The Children are Dying

An original piece from thoughts after hearing about and seeing images from the recent earthquakes in China.

THE CHILDREN ARE DYING
The children are dying.
The children are getting hit by stray bullets.
The children are dying.
The children are getting crushed inside their schools by the roof caving and the ground shifting.
The fathers are digging through cement blocks to find and save their children from under the rubble.
The children are dying.
The children are strapping explosives to their bodies.
The children are slitting their wrists; their families are splitting.
The children are free-falling in an abyss.
The children are dying.

I hear a song playing, a chorus of violins singing.
It is the instrumental to a silent film reel where fathers are throwing their hands to the sky
In despair because the children are dying.

It is the wretchedness of man.
It is evil in green, the greed, the fleecing, the “I will benefit at all costs for one dollar.”
It is the mechanism that turns on the helpless deed, the voiceless and the forgotten –
It is the machine into which the children are being fed to lubricate the cogs.
The children are dying.

The children are dying.
The children are gunning each other.
The children are dying.
These eyes that have not seen enough to understand what shound never be undrestood… are closing.
These hands that are too small and too soft to have gripped anything more than mom’s hands are going limp.
The children are dying.

Excuses For Good Food

Mother’s Days tend to be great excuses to eat well.

 

The Truth on TV

In recent weeks, the FLDS church has been plastered all over the news.  Since the 400+ children were evacuated, there has been constant footage and interviews of FLDS families and members.  While I personally feel frustrated and have my own reservations against their practices, I also can’t help but feel that the FLDS is being exploited by the media.  It’s one thing to “rescue” (a big issue in itself) these children in addition to the women who want to escape, and then make it known to the public that this is happening.  It’s another thing to put FLDS women on television and in essence ask them “do you think what you’re doing is wrong?”

It is either irresponsible journalism or ignorant individuals injecting their close-minded perspective into the news, or both.  Enough of the FLDS church members have entirely subscribed to the tenets of their religion and know nothing outside of their enclave.  Those that should be in the public eye and receiving the brunt of public backlash should be the leaders of the FLDS church who have clearly brainwashed these people to believing in such practices and caused them to live as they do.

Just another problem that has arisen since the public limelight has shone on the FLDS church is that of deprogramming the rescued children.  Whether these children can be brought back and assimilated into a vastly different world is questionable — what they need now is families who can take them in and love them.

Hope Is Italicized

I went last nite to witness the Obama rally in Philadelphia.  The truth of it is that I didn’t even get to hear him because he showed up a tad bit later than advertised.  But I did stand outside in Independence Mall and for one of the first times in my life experience being part of the democratic process.  It was absolutely awesome.  I saw any and every kind of people on the streets waiting in line, behind metal fences and barricades, standing like sardines packed into a tiny area, oftentimes completely out of eyesight of the platform from which Obama spoke.  I saw people wearing buttons with Obama’s face and a word, hope.  I saw people ready to erupt in chants of “Obama” every chance they had.

While I didn’t get to hear his actual speech, I took some time just now to listen to it on youtube.  Without passing judgment on those who aren’t voting for Obama, it absolutely baffles me how people can listen to his speeches and not be as swept up as I am when he preaches about the evils of corporate America and the corruption in American politics that he desires to bring an end to.  Admittedly, it’s childish and innocent to think that one man can reform our political process, and yet, someone remind me of the last president or politician that even cared to care about such a thing.  Since when did a presidential candidate care about the hopelessness, the beaten-down-ness of the people… the cynicism and apathy that has become our pathetic democratic process where the rich still rule and the rich continue to rob the foods straight out of the poor people’s mouths.  Whether Obama can change this country in four years is one thing, I’m just thrilled, excited, overjoyed, in amazement, in wonder, that somebody who has enough clout and fame and knowledge and education would actually care, and would take a potential backseat in this political race because he believes that the people of this country are smart enough to know that he is the only candidate feeding them truth with knowledge in a show of respect — that he respects all Americans as people who think and deserve better.

I took pictures while I was at the rally — clearly way before the reported 35,000 all shwoed up.  I’ve been told that I have a slight preference for black and white.  There was no occasion where black and white could have been more appropriate.  All around me I saw people and the lives that they were living and the reality of the hardships they endure and their unmistakeable starving for somebody who cares and who dares to give them hope.  That is black and white; that is without the sugar; that is without the color to distract you from what’s really at issue.

Seeing Blind

Completely unrelated pictures, and completely unrelated to the pictures.

If Obama does not win this election, the American people will indict themselves of perpetuating dirty politics.  Re-watch last night’s debate in Philadelphia and disagree with me.

I Know Where I’m Going Even When It’s Dark

I tend to cycle through genres of music.  Hiphop is one of my loves that after every so often gets a bit tired and I drop it for a while… until it brings itself back to me by some new hot joint that I manage to find either on okayplayer, hiphopsite, or some other source.  In recent memory, that’s been like Common’s most recent album (forget the name), Brother Ali, Atmosphere’s Strictly Leakage, and most recently the Root’s leaked/not-leaked tracks off their upcoming album, Rising Down (Rising Up, 75 Bars, Rising Down).

Ish is hawt.  Search ‘em at the Roots’ blog that I have linked.

Good hiphop makes me think of gritty, contrasty black and white pictures.  And fat car grilles.

Totally Serious.

1.  One of my favorite shots from Easter Sunday.  They’re kind of, but not really serious.  Hm.  He might be tryna be serious.

2.  On another note, how awesome is Sixers basketball right now.

I appreciate…

1. People who want to be in my pictures.

2. Charles Barkley on TNT’s Inside The NBA.

DSC_0038

A Step Towards Now

I havn’t blogged in ages.  I stayed with xanga because certain people never die on xanga and it felt hard to give up something that had been connected me with so many people before.  But the more I look at it (or not look at it) the more I realize it’s time to move on.  Blogging today is lightyears from what it was when I started xanga in ‘02.  So all that not saying much to say, I’m trying something new with wordpress (despite the fact that I’ve had this site for ages).  Maybe it’ll get me to write more.

“Again” as performed at Temple’s “Come and See” Coffeehouse on 02.09.08

He speaks to the girl who…
   Knows not why she was dealt her lot
He speaks where no one can tell her
   Why scars and pains must be so deep and persistent
   Why joy must be sought out amidst troubled waters
   Why her rose is rooted in the concrete, forced to bloom where water and love are scarce
   Why salvation and blessings are not found in comfort
   Why life is not as everyone else lives it
   Why love knos better than she does and can that love exist, be real, and be hers?

This life is meaning increasingly less to me as I see this world’s pains and ills
The Sick and the Poor, the Mistreated and those robbed of opportunities
   By their fellowhuman beings
   In this world where the masses are fleeced by the few
      Where the few have the most to lose and are the most confused

This life is my pursuit of happiness but effort does not translate to joy
   I try and I cry, I sweat and eventually die
      To the work of my own hands
      That cannot save me or redeem my existence or satisfy my need for affirmation
   I try where I cannot succeed.
My life’s song is in diminished minor and its theme is negativity.

I need a different tune in a different key.
Oh, sing me a song of life
Sing me positivity!
Sing at this weary and burdened soul of mine
Because again, I need to hear and remember
Again I need to believe
Again I need to listen

To the sound of His people in song,
   Expressing beauty beyond words
And see in my mind’s eye His power pulsating
   In the cracking of dawn over African plains
   In the booming of thunder anticipating torrential rains
   In the rumblings and shakings of earthquakes
   In the beating of each man and woman’s heart
Again I need to feel the radiance and heat of His glory

This is the music, the sound, the beat, the experience
   Of God, of Jehovah Jireh, of King of the Cosmos
   Of nature’s rage, of all circumstances of people’s hearts…
He is Lord over unforeseeable happenings and unexplainable tragedies
And devastating pain, and out-of-this-world miracles and speech-arresting joy
And tear-provoking gratitude and hands-to-the-sky peace

Again.
Despite the road that faces me now, I will praise You, again.
The ground beneath me will cave, again.
Again, you will lift me out on the palm of Your hands.
Again I will dive into deeper waters and sink as I try to swim.
You will part the waters and I will walk on dry land, again.

Tell me again that my God sits enthroned above.
Tell me again that I have a perfect high priest who has saved me from my sins.
Tell me again I stand before the throne of Supreme, God Himself.
And that He hears my perfect plea

Again I can’t, and again He does
Again I fall and again He loves
Before the throne of God I come again
Again Jesus, son of God has died for me.