The past days or so have been peaceful. This is all I want.
A quiet home, frankincense burning, cleaning up what I cannot
physically do. My mom is well. She broiled up some shrimp for
me which I devoured the other night. My plants look at ease again.
My prayers are calmy being answered each time I mantra on the pot.
But now it's time to learn the lessons from this experience.
So much to speak up for when it's your space and all you long for
is to see such a space as communal. I've misread Thich Nhat Hanh
a bit too much me thinks. Ther's nothing wrong with reading it again
until you get it...huh
Next week I go to Colorado again. It's been two years I believe.
Akilah Oliver, a poet, performer, and just an amazing being, has
invited me there to continue our collaboration....I'm excited to
return. When I was there, I was a student on scholarship at Naropa
for a month. That time was incredibly moody. I wanted to write but
I also wanted to sulk given that summer of circumstance and mourning.
Maybe that's why me and Akilah clicked, she was in mourning herself.
She over her son. Me over misguided love. Jesus. Ain't we humans
pitiful sometimes?
I guess what excites me about working with Akilah is that fact that
I function as an instrument and not a poet. I create sounds in my
broken up hardware and become the accent marks for her poems.
I can't say that there are other poets doing this, much less not providing
their own text to the creative process. I like it because it forces me
to humble my mania to hear her words, to give depth to her words in
the context of sound and to become a better listener and future
composer myself.
Much like with the work with Yohimbe. I have listen constantly.
I have to pay attention. Yohimbe functions both in arrangment
and improvisation and knowing when to fall out.
Mind you, this is probably the biggest misconception with the
Yohimbe...everything is not loud and muthafuckas do fall back
when neccessary.
Sometimes, it can become a jam band....that I have to say doesn't
even bother me. But to get back to Akilah, I learn how to honor
her words and her voice that almost vibrates in this kinda twangish
murmur.
I like it.
Last night I went to the sauna and steam room. I must have dwelled
between the two for an hour and a half. It's good to sweat like that.
The removal of toxins are deeper. Meditation is more intense.
I walked out cleared and awaiting home....
But first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Ha!
One. The movie is twisted. A lot very similar to the original.
But for children? Hum....I'm not so certain. It's bizzare, twisted
and Mr. Depp, who is always amazing, is as usual, the muthafucka.
But you gotta give it to Tim Burton to make up some twisted shit. Even
Planet of the Apes, which was I felt not his best, was twisted....
Markie Mark still ain't all that convincing.
