Waxing Poetically: Addressing Culture with a Twist of Poetry

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The chances not taken are also missed. But do people mean these words?

Below is a poem by an unknown author entitled “Risk.” Is the poet’s assumption correct?

“RISK”

Author unknown

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to others is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

Only the person who risks can be free.

Source: iamthewitness.com

Wax it, and risk it.

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Featured at both Waxing Poetically and Art from the Outskirts

Enter the wham bam world of slam poetry! From the beaten path of the “beat” generation of the 1960s and Alan Ginsberg to the soulful cries of James Brown in the 70’s, Public Enemy in the 80s and the capricious coffeehouse wordplay of folk-influenced artists of the 90s such as Jewel and and jazzy, cultural upstarts like Arrested Development, Spoken word or “slam poetry” has arguably snatched the new millennium by the proverbial throat and thrust itself into the semi-mainstream consciousness . Still, with prolific voices like Saul Williams, Beau Sia and Ishle Park crooning and spittooning their words like arrows from slings into both the willing and reluctant hearts of their listeners, the slam family may have much more art to impart before quite poetically speaking, all is said and done.

The following piece is from a documentary of the slam poetry movement entitled 4 Walls
featuring Carlton “S.T.A.R.R.” Releford, a slam poetry artist from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Produced and directed by George Washington Rogers, IV. Executive Producers: Wash Rogers, Brian Greer, Kenneth Stephens. Editor: Brian Greer. Copyright 2007 Brass Knuckles Productions. For more information, please visit www.4wallsfilm.com.

Slam on!

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Archived from June 20, 2008

The following piece is a full chapter of the 1923 book The Prophet by Lebanese-American author, poet, artist and theologian Khalil Gibran. He speaks on the truth of religion and how it cannot be separated from daily life. All should be one according to the speaker in this chapter. I first read this piece at a time when I was falling away from organized religion and though I’ve since returned to my Catholic roots, the piece still resonates fully in the depths of my being. Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.

Keep it waxin’!

“Religion”

And an old priest said, “Speak to us of Religion.”

And he said:

Have I spoken this day of aught else?

Is not religion all deeds and all reflection,

And that which is neither deed nor reflection, but a wonder and a surprise ever springing in the soul, even while the hands hew the stone or tend the loom?

Who can separate his faith from his actions, or his belief from his occupations?

Who can spread his hours before him, saying, “This for God and this for myself; This for my soul, and this other for my body?”

All your hours are wings that beat through space from self to self.

He who wears his morality but as his best garment were better naked.

The wind and the sun will tear no holes in his skin.

And he who defines his conduct by ethics imprisons his song-bird in a cage.

The freest song comes not through bars and wires.

And he to whom worshipping is a window, to open but also to shut, has not yet visited the house of his soul whose windows are from dawn to dawn.

Your daily life is your temple and your religion.

Whenever you enter into it take with you your all.

Take the plough and the forge and the mallet and the lute,

The things you have fashioned in necessity or for delight.

For in revery you cannot rise above your achievements nor fall lower than your failures.

And take with you all men:

For in adoration you cannot fly higher than their hopes nor humble yourself lower than their despair.

And if you would know God be not therefore a solver of riddles.

Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.

And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.

You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.

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Digital Photomanipulation:The Sky is Painting by Michael LaPenna

Today, this blog’s weekly quest to nourish the soul brings five poems by India’s beloved poet and spiritual seeker Kabir (1440-1518). Kabir poems have been described as something of a bridge or lingua franca between the worlds of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity in that they draw not from religious, ritual but a universal goal to attain an absolute truth with which the reader can draw and glean a fuller understand of himself. There are still other moments in his poetry in which for all its mystical depth and philosophical indulgence, Kabir’s poetry is quite funny and places his work in a kind of awkwardly appropriate tango in between the writings of Khalil Gibran and William Carlos Williams in the creative energy field that is the history of poetry.

“THE SMART DOGS RAN OFF”

I sat one day with a priest
who expounded on the doctrine
of hell.

I listened to him for hours,
then he asked me
what I thought of
all he said.

And I replied,

That doctrine seems an inhumane cage;
no wonder
the smart dogs
ran off.

“A Man with Amnesia”

With a begging bowl in hand
a man with amnesia
knocks on his own door.

My guru cured me
of that profound illness:

God asking God
for forgiveness
or alms.

“See If They Wet Their Pants”

The words, Guru, Swami, Super Swami, Master, Teacher, Murshid, Yogi, Priest, Bishop,

most of those sporting such a title are
just peacocks.

The litmus test is:
hold them upside down
over a cliff for a few hours.
If they don’t wet their pants

maybe you found
a real one.

“Visiting Holy Shrines”

If you circumambulated
every holy shrine
in the world
ten times,

it would not get you to heaven
as quick

as controlling
your anger.

“An Intelligent Rich Person”

I don’t think there is such a thing as
an intelligent mega-rich
person.

For who with a fine mind can look
out upon this world
and hoard

what can nourish
a thousand
souls.

All the above poems were copied/pasted from http://forum.quoteland.com/1/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=586192041&f=8951976686&m=4261070251

(Read a Kabir Bio).

Wax with peace of mind.

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Archived from November 25, 2008

Yes, hip hop: the beats, the rhymes, the verses and the eloquence are moving some to new plateaus of greatness. Well, in an ideal world, that’s what poetic waxers like me would wish hip hop to do. Yet, the reality of mainstream, popular hip hop has lead my ears to bleed with sorrow at what the genre has become. Back in the 1980’s golden years Rakim told listeners “I used to be a stick-up kid…/But now I learned to earn ’cause I’m righteous!” But by the mid 90s Dr. Dre told of America’s t youth that “Bitches ain’t sh*t! on his 1992 song of same name. Now just a few weeks ago, I heard a song called “I’m in Love with Money!” Hip hop has undoubtedly gone a bit astray from its political and social change roots.

Hip hop has gone from this:

Eric B and Rakim “Paid in Full” (1987)

[Rakim]

I need money, I used to be a stick-up kid
So I think of all the devious things I did
I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain’t nuthin’ funny
Stop smiling, be still, don’t nuthin’ move but the money
But now I learned to earn cos I’m righteous
I feel great! so maybe I might just
Search for a 9 to 5, if I strive
Then maybe I’ll stay alive
So I walk up the street whistlin this
Feelin out of place cos, man, do I miss
A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of
Me and Eric B, and a nice big plate of
Fish, which is my favorite dish
But without no money it’s still a wish
Cos I don’t like to dream about gettin paid
So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made
To now test to see if I got pull
Hit the studio, cos I’m paid in full

Source: asklyrics.com

To this:

Punctuation added.

Plies “I’m in Love With Money” [Actual spelling and grammar by source] (2008)

Ay Homie, Man My Grandma Told Me Dog,
“Plies, Sit Down Sumwhere Bwoi Money Ain’t Everythang.
I Told Her “Sh** How you Kno you Ain’t Neva Had Nun!”

[Chorus: x2]
I’m Allergic To Broke,
I’m Addicted To Stuntin‘
I’m Infatuated Wit Hoes
Nd I’m N Luv Wit Money,
Im in Love Wit Money(Money),
Im in Love Wit Money(Money),
Im in Love Wit Money(Money),
Im in Love Wit Money(Money).

metrolyrics.com

For more on these and numerous other songs, just google the titles mentioned. There are many, many songs like these.

picture and audio uploaded by JSUChick06

Copyright is retained by Bridget Gray.

For more from Bridget gray and a full bio go to bridgetgray.com.

I wax my case!

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Archived from August 15, 2008

The paradox of free will and freedom to choose good versus evil is surely an age-old dilemma since the very beginning of existence from all angles, the question of why we do what we do, and why we make the decisions we make . It’s all very strange and disconcerting. The following argument was initially my attempt to solve this problem but in the end, it was all much more a comedy than a solution. It contrasts animal instinct against human ingenuity and makes the case that though we human beings do have the ability to make logical choices, that can never assure that we will decide to do so.

In the Biblical Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the two were inevitably tempted toward it, with wide-eyed, childlike precociousness and when given a pass by the guile and tricks of the serpent, they felt it reason enough to throw all God’s rules aside even when God had told them verbatim they would surely die. Both Adam and Eve risked death to embrace the most base and immediate desires, rather than listen a logical argument which if followed though would guarantee eternal life with no further thoughts, questions, instructions or payment needed. Now that’s a deal that seemingly not even the most ravenous game show player could refuse (even if Howie Mandel were hosting).

Yet, somehow, someway, somewhere in the deepest, blackest recesses of our minds, we human beings will still reach for the forbidden fruit. We are often the ones to laugh at danger. While the the other creatures retire to the comfort of their caves, holes and nests, We wrestle alligators and hunt bears for the thrill. While the birds of the sky fly south to escape the harsh air of winter, we prodigious, fun-loving and earth-walking homosapiens who have not even the slightest natural ability to fly, volunteer to jump out of planes and “almost” die by allowing gravity to hurl and tumble our bodies to ground and at the proper time, pulling open our “death saving” parachute in order that we prevent our untimely (but quite likely under normal circumstances) deaths; and While the unwitting beasts of the wild instinctively scavenge for the proper food to best fit their nutritional daily recommended allowances, humans fumbling though their refrigerators will say a hardy, “f*** you” to the broccoli on their left and instead snatch up the “one third of a baby cow” angus burger to their right. Finally, lest we forget the paradox of human relationships. Unlike Johnny Bumble Bee and Felicia Fox who are likely in search of the strongest, smartest and healthiest mates in the hive or pack, the young men of our time often notice that the ladies love the bad boys, dropouts and beer swillers.

The examples are many and though this post is partly in jest, it is nevertheless based fully on real life observations. The anguish and absurdity of this shot essay is factual and shows freedom of choice might actually be a kind of cosmic joke. If so, God, or at the very least, nature is awesomely hilarious!

In closing Below is the parable “Good God, Evil God” by Khalil Gibran from his book The Madman to put all the points discussed together without making anyone’s brain short out. Read it carefully and with much thought. See what meaning you can take from it. What does it say to you about the nature of man? What does it say for man’s concept of God?

“The Good God and the Evil God”

The Evil God walked away cursing the stupidity of man.

Keep waxin’ folks! I’ll be here.

Archived from September 23, 2008

This is a follow-up post from yesterday featuring poet and practicing teacher Taylor Mali. I this spot on and poignant poem entitled “On What Teachers Make.” I’ve personally always thought it absurd that those with six to eight years of intensive education are too often forced to be paid so marginally - $30,000 at the lowest and $75,000 at the highest of plateaus. This is changing for some salaries in New York State where I live, but largely I’ve always felt the good teachers who helped mold me when my parents were at their jobs deserved to be honored with payment that quite literally speaking, does not insult their intelligence. I think very often of how particular teachers helped me believe I could do all that my academic gifts allowed. They encouraged me to be my best in all things. Even my math teachers, when I kept failing tests never gave up on me. They did as Mali says “make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Honor.” This piece is dedicated to those steadfast math teachers who never, never thought I couldn’t pass, those various professors in college who helped me take my writing from a remedial level to graduate status, to anyone who sees potential in any student when no one else does. I humble myself before you and say thank you, thank you, thank you! May you never be forgotten!

As for the bad teachers who have tenure, well….

Added Note: This video was upload by Youtube user jacklefttown

Keep waxin’!

This morning as I woke up I wanted to write something powerful about world events, but as with most things, anything worth doing is worth doing correctly and with care. So rather than rushing to the “wordpresses” on the research-heavy topics of the Venezuelan elections, the assumed Zimbabwean collapse, and militant Thai protests, here’s a funny gem of satire from teacher and slam poet Taylor Mali aptly titled “How to Write a political Poem” - and for any folks in the blogosphere who know spoken word political poems, this is actually pretty close to the real thing… (at least as close as Tina Fey is to the real Sarah Palin).

“How to Write a Political Poem” by Taylor Mali

Video by YouTube member baywest

Wax loudly three times! Wax loudly three times! Wax loudly three times!

From August 15, 2008 (There is no corresponding picture, lest I draw you one :P).

Note: Minor grammatical changes were made.

The paradox of free will and freedom to choose good versus evil is surely an age-old dilemma since the very beginning of existence from all angles, the question of why we do what we do, and why we make the decisions we make . It’s all very strange and disconcerting. The following argument was initially my attempt to solve this problem but in the end, it was all much more a comedy than a solution. It contrasts animal instinct against human ingenuity and makes the case that though we human beings do have the ability to make logical choices, that can never assure that we will decide to do so.

In the Biblical Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the two were inevitably tempted toward it, with wide-eyed, childlike precociousness and when given a pass by the guile and tricks of the serpent, they felt it reason enough to throw all God’s rules aside even when God had told them verbatim they would surely die. Both Adam and Eve risked death to embrace the most base and immediate desires, rather than listen a logical argument which if followed though would guarantee eternal life with no further thoughts, questions, instructions or payment needed. Now that’s a deal that seemingly not even the most ravenous game show player could refuse (even if Howie Mandel were hosting).

Yet, somehow, someway, somewhere in the deepest, blackest recesses of our minds, we human beings will still reach for the forbidden fruit. We are often the the ones to laugh at danger. While the the other creatures retire to the comfort of their caves, holes and nests, We wrestle alligators and hunt bears for the thrill. While the birds of the sky fly south to escape the harsh air of winter, we prodigious, fun-loving and earth-walking homosapiens who have not even the slightest natural ability to fly, volunteer to jump out of planes and “almost” die by allowing gravity to hurl and tumble our bodies to ground and at the proper time, pulling open our “death saving” parachute in order that we prevent our untimely (but quite likely under normal circumstances) deaths; and While the unwitting beasts of the wild instinctively scavenge for the proper food to best fit their nutritional daily recommended allowances, humans fumbling though their refrigerators will say a hardy, “f*** you” to the broccoli on their left and instead snatch up the “one third of a baby cow” angus burger to their right. Finally, lest we forget the paradox of human relationships. Unlike Johnny Bumble Bee and Felicia Fox who are likely in search of the strongest, smartest and healthiest mates in the hive or pack, the young men of our time often notice that the ladies love the bad boys, dropouts and beer swillers.

The examples are many and though this post is partly in jest, it is nevertheless based fully on real life observations. The anguish and absurdity of this shot essay is factual and shows freedom of choice might actually be a kind of cosmic joke. If so, God, or at the very least, nature is awesomely hilarious!

In closing Below is the parable “Good God, Evil God” by Khalil Gibran from his book The Madman to put all the points discussed together without making anyone’s brain short out. Read it carefully and with much thought. See what meaning you can take from it. What does it say to you about the nature of man? What does it say for man’s concept of God?

“The Good God and the Evil God”

The Evil God walked away cursing the stupidity of man.

Keep waxin’ folks! I’ll be here.

The Emotions of Jesus by Nadine Rippelmeyer

“Jesus in the Booth” (Inspired by Thayer’s “Casey at the Bat”)

The decision wasn’t easy for one Jesus on that day.
So he stepped outside a moment and at once began to pray.
I had come back in this moment to better cultivate the youth
But ’tis hardest to seek righteousness from inside a voting booth!

Yet truly there are those I know whose righteousness withstands,
The slings and arrows, roadside bombs begat with evil hands.
And so I choose to keep my vote away from such a place.
Regardless of their politics… the just shall live by faith!