http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:Swords-and-Bandages&section=today deviantART RSS for by:Swords-and-Bandages en-us Copyright 2010, deviantART.com Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:12:46 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/29220809/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/29220809/ Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:19:21 PST Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put on crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W. H. Auden







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28970574/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28970574/ Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:55:55 PST What y'all want?

Unconditional Love.

No doubt...
Talking bout the stuff that don't wear off
That don't fade
It'll last for all these crazy days,
These crazy nights...
Whether you wrong or you right
I'm gonna still love you,
Still feel you,
Still there for you,
No matter what

You will always be in my heart
With unconditional love

Come listen to my truest thoughts, my truest feelings
All my peers doing years beyond drug dealing
How many caskets can we witness, before we see
It's hard to live this life without God,
So we must ask forgiveness
Ask mama why I got this urge to die
Witness the tears falling free from my eyes
Before she could reply
For we were born without a silver spoon
My broken down TV, showed cartoons in my living room
One day I hope to make it
A player in this game
Mama don't cry, long as we try
Maybe things change
Perhaps it's just a fantasy
A life where we don't need no welfare
Or ish with our whole family
Maybe it's me that caused it
The fighting and the hurting
In my room crying 'cause I didn't want to be a burden
Watch mama open up her arms to hug me
And I ain't worried about a damn thing
With unconditional love

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love

Just got the message you've been calling all week
Been out here hustling on these streets,
Ain't had a chance to speak
But you know, with you and me it's on G
We could never be enemies,
'Cause you been such a good friend to me
Where would I be without my dogs?
No wonder why when times get hard
'Cause it ain't easy being who we are
Driven by my ambitions, desire higher positions
So I proceed to make Gs, eternally in my mission
Is to be more than just a rap musician
The elevation of today's generation
If could make 'em listen
Prison ain't what we need, no longer stuck in greed
Time to plan, strategize, my family's gotta eat
When we make something out of nothing
No pleasure in the suffering, neighborhood would be good
If they could cut out all the busting,
The liquor and the weed, the cussing
Sending love out to my block
The struggle never stops

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love

I'll probably never understand your ways
With everyday I swear I hear you trying to change your ways
While getting paid at the same time
Just had a baby with the same eyes
Something inside, "please let me die"
These are strange times
How come I never made it?
Maybe it's the way the played it in my heart
I knew one day I gotta be a star
My hopes and all my wishes,
So many vivid pictures,
And all the currency I'll never even get to see
This fast life soon shatters
'Cause after all the lights and screams
Nothing but my dreams matter
Hoping for better days
Maybe a peaceful night
Baby don't cry,
'Cause everything gonna be alright
Just lay your head on my shoulder
Don't worry bout a thing, baby girl
I'm a soldier
Never treated me bad, no matter who I was
You still came with that, unconditional love

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love

In this game the lesson's in your eyes to see
Though things change, the future's still inside of me
We must remember that tomorrow comes after the dark
So you will always be in my heart, with unconditional love...

-2Pac







Clubs:
~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28215233/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28215233/ Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:20:44 PST
And I've yet to see the movie. Except for the much older version with Paul Muni. But I saw the newer version of Tony. The Al Pacino Tony.

It involved double-crossing, making deals about something or other, and a mortar. What was about to happen with the mortar was peculiar; it was probably an assault on some rival's mansion.

Once again, dreams prove more exhilarating than reality.







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28163218/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28163218/ Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:07:29 PST Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, it was his intent
To blow up the King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was caught
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holla boys, holla boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

-Unknown (Traditional English Rhyme)







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28026883/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/28026883/ Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:38:13 PDT Recitar! Mentre preso dal delirio,
non so più quel che dico,
e quel che faccio!
Eppur è d'uopo, sforzati!
Bah! sei tu forse un uom?
Tu se' Pagliaccio!

Vesti la giubba,
e la faccia infarina.
La gente paga, e rider vuole qua.
E se Arlecchin t'invola Colombina,
ridi, Pagliaccio, e ognun applaudirà!
Tramuta in lazzi lo spasmo ed il pianto
in una smorfia il singhiozzo e 'l dolor, Ah!

Ridi, Pagliaccio,
sul tuo amore infranto!
Ridi del duol, che t'avvelena il cor!

-Ruggero Leoncavallo





English Translation:
To act! While out of my mind,
I no longer know what I say,
or what I do!
And yet it's necessary... make an effort!
Bah! Are you not a man?
You are Pagliaccio!

Put on your costume,
powder your face.
The people pay to be here, and they want to laugh.
And if Harlequin shall steal your Columbine,
laugh, Pagliaccio, so the crowd will cheer!
Turn your distress and tears into jest,
your pain and sobbing into a funny face - Ah!

Laugh, Pagliaccio,
at your broken love!
Laugh at the grief that poisons your heart!







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27769858/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27769858/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:38:20 PDT Through the travail of the ages,
Midst the pomp and toil of war,
Have I fought and strove and perished
Countless times upon this star.

In the form of many people
In all panoplies of time
Have I seen the luring vision
Of the Victory Maid, sublime.

I have battled for fresh mammoth,
I have warred for pastures new,
I have listed to the whispers
When the race trek instinct grew.

I have known the call to battle
In each changeless changing shape
From the high souled voice of conscience
To the beastly lust for rape.

I have sinned and I have suffered,
Played the hero and the knave;
Fought for belly, shame, or country,
And for each have found a grave.

I cannot name my battles
For the visions are not clear,
Yet, I see the twisted faces
And I feel the rending spear.

Perhaps I stabbed our Savior
In His sacred helpless side.
Yet, I've called His name in blessing
When after times I died.

In the dimness of the shadows
Where we hairy heathens warred,
I can taste in thought the lifeblood;
We used teeth before the sword.

While in later clearer vision
I can sense the coppery sweat,
Feel the pikes grow wet and slippery
When our Phalanx, Cyrus met.

Hear the rattle of the harness
Where the Persian darts bounced clear,
See their chariots wheel in panic
From the Hoplite's leveled spear.

See the goal grow monthly longer,
Reaching for the walls of Tyre.
Hear the crash of tons of granite,
Smell the quenchless eastern fire.

Still more clearly as a Roman,
Can I see the Legion close,
As our third rank moved in forward
And the short sword found our foes.

Once again I feel the anguish
Of that blistering treeless plain
When the Parthian showered death bolts,
And our discipline was in vain.

I remember all the suffering
Of those arrows in my neck.
Yet, I stabbed a grinning savage
As I died upon my back.

Once again I smell the heat sparks
When my Flemish plate gave way
And the lance ripped through my entrails
As on Crecy's field I lay.

In the windless, blinding stillness
Of the glittering tropic sea
I can see the bubbles rising
Where we set the captives free.

Midst the spume of half a tempest
I have heard the bulwarks go
When the crashing, point blank round shot
Sent destruction to our foe.

I have fought with gun and cutlass
On the red and slippery deck
With all Hell aflame within me
And a rope around my neck.

And still later as a General
Have I galloped with Murat
When we laughed at death and numbers
Trusting in the Emperor's Star.

Till at last our star faded,
And we shouted to our doom
Where the sunken road of Ohein
Closed us in it's quivering gloom.

So but now with Tanks a'clatter
Have I waddled on the foe
Belching death at twenty paces,
By the star shell's ghastly glow.

So as through a glass, and darkly
The age long strife I see
Where I fought in many guises,
Many names, but always me.

And I see not in my blindness
What the objects were I wrought,
But as God rules o'er our bickerings
It was through His will I fought.

So forever in the future,
Shall I battle as of yore,
Dying to be born a fighter,
But to die again, once more.

-George S. Patton







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27348116/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27348116/ Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:23:37 PDT Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid

Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears

Ains a year say a prayer faur me
Close yir een an remember me

Nair mair shall a see the sun
For a fell tae a Germans gun

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun

-Joseph Kilna MacKenzie







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27264331/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27264331/ Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:42:33 PDT Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, —and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

-John Gillespie Magee, Jr.







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27134371/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/27134371/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:52:27 PDT I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear-skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired...

The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth.

And those of us with ravaged faces
Lacking in the social graces
Desperately remained at home
Inventing lovers on the phone
Who called to say "come dance with me"
and murmured vague obscenities
It isn't all it seems
At seventeen...

A brown eyed girl in hand me downs
Whose name I never could pronounce
Said, "Pity please the ones who serve
They only get what they deserve."

And the rich relationed hometown queen
Marries into what she needs
With a guarantee of company
And haven for the elderly.

Remember those who win the game
Lose the love they sought to gain
In debentures of quality
And dubious integrity
Their small town eyes will gape at you
In dull surprise when payment due
Exceeds accounts received
At seventeen.

To those of us who know the pain
Of valentines that never came,
And those whose names were never called
When choosing sides for basketball.

It was long ago and far away
The world was younger than today
And dreams were all they gave for free
To ugly duckling girls like me.

We all play the game and when we dare
To cheat ourselves at solitaire
Inventing lovers on the phone
Repenting other lives unknown
That call and say "come dance with me"
And murmur vague obscenities
At ugly girls like me
At seventeen...

-Janis Ian

Classes have already started for college where I am. Time waits for no one around here.

The theme of my writing class is "Dying to be Beautiful." We're reading, researching, and writing stuff about beauty and whatnot, what society makes of it, why we fall entranced to it, and so on. I've had this song stuck in my head ever since starting on the first book, Survival of the Prettiest.

I think it has a poignant message.







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/26433705/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/26433705/ Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:24:20 PDT I

I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machin-
ery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
up smoking in the supernatural darkness of
cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities
contemplating jazz,
who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and
saw Mohammedan angels staggering on tene-
ment roofs illuminated,
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes
hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy
among the scholars of war,
who were expelled from the academies for crazy &
publishing obscene odes on the windows of the
skull,
who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear, burn-
ing their money in wastebaskets and listening
to the Terror through the wall,
who got busted in their pubic beards returning through
Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,
who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in
Paradise Alley, death, or purgatoried their
torsos night after night
with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares, al-
cohol and cock and endless balls,
incomparable blind; streets of shuddering cloud and
lightning in the mind leaping toward poles of
Canada & Paterson, illuminating all the mo-
tionless world of Time between,
Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery
dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops,
storefront boroughs of teahead joyride neon
blinking traffic light, sun and moon and tree
vibrations in the roaring winter dusks of Brook-
lyn, ashcan rantings and kind king light of mind,
who chained themselves to subways for the endless
ride from Battery to holy Bronx on benzedrine
until the noise of wheels and children brought
them down shuddering mouth-wracked and
battered bleak of brain all drained of brilliance
in the drear light of Zoo,
who sank all night in submarine light of Bickford's
floated out and sat through the stale beer after
noon in desolate Fugazzi's, listening to the crack
of doom on the hydrogen jukebox,
who talked continuously seventy hours from park to
pad to bar to Bellevue to museum to the Brook-
lyn Bridge,
lost battalion of platonic conversationalists jumping
down the stoops off fire escapes off windowsills
off Empire State out of the moon,
yacketayakking screaming vomiting whispering facts
and memories and anecdotes and eyeball kicks
and shocks of hospitals and jails and wars,
whole intellects disgorged in total recall for seven days
and nights with brilliant eyes, meat for the
Synagogue cast on the pavement,
who vanished into nowhere Zen New Jersey leaving a
trail of ambiguous picture postcards of Atlantic
City Hall,
suffering Eastern sweats and Tangerian bone-grind-
ings and migraines of China under junk-with-
drawal in Newark's bleak furnished room,
who wandered around and around at midnight in the
railroad yard wondering where to go, and went,
leaving no broken hearts,
who lit cigarettes in boxcars boxcars boxcars racketing
through snow toward lonesome farms in grand-
father night,
who studied Plotinus Poe St. John of the Cross telep-
athy and bop kabbalah because the cosmos in-
stinctively vibrated at their feet in Kansas,
who loned it through the streets of Idaho seeking vis-
ionary indian angels who were visionary indian
angels,
who thought they were only mad when Baltimore
gleamed in supernatural ecstasy,
who jump... ]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25744728/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25744728/ Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:37:23 PDT [Mykel]
Where there's life, there is water
We depend on mama nature
There's a message for tomorrow
Everything connects to you
Some says soon there will be over,
You can see it in the weather
Out of tune with mama nature
What you do comes back to you

We're not alone,
We're not alone
We're not alone,
We're not alone

[Nas]
Confucius, Confucius
Sigmund Freud
And Fard Muhammad,
Is it evolution or God?
Searching for the truth is a threat
Seems the closer we get to the truth
State troopers and FEDs come out to silence you
My house in Malibu probably tapped
Because living next door to Demi Moore
Plus, I'm black,
Plus, I want vengeance for the poor
Who's attacked daily
Patriot Act never scared me
Jake in the Taurus
Sticky in the jar-s,
Niggas I'm with got warrants
America's browning,
Twenty years from now
Every town will be brown and Latin,
Or African, look at Manhattan
I'ma tell you what I seen with my three eyes
Word to me, not a hoax, back in '99
A spacecraft in the skyline,
In L.A., in daytime, ask Horse if I'm lying

[Mykel]
Every mother, every father
Raise your sons and your daughters
With respect and with honor
From the seed comes the fruit
It's an unbroken circle,
All of life is universal
And we're all in the struggle
If I know one thing is true

We're not alone,
We're not alone
We're not alone,
We're not alone

[Nas]
Evidence remains in debate,
Documents of our own Air Force base
Additional terrestrial information
Other planets with life population
My observation
Scientists study pictures of a flying disc
Right on earth, anthropologists are finding shit
Visitors, probably live with us,
They can mimic us
It's sort of what we seeing in the cinemas

[Mykel]
Take a look in the mirror,
And see the bigger picture
It's good to be alive,
It's good to be alive
Nobody is an island,
We are part of an environment
Only way we gonna survive
Is if we harmonize

We're not alone,
We're not alone
We're not alone,
We're not alone

[Nas]
Reginald Lewis,
The black billionaire
Before Oprah or Bob Johnson
How'd he disappear?
Conspiracy theories, UFO's in the air
I've seen it with my own two eyes
And I swear, it's like Warren Buffet
Real money I'm just trying to touch it
The diamond-encrusted shit, live illustrious
'Cause we was deprived of it, suffered
Now we pop to prove anything's possible
My pimp strut was invented when they whipped us
Now we diddy-bop just to show you that our strength's up
Just when niggas about to see they cut
Global warming about to burn us up
Niggas never really seen paper in this world
American black's the teenager of this world
Give us twenty more years to grow up,
Already geniuses; what I mean is this
I used to worship a certain Queens police murderer
'Til I read the words of Ivan van Sertima
He inserted something in me that made me feel worthier
Now I spit revolution
I'm his hood interpreter

[Mykel]
Take a look in the mirror,
And see the bigger picture
Its good to be alive,
Its good to be alive
Nobody is an island,
We are part of an environment
Only way we are gonna survive,
Is if we harmonize

We're not alone,
We're not alone
We're not alone,
We're not alone

[Nas]
I'm American born. I love America.
Love my people, love all mankind
All nationalities.
I think it's just recently,
Where everybody just started to feel like
There was an elite group that runs everything,
And everybody else was sheep, ignorant
Making all ethnicities colors and creeds niggers,
Blind to what really is going on.
So I say take off the wool from your eyes,
Out with the Old America, in with the New.
End all racism, all injustice, all oppression, to poor people,
Any people, anywhere on this planet.
Let's come together.
A new day is rising.

-Nas, Mykel

"Nightmare. That's what I am. America's nightmare. I am what you made me: the hate and the evil that you gave me. I shine as a reminder of what you have done to my people for 400 plus years. You should be scared. You should be running. You should be trying to silence me." -2Pac

I'm not an American citizen. I'm not black. I'm Chinese by birth and by nationality. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that I believe in the basic freedoms of all mankind. I especially believe that no people should have their voices taken away or suppressed. I also beli... ]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25458612/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25458612/ Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:52:04 PDT The sly fox
Cyclops
We locked in the idiot box
The video slots
Broadcastin' Waco
Davidian plots
They own YouTube, Myspace
When this ignorant shit gon' stop?
They monopolize the news you view
And the channel you choose
Propaganda, visual cancer
The eye in the sky,
Number five on the dial
Secret agenda, frequency antenna
Doctor mind bender,
Remote control, soul controller
Your brain hold the slave culture,
Game's over
What's a Fox characteristic?
Slick shit sensin',
Misinformation,
Pimp the station,
Overstimulation,
Reception,
Deception.
Comcast, Digital Satan
The Fox has a bushy tail,
And Bush tells lies and Foxtrots,
So I don't know what's real

Watch what you watchin',
Fox keeps feeding us toxins
Stop sleeping
Start thinking outside of the box, and
Unplug from The Matrix doctrine
But watch what you say Big Brother is watchin'

Watch what you watchin'
Fox keeps feeding us toxins
Stop sleeping
Start thinking outside of the box, and
Unplug from The Matrix doctrine
But watch what you say, Fox, Five is watchin'

The Fear Factor got you all riled up
O'Reilly, Oh really?
No rally needed, I'll tie you up
Network for child predators, settin' 'em up
Myspace pimps, hoes, and sluts
Y'all exploit rap culture, then ya flip on us
And you own the polls, and you shit on us
What is they net worth?
They gon' try to censor my next verse,
Throw 'em off the roof neck first
While I'm clicking my cursor
Reading blogs about the pressure
They put on Universal
It gets worse while I'm clicking my mouse
While they kickin' my house
They figured us out
Why a nigga go south
It's either he caught a body,
No sleep they watchin'
I watch CBS
And I See B.S.
Try to track us down with GPS
Make a nigga wanna invest in PBS

Watch what you watchin',
Fox keeps feeding us toxins
Stop sleeping
Start thinking outside of the box, and
Unplug from The Matrix doctrine
But watch what you say Big Brother is watchin'

Watch what you watchin'
Fox keeps feeding us toxins
Stop sleeping
Start thinking outside of the box, and
Unplug from The Matrix doctrine
But watch what you say, Fox, Five is watchin'

They say I'm all about murder-murder and kill-kill
But what about Grindhouse and Kill Bill?
What about Cheney and Halliburton?
The backdoor deals on oil fields
How is Nas the most violent person?
Y'all don't know talent if it hit you
Bringin' up my criminal possession charges with a pistol
I use Viacom as my firearm
And let the lyrics split you
Who do you rely upon?
They shoot shells at Leviathan
I'm dealing with the higher form
Fuck if you care how I write a poem
Only Fox that I love was the red one
Only black man that Fox loves is in jail or a dead one
Red rum, political bedlam
Don't let the hype enter your eyes and eardrums
Murdoch own Fox
Not 18 with Barracas
And he hate Barack 'cause
He marched with the marchers

[Outro]
I pledge allegiance to the fair and balanced truth.
Not the biased truth,
Not the liar's truth,
But the highest truth.
I will not be deceived, nor will I believe,
In the Propaganda.
I will not fall for the Okey-Doke.
I am tuned in.

-Nas

Fuck censorship.







Clubs:


Contests:
's Magical Muse Contest: [link]

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25153719/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25153719/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:22:08 PDT [2Pac]
A place to spend my quiet nights,
Time to unwind
So much pressure in this life of mine
I cry times
I once contemplated suicide,
I would've tried
But when I held that 9
All I could see was my momma's eyes
No one knows my struggle,
They only see the trouble
Not knowing it's hard to carry on
When no one loves you
Picture me inside the misery of poverty
No man alive has ever witnessed
Struggles I survived
Praying hard for better days,
Promised to hold on
Me and my dawgs ain't have a choice
But to roll on
We finally found a spot to kick it,
Where we can drink liquor and
No one bickers over trick shit
A spot where we can smoke in peace,
And even though we G’s
We still visualize places
That we could roll in peace
And in my mind's eye I see this place
The players going past
And got a spot for us all
So we can ball,
At Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion...

[Nas]
A place where death doesn’t reside
Just thugs who collide
Not to start beef,
But spark trees
No cops rolling by
No policeman, no homicide
No talks in the streets
No reason for nobody's momma to cry
See I’m a good guy
I’m trying to stick around for my daughter
But if I should die
I know all of my albums support her
This whole year's been crazy,
Ask the Holy Spirit to save me
Only difference from me and Nosy Davis,
Gray hair maybe
'Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much suffering
I’m just 20 some odd years
And I done lost my mother
And I cry tears of joy,
I know she smiles on her boy
I dream of you more,
My love goes to Afeni Shakur
'Cause like Ann Jones
She raised a ghetto king in the war
And just for that alone
She shouldn’t feel no pain no more
'Cause one day we’ll all be together
Sipping heavenly champagne
With angels soft, with golden wings
In Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion

[2Pac]
Dear momma, don’t cry
Your baby boy's doing good,
Tell the homies I’m in heaven
And they ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night
It had me shook
Driking peppermint snots
With Jackie Wilson and Sam Cook
Then some lady named Billie Holiday sang
Sitting there kicking it with Malcolm
'Til the day came
Little Natasha, she all grown
Tell the lady in the liquor store that she’s forgiven,
So come home
Maybe in time you’ll understand
Only God can save us
With Miles Davis cutting loose with the band
Just think of all the people
That you knew in the past
That passed on and in heaven
Found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in Heaven
So right before I sleep
Dear God what I’m asking,
Remember this face,
Save me a place
In Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion...

-2Pac, Nas

... Don't we all wish for peace sometimes.







Clubs:


Contests:
http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25153710/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25153710/ Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:21:21 PDT [2Pac]
A place to spend my quiet nights,
Time to unwind
So much pressure in this life of mine
I cry times
I once contemplated suicide,
I would've tried
But when I held that 9
All I could see was my momma's eyes
No one knows my struggle,
They only see the trouble
Not knowing it's hard to carry on
When no one loves you
Picture me inside the misery of poverty
No man alive has ever witnessed
Struggles I survived
Praying hard for better days,
Promised to hold on
Me and my dawgs ain't have a choice
But to roll on
We finally found a spot to kick it,
Where we can drink liquor and
No one bickers over trick shit
A spot where we can smoke in peace,
And even though we G’s
We still visualize places
That we could roll in peace
And in my mind's eye I see this place
The players going past
And got a spot for us all
So we can ball,
At Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion...

[Nas]
A place where death doesn’t reside
Just thugs who collide
Not to start beef,
But spark trees
No cops rolling by
No policeman, no homicide
No talks in the streets
No reason for nobody's momma to cry
See I’m a good guy
I’m trying to stick around for my daughter
But if I should die
I know all of my albums support her
This whole year's been crazy,
Ask the Holy Spirit to save me
Only difference from me and Nosy Davis,
Gray hair maybe
'Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much suffering
I’m just 20 some odd years
And I done lost my mother
And I cry tears of joy,
I know she smiles on her boy
I dream of you more,
My love goes to Afeni Shakur
'Cause like Ann Jones
She raised a ghetto king in the war
And just for that alone
She shouldn’t feel no pain no more
'Cause one day we’ll all be together
Sipping heavenly champagne
With angels soft, with golden wings
In Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion

[2Pac]
Dear momma, don’t cry
Your baby boy's doing good,
Tell the homies I’m in heaven
And they ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night
It had me shook
Driking peppermint snots
With Jackie Wilson and Sam Cook
Then some lady named Billie Holiday sang
Sitting there kicking it with Malcolm
'Til the day came
Little Natasha, she all grown
Tell the lady in the liquor store that she’s forgiven,
So come home
Maybe in time you’ll understand
Only God can save us
With Miles Davis cutting loose with the band
Just think of all the people
That you knew in the past
That passed on and in heaven
Found peace at last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in Heaven
So right before I sleep
Dear God what I’m asking,
Remember this face,
Save me a place
In Thug's Mansion

[Chorus]
Every corner, every city,
There’s a place where life's a little easy
Little hennessy, laid back and cool
Every hour 'cause it's all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside
Every wrong done will be all right
Nothing but peace and love, street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thug's Mansion...

-2Pac, Nas

... Don't we all wish for peace sometimes.







Clubs:


Contests:
http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25116220/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25116220/ Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:58:41 PDT [Nas]
Mmm, fried chicken, fly vixen
Give me heart disease
But need you in my kitchen
You a bird, but you ain't a key
Got wings but you can't fly away from me
Driving in your bucket seats
All the way from Kentucky to fuck with me
Look what you've done to me
Was number one to me
After you shower
You and your gold medal flour
Then you rub on with hot oil for half an hour
You in your hot tub, I'm looking at you salivating
Dry you off, I got your paper towel waiting
Lay you down 'cause you're red hot
Louisiana style you make my head rot
Then I flop to the bed then, "Plop"
When we done, I need rest
Don't know what part of you I love best
Your legs or your breasts,
Mrs. Fried Chicken, you gon' be a nigga death
Created by southern black women
To serve massive guests
You gon' be a nigga death
Mrs. Fried Chicken, you was my addiction
Dripping with hot cholest'
Like Greeks with their kefalo'
Or Italians with their tomato pasta
Or Roti is to a Rasta
Trapping me
You and your friend mac and cheese
Candies and collard greens
But you knocking me to my knees
It's killing me when I miss, ah
Nothing I need more than a fish fry

[Busta Rhymes]
Shit, It tastes good, I can't lie
It's like you're walking out a tanning salon
When I pull you out the oven, from baking I got you on my mind
Rubbing that sun tan lotion all up over your body
So amazing, how you sparkle when I glaze you swine
Hey, my pretty hand hot, it's so feminine
The way you submitting
And how you gave me power
To messaging me to shower you with lemon water
Marinate you with season, dipping you in chowder
Baby
It's like you at the spa
The way you gently lay in the pan
While you enjoying you butter milk treatment
I sit and watch the grease sizzle bubbling on your skin
Despite the funny fragrance
Still I lick my finger frequent
In any event
I'm reflecting on all the signs that I got saying I shouldn't fuck with you
But the way you taste made you hard to resist
When I put my mouth on you
But that's another issue
Butterflies up in my stomach when I laid eyes on you
Was it infection manifesting?
Confused over the feeling
Impatiently eating you
Intestinal worm chewing on the walls of my intestine
I'ma eat you until there's nothing left
'Til my very last breath
You gon' be a nigga death
Despite I prepare it the best
And specialize in cooking swine as a chef
You gon' be a nigga's death
Who cares if the swine
Is mixed with rat, cat, and dog combined?
Yes, I'ma eat this shit to death

Ain't that some shit?
I'ma eat some shit
Until what I'm eating kills me!
And I choose to do that.
Why?
'Cause that's just what niggas do...

-Nas, Busta Rhymes

"It's time for us as a people to start making some changes. Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live, and let's change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn't working, so it's on us to do what we gotta do, to survive..." -2Pac

Well, guess we aren't really good at changing.







Clubs:


Contests:
's Magical Muse Contest: [link]
's Spring has Sprung Contest: [link]

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25049361/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/25049361/ Sun, 31 May 2009 11:06:20 PDT Imagine that the pillow that you cried on was my chest
And the tissue that you wiped your face with was my hand
Girl, imagine if you needed advice
About some other guy,
I'm the one that comes to mind
Not trying to hear you tell nobody that I'm just a friend
Just trying to make sure I'm that body that you call your man
And anytime you need a shoulder, it's yours night or day
Well, what I'm trying to say is, I wanna be

The last number you call late at night
First one that you dial when you open your eyes
Wanna be the one you run to
wanna be the one that ain't gon' hurt you
I wanna be, yeah, wanna be, yeah
Be the man making your girls jealous
Be the guy shutting down all the fellas
Whatever you need, girl, it's all on me
Your soldier, your friend, or your lover
Girl, I wanna be

Would it be cool, would you mind if I called you my boo,
What if the next whip you was pushing was the one I bought for you
Can I be the one that meets your pops and take your mama shopping
Be the only one they like
(Wait) have you thought about it
(Wait) really thought about it
Maybe you should take some time, call your girls and talk about it (yeah)
'Cause I done already made up my mind
Don't need no more time to know if I wanna be with you
I wanna be

The last number you call late at night
First one that you dial when you open your eyes
Wanna be the one you run to
wanna be the one that ain't gon' hurt you
I wanna be, yeah, wanna be, yeah
Be the man making your girls jealous
Be the guy shutting down all the fellas
Whatever you need, girl it's all on me
Your soldier, your friend, or your lover
Girl, I wanna be

Put me on your screen-saver, all over your Myspace and
Make me one of your five favorites, that's where I wanna be
The one you crying for, staying up all night fighting for
Wanna be your good, bad, love, hey, girl...

Cross my heart, hope to die, on everything that's good
I'ma do you right,
Show you right
Get this understood
Cross my heart, hope to die, on everything that's good
I'ma do you right
Show you right
Get this understood, I wanna be

The last number you call late at night
First one that you dial when you open your eyes
Wanna be the one you run to
Wanna be the one that ain't gon' hurt you
I wanna be, yeah, wanna be, yeah
Be the man making your girls jealous
Be the guy shutting down all the fellas
Whatever you need, girl, it's all on me
Your soldier, your friend, or your lover
Girl, I wanna be (yours)
Girl, I wanna be (yours)
I wanna be (yours)
(Be yours)
I wanna be (be yours)
I wanna be (be yours)...

-Chris Brown

(My comment on Chris Brown... I know you might have an opinion on the matter, especially because what he did is something a man should never do. But that shouldn't be a reason to not pay attention to his songs. Poems and songs have a life of their own outside of their creators, and the personal reputation of poets/singers shouldn't get in the way of the ideas they express through their work, even though they might contradict them. No one can be an angel all the time, and some people are more screwed up than others. But that's their own issue. It shouldn't taint their works and the ideas those works represent, as long as those ideas aren't hateful, misguided, prejudiced, or whatever.

Chris Brown... hell, he needs therapy, and that's that. Nothing more I can say about that.)

Have you ever felt like your purpose in life was to be this anchoring influence for someone, to be the one that person can depend on? And you know exactly how this person feels, what this person has gone through, even though you might not have experienced the same things? That's the way I feel right now. And it's almost scary how empowering it can be, to want to be the island in a stormy sea for someone, to be there for someone whenever that person needs you.







Clubs:


Contests:
http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24904799/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24904799/ Sat, 23 May 2009 09:51:18 PDT There's a funeral procession on the highway
Traffic screeches to a halt
There's people searching for a better way
To live their lives

Johnny lived a good life, you'll hear them say
As tears of sadness soak the ground
The reaper crept in, took his breath away
In the middle of the night

We celebrate the lives of the dead
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies
We gather 'round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light

So please don't come to me on my dying day
Just let me go in peace
With all the things that I forgot to say
Racing through my mind

And don't you bury me six feet underground
Just burn my body in a box
And let my ashes blow with the wind
Out into the night sky

We celebrate the lives of the dead
It's like a man's best party, only happens when he dies
We gather 'round to pay our respects
While their souls are still searching for the light
Searching for the light

-Dallas Green, as City and Colour

Slept at around 7:00 last night. Woke up around 3:00 in the morning. Couldn't go back to sleep after I (and also realized that I'd forgotten to brush my teeth). This song was in my head, so I listened to it while I was still in my bed.

Peculiar, listening to a song in the middle of the night. The blinds were half-open, so the ceiling had these bands of light that came in from the outside. When the trees swayed in the wind, you could see the shadows move on the ceiling. It's so quiet, you can pick up things in the music that you couldn't have noticed if you were listening to it in a car or when you're taking a walk.

Have you ever thought about your own funeral? I should have them cremate me when I die. Put up a pile of round stones underneath a tree on a farm somewhere, but don't bury my ashes there (It's called a cenotaph. Look it up on Wikipedia or something.) Cast my ashes into the sea, or let it blow away with the wind, or something. I don't want to be buried; I don't belong to a single land.

But enough of that. It's still a far-off prospect. For now, nature calls... again.






Clubs:


Contests:
's Magical Muse Contest: [link]
's Spring has Sprung Contest: [link]

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24659939/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24659939/ Wed, 20 May 2009 23:48:38 PDT Ever since you was a pee-wee, down by my knee with a wee-wee
We been coochie-coo all through school, you and me G
Back in the days we played practical jokes on
everybody smoked with they locs and the yolks on
All through high school, girls by the dozens
Sayin' we cousins, knowin that we wasn't
But like the old saying goes
Times goes on, and everybody grows
Grew apart, had to part, went our own ways
You chose the dope game, my microphone pays
In many ways we were paid in the old days
So far away from the crazies with AK's
And though I been around clowning with the Underground
I'm still down with my homies from the hometown
And if you need, need anything at all
I drop it all for y'all, if my homies call

It's a shame, you chose the dope game
Now you slang cane on the streets with no name
It was plain that your aim was mo' cane
You got game now you run with no shame
I chose rappin' tracks to make stacks
In fact I travel the map with raps that spray cats
But now I don't wanna down my homie
No matter how low you go you're not lowly
And I, hear that you made a few enemies
But when you need a friend you can depend on me, call
If you need my assistance there'll be no resistance
I'll be there in an instant
Who am I to judge another brother, only on his cover
I'd be no different than the other
H-to-the-O-to-the-M-to-the-I-to-the-E
I'm down to the E-N-D
Cause it's a fall in no time at all
I'm down for y'all, when my homies call
Word, if my homies call...

Well it's ninety-one and I'm livin' kinda swell now
But I hear that you're going through some hell pal
But life makin' records ain't easy
It ain't what I expected it's hectic it's sleazy
But I guess that the streets is harder
Trying to survive in the life of a young godfather
My homies is making it elsewhere
Striving, working nine to five with no health care
We both had dreams of being great
But his deferred, and blurred and changed in shape
It's fate, it wasn't my choice to make
To be great, I'm giving it all it takes
Trying to shake, the crates and fakes and snakes
I gotta take, my place or fall from grace
The foolish way, the pace is quick and great
Smiling face, to hide the trace of hate
But my homie would never do me wrong
That's why I wrote this song, if you ever need me it's on
No matter who the foe they must fall
Us against them all, I'm down to brawl, if my homies call

-2Pac

Dan Quayle, the U.S. vice president under George H.W. Bush, once said that an album like 2Pacalypse Now, which contained songs like "If My Homie Calls", "Brenda's Got a Baby", and "Part Time Mutha", had no place in our society.

Well, if fraternal love and social commentary have no place in our society, I don't know where our society will be.






Clubs:


Contests:
's Magical Muse Contest: [link]
's Spring has Sprung Contest: [link]

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24447032/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/24447032/ Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:56:32 PDT I remember the quick, nervous bird of your love.
I remember the quick, nervous bird of your love.
Always perched on the thinnest, highest branch.
Always perched on the thinnest, highest branch.
Thinnest love, remember the quick branch.
Always nervous, I perched on your highest bird the.

It is time for me to cross the mountain.
It is time for me to cross the mountain.
And find another shore to darken with my pain.
And find another shore to darken with my pain.
Another pain for me to darken the mountain.
And find the time, cross my shore, to with it is to.

The weather warm, the handwriting familiar.
The weather warm, the handwriting familiar.
Your letter flies from my hand into the waters below.
Your letter flies from my hand into the waters below.
The familiar waters below my warm hand.
Into handwriting your weather flies you letter the from the.

I always cross the highest letter, the thinnest bird.
Below the waters of my warm familiar pain,
Another hand to remember your handwriting.
The weather perched for me on the shore.
Quick, your nervous branch flew from love.
Darken the mountain, time and find was my into it was with to to.

-Billy Collins






Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/23875061/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/23875061/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:50:39 PDT Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldiers knew

Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them

Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turned in air
Sabr’ing the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke

Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke

Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them

Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

-Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson






Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/23031293/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/23031293/ Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:35:33 PST
On a second note, 2000 pageviews. Yahoo.

Since Chinese New Year's wasn't so far back, bring out the firecrackers... and watch someone have an accident and burn down a house.

A buddy of mine's setting up for the parade this weekend at Chinatown. The normally well-visited SF will probably be more chock-full of tourists at the parade; that's beside the point, though. The point is, to set up, my friend practically has to work 18-hour shifts for three days.

Sounds fun.

Anyhow, no web liquor this time... I'm still kinda tipsy from last time. Instead, break out the six-pack pepsis.

Cheers.






Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22534511/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22534511/ Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:43:06 PST
As for me, well... I remember the tenements. It was a run-down place. There was a little park in the middle of all the buildings. Brick buildings and unpaved back alleys, factories, chimneys. Not a slum, though. I've been to a real slum; think I was visiting relatives or something like that... I distinctly remember a power plant cooling tower in the distance.

I remember the dust storms, the hot nights, the morning fog, and the snow.

Not what it was anymore. China's been catching up on modernization; not a bad thing. But will I recognize it if I go back? Well... I probably will. But nothing from before.

P.S.: Oh yeah, on a side note... maybe you should check this out: [link]






Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22259764/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22259764/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:49:51 PST I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king, composed hallelujah...

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah...

Your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah...

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah...

Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah...

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah...

There was a time you let me know
What's real and going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
I remember when I moved in you,
The holy dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah...

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah...

Maybe there's a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah...

hallelujah, hallelujah
hallelujah, hallelujah

hallelujah, hallelujah
hallelujah, hallelujah...

- Rufus Wainwright






Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22146996/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/22146996/ Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:18:45 PST There's gon' be some stuff you gon' see
That's gon' make it hard to smile in the future.
But through whatever you see,
Through all the rain and the pain,
You gotta keep your sense of humor.
You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit.
Remember that.
Mmm, yeah.

Keep ya head up...

[2Pac]
Our lifestyles be close captioned
Addicted to fatal attractions
Pictures of actions be played back
In the midst of mashin'
No fairy tales for this young black male
Some see me stranded in this land of hell, jail, and crack sales
Hustlin' and heart be a nigga culture
Or the repercussions while bustin' on backstabbin' vultures
Sellin' my soul for material wishes, fast cars and bitches
Wishin' I live my life a legend, immortalized in pictures
Why shed tears? Save your sympathy
My childhood years were spent burying my peers in the cemetery
Here's a message to the newborns, waitin' to breathe
If you believe then you can achieve
Just look at me
Against all odds, though life is hard we carry on
Livin' in the projects, broke with no lights on
To all the seeds that follow me
Protect your essence
Born with less, but you still precious
Just smile for me now

...Smile for me , won't you smile (smile for me now)
Just smile (smile), smile for me
Smile for me (you ain't got nothin' to be worried about)
Won't you smile (no doubt, smile for me now)
Just smile... (And for the next generation)

[Scarface]
Now as I open up my story
Put the blaze in your blunts
So you can picture thoughts slowly
On the phrases I wrote
And I can walk you through the days that I done
I often wish that I could save everyone
But I'm a dreamer
Have you ever seen a nigga who was strong in the game
Overlooking his tomorrows and they finally came?
Look back on childhood memories and I'm still feeling the pain
Turning circles in my life came to dealing cocaine
To many hassles in my local life, surviving the strain
And a man without a focus, life could drive him insane
Stuck inside a ghetto fantasy hoping it'd change
But when I focus on reality we broke and in chains
Had a dream of living wealthy and making it big
Over football, told'em cook raw, with the cake and he did
And after all my momma's thankin' God for blessin' the child
All my momma gots to do now is collect it and smile
Smile...

...Smile for me , won't you smile
Just smile, smile for me...

[2Pac]
Fuck the world as we ball and witness furious speeds
Unanswered questions keep us all stressin', curious G's
Backstabbed and bleedin', fuckin' thoughts laced with weed
Learnin', duckin' stray shots, bullets be hot, they burnin'
Inhalin' sherm smoke, visualized the flames
Will I be smothered by my own pain?
Strange whispers, cowards conversate, so quick to diss us
Takin' pictures for the feds, and desperate
Hopes they'd get us
Hit us off, give us plenty centuries, forgive my sins
Since I ain't in many penitentiaries the best revenge is fuck friends
We military minded soldiers, bustin' shots blindly
Tryin' to find Jehovah to help me
Somebody save me
Lost and crazy, scared to drop a seed
Hopin' I ain't cursed my babies
Maybe now niggas feel me now, picture my pain
Embrace my words make the world change
And still I smile nigga...

[Scarface]
And now a moment of silence, let us pray
And as you journey into outer space
May the angels help to lead the way
May the prayers that our families make
Shine up on your soul to keep you safe
And all the homies that done passed away
They there to greet you as you pass the gates
And as you head into the tunnel's light
I hope it leads to eternal life
We say the prayers for our homie Pac...

Smile...

(Smile for me)
(All ya need to do is smile)
(Woooo smile for me)
(Come on smile for me)

- 2Pac, Scarface







Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21939518/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21939518/ Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:58:13 PST I just burnt my American flag
And sent three cracker nazis to hell and I'm sad
I'm loading tefs in my mag
To send these redneck bigots some death in a bag
Choke him out with his Confederate flag
I know these devils are mad
Little rap fans that live way out, in safe suburbia,
Would you stand with me, a United States murderer?

Would you testify
You buy my songs
You buy my songs, but would you ride with me?

You understand my struggle
That's what you claim right?
Then get your aim right
And get your game tight
Don't buy my songs if y'all don't roll with it
Coming to concerts singing "ho" and shit
Fuck y'all little little ho bitches
I don't need y'all, I go gold with it
I heard y'all was downloading it
Like i'm your man who be exposed an shit
Like uh, William Cooper
Who told you "the pale horse is the future"

Would you testify with some realness like that
I think you scared
I don't think you prepared
You know what i'm asking you?
Do you know what i'm asking you?

- Nas






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]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21924584/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21924584/ Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:23:15 PST
Let's break out the bottles, and raise a toast.



Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21793041/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21793041/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:31:12 PST
Day in, day out, everything's the same routine. People aren't really talking about anything in particular.

Sleep's not even a relief anymore. Feels like mere seconds before I have to wake up again.

Disillusionment isn't healthy. It's amazing what a little faith can do to pull you through the day and make you look forward to the next.

I feel lonely. Life's flying by, and there isn't even enough time to sit down and talk anymore. Talk from the heart. And you don't find a lot of people you can do that with.

I feel lonely.

If only I could sleep for long enough that I'll forget my troubles. But I still have to charge headlong into the battle of life; I can't conveniently forget.

Love and companionship seem sweet reliefs. But I can't believe in love anymore. Perhaps I've isolated myself, perhaps isolation came to me, but either way, I feel detached and empty.

All that's left is the will to survive. I feel like an animal.









Clubs:


]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21488310/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21488310/ Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:40:52 PST
Joining groups seems like a fun idea when you have nothing else on your mind except Jamba Juice.

...Something about me suggests zombieism. Better quarantine myself before I start infecting people.



Brains...

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]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21274075/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21274075/ Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:50:53 PDT
Despite the now-cliched focus on money, jewelry, women, cars, etc... rap, even gangsta rap, has good parts worth paying attention to.

Poetically, rap fed a good part of me... I guess my attention to rhyme, flow, and rhythm came from listening to rap.

Why do I say rap saved my soul? Poetry is a part of my soul, and rap figured- and still figures- heavily in my development as a poet.

I guess I just had to say that.

(As for that song I put down there, I really recommend it- it's about Hurricane Katrina.)

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21085643/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21085643/ Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:22:44 PDT
In poetry, one either adheres to structure, or work without the constraints of form. For one, free form has the advantage of displaying emotions at its rawest. And poetry, without emotions, would have no meaning. It feels good to let things off of your chest, no lie.

Structure, on the other hand, gives a challenge. The rigidity makes it difficult to express emotions, thoughts, and ideas. Still, a well-structured poem can resonate with the reader in more ways than a free form poem. The structure doesn't need to be explicit... a simple "flow" or rhythm is often enough to do the job; the more complex forms can be eye-catching, on the other hand.

How can we, then, as poets, combine the two? How can we express feelings in their unrestrained form, all the while using the constraints of structure to achieve a greater impact with that feeling?

(Oh, one last thing... if anyone gets the reference I threw out down there with "Playing: Tricks on my mind", kudos to you. Let me know if you get it, 'kay? Hint: It has to do with a rap song.)

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21025215/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21025215/ Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:55:26 PDT
If I have no faith in myself, then, I am the sole party to blame. My uncertainties are caused by no one but me. All my annoyances, unconfidence, insecurities... I am their creator.

One creates his/her own heaven or hell. It all depends on whether one focuses on the positive or the negative.

At times, I feel as if I care too much about how others think about me. This is one of those times. I can't make everybody happy, so why try? I should make myself happy first.

Still, as always, the key is balance; in this case, I should make myself happy first, but I should not stray into utter hedonism. Similarly, I need to tread a fine line between assured confidence and haughty pride, between a spirit of healthy competition and poisonous envy.

I swear, pride and envy will come back to bite me in the rear if I don't take care to keep away from them.

Perhaps the harder part here is accepting who I am; I wouldn't like to characterize myself as prideful or envious, but I sure as hell seem that way sometimes, mostly to myself. I might not like it, but it's who I am. I can be kind and compassionate one moment, then harsh and uncaring in the next. Each of these is a part of me I'm stuck with, for better or for worse. Therefore, I have to remember to be true to my own self.

I don't like labels. They overly generalize a person. For example, the word "emo" makes no distinction between those simply acting in a depressed manner and those who actually suffer from the psychological disorder of depression, bipolarity, or other similar mood disorders. I think the word creates a negative stereotype of people suffering from these conditions- which are nothing to joke about (think about it- Van Gogh cut off a piece of his own ear once, and Sylvia Plath and Ernest Hemingway both killed themselves), and makes them feel ashamed of their condition, and therefore makes them distance themselves from support. This can cause further psychological and physical damage to those people.

Why do I defy labels? Because they cannot adequately express who I am.

On the other hand, why do I actively want to defy labels? Words have no real meaning unless I put a meaning to them.

I'm better off ignoring things like that. If I give no meaning to the labels myself, then I would feel no need to actively evade them. Still, I will need to accept who I am if I can do this.

What is it that makes me uncomfortable with being who I am? I feel too constrained. I need to leave all this behind, and be a lot crazier.

And to think I thought I was reasonable.

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21005573/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/21005573/ Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:16:46 PDT
I feel like I get angry a lot easier nowadays. With all the things on my plate- applying to college and the resultant pressure from my parents being the major one- I'm finding it harder to stay calm.

What really rubs me the wrong way is that my mom asked her boss (it's a relatively small place where she works at) to help edit my personal statement. That in itself is okay with me; what drives me nuts is that she wants me to immediately edit my stuff according to the person's suggestions when he sends back my essay with comments written on it. First of all, I am absolutely incapable of writing anything that involves personal stuff on demand like that. Second, she makes it sound like as if I have an obligation to turn it in to the guy. It's my essay, for crying out loud. I'm more obligated to it myself; I will have to write it, I know that. But I have my own way of doing things.

What's more, my mom wrote more stuff into my essay once. I admit, that draft was crap, and I've done a serious revision to it. Heck, I practically rewrote the whole thing. But still, it's my personal stuff. My mother or no, she shouldn't have done it like she wanted me to do it her way or no way.

My state of mind is constantly in a struggle between what I want and what I know- a battle between will and reason. And reason is winning. The problem with that is that I tend to bottle my feelings up when that happens- reason just won't let me show any of it. I can't even say what I want to say without getting into an argument with myself. And when I absolutely have to say how I feel, it comes out too harsh. But still, it's just how I see things.

I know it's an empty pipe dream, but I want to get away.

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20994929/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20994929/ Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:50:40 PDT
Had someone who I didn't want to get a phone call from call me up today. Put his number in my phone so I can block him.

The fare-checkers on the transit lines are total assholes. Met two today. The first one was all right. The second one gave me a load of bullshit just because he couldn't see my ID well enough.

Then I got honked at by some driver on the crosswalk. When I checked the light on my side it was green. How could that light turn in the matter of one second!? It's at least supposed to blink a few times before it turns red!

Here's me, to my life:

Sometimes, I feel like I'm giving too much and not getting enough. But I might not be in a position to complain... I might be giving too little and asking too much. At the moment, I don't care.

I need to talk straight sometimes... it's hard trying to keep up a facade all the time for other people.

I should relax, somehow. That much I know.

It's been on and off like this... for who knows how long. I feel exhilarated for a few days, then my mood's in the pits the next. I'm more often in the pits, or at least that's how I feel.

Maybe I really need to see a shrink.

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20813747/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20813747/ Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:29:34 PDT
I was about to put in the icon for "high", but people say I'm always high... I'm not a user of illicit substances, but I'm just so erratic that I might as well be.

The grading period just ended... meaning that teachers had to turn in grades. Which also meant a hectic week, comprised of tests and class presentations.

Which is part of the reason why I feel strangely afloat. It's as if I'm free of pressing obligations, if only for a minute.

Have to find a reliable digital camera... I feel like posting pics of stuff I made in ceramics class...

The clouds look pretty when it's about to rain. Better than the fog, which I get so much of.

$a&n it... I need to take a shower. It was so humid yesterday...

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20069703/ http://Swords-and-Bandages.deviantart.com/journal/20069703/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:35:55 PDT
School is a trash dump. There are less kinder ways to describe it, but trash dump seems fitting (aside from sh*thouse). At least you can say "one man's trash, another man's treasure", right?

I would never even think of attending my future school reunions except for two reasons: 1) The food. 2) That buddy you just had to have another laugh with. School's like a trash dump since you can find your own treasure of people you get along with, and also the kinds of people you'd rather shove in your metaphorical garbage incinerator.

]]> ~Swords-and-Bandages