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.”
1. Rome was not built in a day, and neither was the ideal body. Therefore, I will keep working out four to five days a week to be nicely toned for the summer of 2011.
2. My intellectual, spiritual and creative journey is essential for my well-being, and I will be sure to submit a blog entry at least once a week. Stop by when you can to check out my new entries.
3. I have many gifts, and writing poetry is one of them, so I will relentlessly assert myself to become synonymous with the spoken word and poetry slam circuit. Who knows, I may complete enough poems to publish a chapbook or have some choice entries in major publications.
4. People often say, “It’s a small world,” but many of us have yet to leave our own neighborhood, city, or state, let alone the country or continent for that matter. I plan to travel more extensively this year and hope to visit outside of the country…perhaps for a destination wedding.
5. Everybody is busier than ever and cannot spare a moment for family and friends even though vast amounts of technology are supposed to help people get more done and have more time,. I will make a more conscious effort to reach out to family and friends and demonstrate my appreciation and love for them the” Old fashioned” way: the occasional phone call, letters, visits and tokens of my appreciation.
6. I love writing and refuse to die with my many stories being left untold; as a result, I will begin working on and brainstorming about other literary ventures such as colorful stories and children’s book ideas and see where it takes me…maybe to the best seller’s list one day!
7. Health is necessary for longevity. To continue improving my financial, physical and spiritual health, I will conduct research and keep working on the economical game plan, exercise regularly and meditate , and read and apply spiritual and motivational literature on a frequent basis.
8. “You should be an actor!” is what family, friends and even my students tell me. I used to act when I was younger and loved being on stage, so I will explore my theatrical abilities by taking a college level acting class in the spring 2011 semester starting January 10. It’s going to be interesting potentially being in class with some of my own students, but it will be fun I’m sure.
9. As a person who has finicky eating habits, family and friends jokingly say, “A fancy restaurant for her is a place that serves pizza, chicken or turkey burgers.” I enjoy fine dining and feel guilty that people are limited in their restaurant selections when going out with me. In an attempt to break out of this habit, I will try at least one new food item every other month…once a month if the mood strikes me.
10. Lastly, in recent years I’ve learned that I cannot be everything to everyone, but year after year I still try to make family, friends, students, and colleagues happy sometimes at my own expense: monetarily, physically and emotionally. To use an analogy, I love filling up their glasses of water, but I have to make sure my pitcher of water remains filled too in 2011.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
All the best in the new year,
Tanya
What things do you have planned for the new year? Please feel free to share.
We’re sorry, the number you dialed has been
temporarily disconnected… temporarily disconnected… temporarily disconnected…
Did you hear what I projected?
Has this come so unexpectedly?
Avoiding the signs?
Ridding them from the sim cards of your minds?
Fools driving ‘round here like they’re blind
Do you mind staying in your own lane and off my bumper?
All swerving over here
while I’m shooting the “don’t play with the stare”
when I pull up beside you or glare in my rearview mirror,
and there you have it!
Cell phone in hand up to the ear…
Cigarette, burger, lipstick in the other
Why am I not surprised?
Sometimes… sometimes
I wish I wasn’t so nice
and didn’t think twice about my actions.
So many times I just imagine
getting out of my ride
coming up to that idiot’s driver-side
and Errrr!
But that’s just not my demeanor;
how I wish I could be meaner.
Instead, I look off into the distance hoping the
jerk gets pulled over and hit with a hefty fine to pay.
Though I know that’ll be today.
I’ve witnessed cops driving the same exact way!
Got to face reality.
I “am” a minority
A dying breed
One of the few who can conceive
life without his cell phone.
People were once resistant to being accessible at all times;
now they’re insistent about always
keeping that radio wave contraption ring tone up
annoying people on the Septa bus
with their ear flashing
snugly fitted and glued deeply into their canals
making of deaf and oblivious to what surrounds them.
Awaiting that urgent call or emergency that rarely happens.
Find them in movie theaters talkin’ bout nothin’ and laughin’
No respect for other patrons!
expecting us to have patience
as they carried on a 15 minute obnoxious conversations!
Makes me want to yell out
“Why don’t you shut the…”
But uh… That’s not how it plays out.
I usually just pout and talk about how rude the person is to whoever’s with me.
It just gets me so teed off!
But even the person with me sometimes gets on my nerves
turning me into a person of few words.
As they accept call after call
when we’re supposed to be hanging out at the mall!
Everyone on your cells
got so much to say
but detached from the people who are right in their face
RIGHT IN THEIR FACE!
RIGHT IN THEIR FACE!
If you’d like to make a call
please hang up and try your call again.
If you need help,
hang up and dial your operator…
by Anonomz aka Tanya Harris
1. The annual tree farm day trip with the entire family to select and cut down our own Christmas trees is a distant memory.
2. No more perusing the “Best” catalogue, Kiddie City and Toys “R” Us circulars and folding down the pages of the toys and games I just have to have.
3. A hopeful letter to Santa just doesn’t serve the same purpose. Though the butterflies are still there when I see him in the mall, I’m beyond the age of excitably waving at him and taking a picture on his lap.
4. Decorating the Christmas tree and singing along to the Jackson Five Christmas songs isn’t the same. The family togetherness I felt when I was younger is missing.
5. Gone are the days of attending the school’s Holiday Bazaar and making the ten to twenty dollars I saved really stretch in order purchase gifts for my family.
6. The absolute feeling of glee from watching every single Christmas television show, movie or special has sadly faded.
7. Baking cookies in the shapes of reindeer, Santa, Christmas trees, jingle bells and angels sprinkled with green and red sugar is not as fun without with my mom, sister and brother. Not to mention, the cookies are not especially made for Santa.
8. There’s no point in forcing myself to go to sleep early on Christmas eve in hopes of Christmas day coming sooner. No late night conversations using the gift wrap rolls to talk through with my sister in the bed across from mine to express my anticipation.
9. Why run down the stairs with amazement no later than 4:00 a.m.? There are no gifts under the tree from Santa, and my cookies will remain untouched until I bring them over to my mother’s house.
10. Going over my maternal and paternal grandparents’ homes and playing with my cousins and sharing Christmas morning stories until the delicious Christmas lunch and dinners were ready hasn’t happened in years. Everybody has their own families now and have left the memories of Cabbage Patch Kids, Speak and Spells, Hand held games and Rubik’s Cube behind. Well, I haven’t…
My dearest “Childhood” Christmas, I truly do miss you.
Love Always,
Tanya
Do you have something you miss about “Childhood” Christmas? Please feel free to share, and leave a comment.
That’s it!
That’s it!
Really, I mean it this time.
I’ve had enough!
Matter of fact, you’re about to get cut off
if you don’t straighten up
there’s some issues I need to straighten out.
I get it…really I do.
You’re tired of being manipulated
with my inability to be satiated
With whom you are…naturally that is.
I love you…really I do.
No, it’s not fair to you
that my love is far from unconditional,
But it’s not intentional…
Really it’s not.
It’s just that it’s difficult
when I’ve been conditioned to be a certain way.
Well, the both of us have
This process…this process
Is conducive to my ambivalence
A split decision: I’m beyond disoriented.
Just relax for a minute or two.
Is that too much to ask?
Curled up so tightly,
Why must you spite me?
That’s it!
That’s it!
I really mean it this time.
By Anonomz aka Tanya Harris
The luminescent candle fills the room
difficulties with the lotus posture
still aggravatingly inflexible.
Back once more to the crossed leg position
Relax, relax; inhale the energy
exhale any distractions of the day.
Countless emails: I still need to respond
you know what, I forgot to call my mom
got to get that mac and cheese recipe.
Remember: wash clothes when this is over
Agh! Brain chatter is overwhelming me
gently intensifying with each breath.
Focus is what I must be doing now
permeate my pupil flickering glow.
Outside distractions: I mustn’t listen.
Take a deep breath in. Take a deep breath out.
Convince myself that I’m doing really well
meditating for about a minute.
by Anonomz aka Tanya Harris
Journey of Anonomz 