We speak words

This feels strange. Due to technical difficulties, I am unable to go online and check my blogs which means I am unable to respond to comments, although I do get to read them. Feel detached.

But I can still post.

Last week's been surprisingly poetic. Did national adjudication of poetry category for Department of Water Affairs & Forestry's Baswa Le Meetse Awards for 10, 11 year old kids.

Did two radio interviews last thursday & this morning and the next few days busy with:

1. Press conference for Jozi Literary Festival - tomorrow
2. Gig @ Mzansi Orleans in Norwood, Joburg @ 19:30 - tomorrow night
3. Performance @ Jozi Literary Festival Gala event - Friday night
4. Performance @ Jozi Literary Festival - Saturday afternoon

All of this makes me feel like a real poet. Yeah, I'm easy to please.

If you in Joburg area and interesting in coming out, then drop me an email and I'll send details.

From there, it is a much needed trip home to Lesotho.

Nothing new

Okay, this isn't anything new but:

1. How is the NBA champion the 'world champion'?
2. How is it the 'world series' of baseball?

Basically, why are champions of American leagues always called 'world champions'?

Was watching a documentary on John Wayne who was referred to, by a friend trying to motivate for him getting a medal, as 'America'. Was a big Duke fan growing up and I had most of his movies on video but learned more about his right wing leanings ... He referred to minorities as 'double barrelled Americans' who should be grateful for living in a country that is the best in the world. What did that say about the rest of us? Does the 'world champion' thing not imply that the rest of us are just taking up space?

Just thoughts ...

Soul on Ice

I have been re-reading a book I first read while still in high school - Soul On Ice, by Eldridge Cleaver, former rapist, convict, Muslim, Black Panther Minister of Information, etc.

It is fascinating to be able to read it with a greater awareness of the world around me, having lived and experienced more since my last reading. What scared me about the book is that there are elements that still seem so relevant to the world order we reside in today. At times, it felt like I could substitute places and names from today with those of yesterday.

I am one of those people who believes we are all doing what we should be doing in the spaces that we are supposed to be in - the cliche 'everything happens for a reason' comes to mind. Finished the book this morning and ended up being convinced to go to the movies with a friend of mine. I say convinced because I very rarely step into cinema houses; I prefer to wait for films to come out on DVD and watch them in the bosom of my own home. Everything is cheaper there and I have more control.

Anyway, we ended up watching Syriana which, through pointing the lens at issues such as the power of oil companies, the ruthlessness of multi-national business and government, the world of 'terrorism', etc. At the core of the movie, although a bit disjointed and confusing to follow, I found it delved into some of the causes behind the actions of people controlling the puppet strings, touching on some of the things that Cleaver discusses.

The world today can be a frightening place and, for those of us living outside the US, it sometimes feels like we are being pushed towards a vision that does not incorporate us and we serve merely as collateral damage and the numbers required to push certain things through.

All I know is that if US politics and business operate minutely similar to what is shown in Syriana, then we truly are in trouble.

time

i have been so busy trying to maintain my Imperfect Poetry blog that i haven't had the time to actually post here.  i am glad to say that i have been able to post a poem a day as planned since i started - some go out after midnite, but they do go out.  it does get a bit confusing trying to figure out the purpose of each space and come up with thoughts to share.  i spend so much time bogged down in ideas and good intentions, which often never get past 'head space' and into reality.  it is said that an idea is useless until implemented and i have thousands.  can one ever have too many ideas?  how often do we seek 'visionary thought', assuming that when you are able to see the great possibilities, you will have accomplished something?  i find that i see the possibility but i never seem to get anything done ... there is never enough time, and the time available is usually used 'chasing paper'.  it's a weird catch-22 situation to be in and the day i find peace in the madness is the day i fulfill my wildest dreams.

 

today, on radio, they had people phoning in to talk about the artistic endeavours that they always wanted to pursue but never did because of 'reality'.  there were people in business talking about their dreams to be dancers, actors, etc.  sometimes i wonder whether people ever realise how tough it is to actually follow your passion.  i smsed the statio to say that i wanted to be a powerful owner of a multi-national, forget being arty.  in that situation, i could do anything i want.  i always figure that if i won the lottery, i would be able to finance, produce and distribute books, CDs, etc, all tied to my passion.  that would be fun.  this... this is stress.  stuck in a place where it is your passion that drives while starving you.  one day it will all make sense.

#end