes again. Yes, considering future goals and aspirations is necessary in order to establish a game plan and be successful. However, I know that I must take time to live in the moment and appreciate my present accomplishments.
Where are you presently? Is it where you want to be? If not, then it might be pertinent to examine what you have done in the recent past and plan to do in the near future so that everyday will be a present or gift for that matter. Were you inspired by the same line or a different line in this song? Please feel free to share.
~Anonomz
Bonus English Lesson:
Even though Common does not utilize the word “present” in an indelicate way, it is a good example of a double entendre because present presents some ambiguity with two meanings: “a gift” and “related to time.”
Have you ever wondered why you are who “you are” or if you are doing what you “should” be doing with your life. This is a pondering I have all too often. I truly believe one of the best ways to address these questions is to utilize the gifts God has blessed me with in search for the answers. I’ve always enjoyed writing poetry, short stories, teaching, acting, rapping, designing, basically anything that has to do with the creative arts. This blog will be a forum for my many philosophical and spiritual musings and creative aspirations.
Please feel free to join me as I embark on this journey down the yellow brick road to see the wizard as I know it will take multiple intelligences, a gracious heart and relentless courage.
Best regards,
Tanya Harris aka Anonomz
Last week, I finally watched the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” in its entirety, and it really got me thinking about my life and the impact I have made thus far. If only “my guardian angel” would whisk me away and let me see what other peoples’ lives would be like if I were never born. Often, I contemplate about how productive my life is and if I am truly making a difference…regardless of how small or large it may be. An adage that resonates with my spirit proclaims, “Leave this world better than you found it.” After watching the movie, I sat pensively pondering, “Am I in alignment with this statement?” This is one of my philosophical and spiritual musings that will sadly not result in a definitive answer, but it did get me thinking about all of the wonderful people in my life who may not even know how they have influenced me.
So, I thought, why not spend a little time creating a brief list of acknowledgement. Unfortunately, I am fully aware that there are just too many people to name without potentially leaving someone out resulting in a negative impression. Of course, my family, dear friends, former teachers, students and colleagues have played major roles in helping me become the woman that I am today, but sometimes those people who may appear to cause harm also play key roles into giving me the wonderful life I have today. Here are three people out of many who have influence my life:
Names have been changed to cartoon characters for fun to protect the innocent or not so innocent for that matter*Linus: At a former place of employment, this man caused me insurmountable grief. Even though I was a hard worker, he referred to me as “an exception to the rule” because he believes (I hope he’s since had a change of heart and that it is now “believed”) that most Black people are lazy, and women are incompetent and should not be in positions of authority. What’s so wonderful about this man? Actually, he served a few purposes. Firstly, he opened up my eyes making me aware that racism and sexism do still exist and that I mustn’t lose sight of this and take a stand when necessary. Also, he forced me to become a risk taker and to test my faith of believing I can do all things with God on my side by leaving my position. Thanks to his disdain for me, I am where I am today!
Pooh: My first boyfriend was slicker than a sheet of ice during the blizzard of ’96, but I was in love and thought he could do no wrong. He had his good qualities, but he took advantage of my pleaser tendencies and attempted to manipulate me in a multitude of ways. It broke my heart when I found out he was getting extra cozy with girls from the job (I helped him get) and eventually got a girl pregnant. Yes, he’s Mr. Wonderful too, and I do not say this sarcastically. Never did I hold future suitors accountable for his transgressions, but he did help me to realize what I did want and did not want in a relationship and how both people must have the same goal. Partly because of him, I have an even greater appreciation for the love I’ve found.
Grinch: This man, more times than not, made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and only acknowledged me in childhood and adulthood when it was convenient for him. Even though I do have a handful of good memories involving him, most of them make me wonder how I was still able to become the person who I am today. It’s amazing how life works! As a result of biding for his affection, I worked even harder in school and in my work life hoping to hear the phrase uttered, “That’s my daughter” coupled with “I’m so proud of you” without hesitation of who may hear it said. Why on earth is he so wonderful? Well, of course, my mother’s role in my life would undoubtedly eclipse his. However, without him, I do not think I would have as many accomplishments in hoping that it would be enough to make him happy with me.
On the surface, these examples may seem depressing and not worthy of posting. Nevertheless, if I am able to get beyond the negativity and people who could have potentially made my life miserable, then why not share it with others. Do you have a person or story of how someone impacted your life and made it what it is today? Maybe it was me…Please feel free to share it.
Best regards,
Tanya Harris aka Anonomz
Journey of Anonomz 