Saturday, June 28, 2008

"All I can do is read a book to stay awake and it rips my life away but it's a great escape..."

I am tired today. A couple friends and I went out for a few drinks. We ended up going to Molly's which is still my favourite bar here but I hadn't been in a couple months. It seems when we do go out, it is usually elsewhere. It wasn't overly busy for a Friday night but it was busy enough. I think all of us had a good time. I ended up sleeping in a strange house, on a couch, in a room that felt like a sauna. They definitely need a fan, it is summer after all. Needless to say I left pretty early and made my way home. There was a slight rain this morning and it has been overcast much of the day. I spent the afternoon watching the Jays game, which they won 9-5. It has been a very lazy day. Prior to the bar we were drinking at a friends on the balcony. A balcony with a screen door, a screen door which when closed is supposed to be opened prior to walking through its threshold. A certain person, and it wasn't me, walked right into it. This moment was instantly funny as there was an evident footprint in the screening and bruising on the unfortunate person. Sure alcohol played a factor but it his defense it was dark, nah, it was just one of those embarrassing moments. Though now our friend has to explain to his girlfriend, how dumb and stupid his friends are. This seems to be a constant for guys, I think if we aren't apologizing for our actions, we are apologizing for those of our friends.
"I don't feel the sun coming out today, it's staying in, it's gonna find another way............"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=g4H5vsQM7z8
After finishing reading Life Of Pi I have gone back to reading Snow by Orhan Pamuk. I haven't really been able to get into the book but it will do until I make another trip to the bookstore. The passage below is from the book, it caught my eye because it is a commentary on Muslim women and why they wear veils. This subject is in the news from time to time and last year there was a 16 year old girl in Toronto killed by her family for refusing to wear one. There is a link to the story below, along with comments. Personally I think it should be an individual girl's decision to make, once she is old enough. I would like to be able to see a woman's face and don't think they should have to hide it because of religion.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourview/2007/12/teen_dead_after_alleged_attack.html
"The veil saves women from the animal instincts of men in the street. It saves them the ordeal of entering beauty contests to compete with other women. They don't have to live like sex objects, they don't have to wear makeup all day. As the American Black Muslim professor Marvin King has already noted, if the celebrated film star Elizabeth Taylor had spent the last twenty years covered, she would not have had to worry so much about being fat. She would not have ended up in a mental hospital. She might have known some happiness."
I wrote the following poem Thursday on the balcony surrounded by night.
Everyone Should Have A Partner
The night breeze is cool on my tanned skin
Multicoloured lights shaped like snow globes glow
They are either blue, green, yellow, red or purple
Their colour changes every second like human emotions
Happiness is too closely followed by anger or sadness
We are all walking a tightrope across a pool of sharks
Their glistening white teeth waiting to devour us
Our blood is always seconds away from spilling
This is what makes life precious and unique
The thin line between it and infinite death
Even for the believers who have never seen
All they know are a few words in a few books
Above me singular stars practice their solo dances
Everyone should have a partner in this life
A friend who is more than a friend
They offer stability to our instability
Brightness when we want to live in darkness
Not everyone is lucky to find this person
Some of us are not as suited to company
We shutter at the idea of being vulnerable
Not realizing how much more we are when alone
Everyone relies on us and our actions
There is no safety net but only sharks
Even the rope is tethered and worn
The way everything does over time
I am slightly chilled now as night expands
There is no symphony of stars singing
The moon cannot be found among the clouds
Colour remains in the globes without snow
How wrong their creation looks to my eyes
Much like my impression on anybody’s heart.
06/26/08
Today's clips and lyrics are from Blind Melon. The title lyrics and clip below are from their hit song No Rain. The lyrics in the middle of the entry are from their equally brilliant song Change and the clip is from an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Adding to the poignancy of the song is the fact that the body of Kurt Cobain, a major influence on the band was found earlier in the day. It is too bad lead singer Shannon Hoon was unable to change his own life and less than 2 years later died of a cocaine overdose. Their deaths left a huge musical void for many teenagers like I was then, and I don't think it has ever really been filled.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C3Y-6JaDY24
You can change, the sun will come out most days and it will rain some days.
john.

No comments: