The skies exploded open this morning shortly after five, the winds were over 100 km/hr and the rain was falling sideways. Actually I am not sure that it was falling sideways or if rain can even fall sideways, I was in bed and wasn't about to try find out. After the rain (a good Blue Rodeo song) and after I went to work, it turned into a very warm, humid and hazy day. The temperature was above 30 Celsius and tomorrow is expected to be around 34, which I guess would be a record, it is still only June after all. We had a very cool and wet spring in Southern Ontario, and now seem to have been thrown right into a hot and humid summer.
The first two games of the Stanley Cup were exciting and awesome to watch, not just because the Canucks won but because it was good hockey. Last night's game, 8-1 Boston was less because of the score and the physical shenanigans, Rome's late hit on Horton, has knocked both of them out of the series, suspension and concussion respectively. The hit was dangerous and are the type of hits Scott Stevens made a Hall of Fame career out of but it is different culture in 2011. This though is a good trade off for the Canucks as Horton is a difference maker and Rome is a 6th defence man.
I wrote the poem below yesterday. It is a rambling disillusioned type of piece, and the Bowie reference is random because Ziggy came on as I was writing. As always Mr. Young is a part of my musical life ride. I don't think there will be anything original below but a list nonetheless.
My Top 5 Bowie songs.
5. Modern Life
4. Changes
3. Ziggy Stardust
2. China Girl
1. Space Oddity
My Top 5 Young songs (nearly impossible)
5. Old Man
4. After The Gold Rush
3. The Painter
2. Haverst Moon
1. Heart of Gold
I like Neil's mellower side as is evident above.
Ziggy and Mr. Young
We stand in the final scene of our love
The credits roll and Ziggy plays guitar
His left hand tired and makeup caked
The orchids will always bloom for you
Should you find a way back into love
A fictional set of words and thoughts
Played out over time and in soft beds
Where the light does not matter much
It comes as we do and it goes like us
Through the seasons of our romance
Until we are made strangers by years
With our scars, injuries and baggage
Carrying pictures of our present lives
The children we conceived and raised
The people we married and divorced
Ghosts in a room of familiar names
With older faces and bolder opinions
Wisdom should be given to the youth
Before they start to believe in anything
Unfortunately humanity has to believe
Mr. Young I think I am just getting old
Your music acts like a fountain of youth
I will keeping drinking it's magic water
But it might not be enough to save me
The mind and heart are too convoluted
For me to decipher their unique codes
I have been placed in the wrong time
A soul without its joining puzzle piece
Technologies will render me obsolete
A generation of women clicking delete.
06/06/2011
Ziggy Stardust (Live Paris 2002)
Heart of Gold (live in Nashville 2007 I think) Neil in full Cowboy mode.
I am currently reading Diary by Chuck Palahniuk and Testament by Nino Ricci, though my reading has been slacking like my writing.
John.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
The Absence
A new piece of writing and a song from David Wax Museum.
The Absence
You scan the sky
There is no saviour
Only fading colour
Another day ending
The setting of light
The coming of dark
I browse the web
There is no answer
Only lasting doubt
Another life ending
The burying of bone
The burning of skin
You filled the absence
I still feel the absence
We once shared words
Now we share nothing
The silence angered me
A trust broken to pieces
Never to be put together
There is no more of me
I will ever give to you.
March 04, 2011
Born With A Broken Heart by David Wax Museum.
john.
The Absence
You scan the sky
There is no saviour
Only fading colour
Another day ending
The setting of light
The coming of dark
I browse the web
There is no answer
Only lasting doubt
Another life ending
The burying of bone
The burning of skin
You filled the absence
I still feel the absence
We once shared words
Now we share nothing
The silence angered me
A trust broken to pieces
Never to be put together
There is no more of me
I will ever give to you.
March 04, 2011
Born With A Broken Heart by David Wax Museum.
john.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
As You Were
2011. The end of 2010 was a self promise of change which was naturally broken early in 2011. The winter has hibernated my heart, dried and broken my skin. The blood says that I am living but many things have died inside me. Passion has been replaced by boredom, indifference and self hatred. But still the days must be lived and the stories must be told.
"The previous morning, he had lain for a while on the beach listening to the chain of small metallic noises coming from the hen on the window ledge above him. In that moment, he understood that what you do does not necessarily define you. You can choose to say, Yes, I do this. But I am separate from it. You can give them callow gesture, because that's what they're worth, and you can be as you were. As you were - it's a military expression." Curiosity (A Love Story) by Joan Thomas.
I used to be overly kind, and perhaps people remarked about this aspect of my personality compared to their indifference to my presence and now that the shoe is on the other foot, I wonder about other people's kindness. Where does it come from and why has it not been exhausted, especially as it relates to me.
I read when my attention span is relatively long compared to its relative shortness. Relative. Relative to what. Anyway, I finished 60 books last year and they are listed below with a score out of 5. I am a generous scorer, since I find it impossible to see anything from start to finish, anyone who can write a story, start to finish, has accomplished something. I guess the only thing I can be guaranteed seeing from start to finish is my life, though the start is a mystery as I suppose the end will be.
Chronological order, most recently finished last year.
60. The Yiddish Policemen's Union-Michael Cabon (2)
59. Plainsong-Kent Haruf (3)
58. A Long Way Down-Nick Hornby (3)
57. The Unnamed-Joshua Ferris (3)
56. The Autograph Man-Zadie Smith (3)
55. Slam-Nick Hornby (3)
54. Exit Ghost-Philip Roth (2.5)
53. The Retreat-David Bergen (2.5)
52. The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green-Joshua Braff (3.5)
51. Last Words-George Carlin (4)
50. A Gate at the Stairs-Lorrie Moore (3)
49. Juliet, Naked-Nick Hornby (4)
48. In the Skin of a Lion-Michael Ondaatje (3)
47. Sixpence House (Lost in a Town of Books)-Paul Collins (3)
46. The Boys in the Trees-Mary Swan (3.5)
45. Stories From the Vinyl Cafe-Staurt McLean (3)
44. Garbo Laughs-Elizabeth Hay (4)
43. The Night Watch-Sarah Waters (3)
42. A Long Way Gone (Memories of a Boy Soldier)-Ishmael Beah (4.5)
41. Elizabeth and After-Matt Cohen (3)
40. My Years as Prime Minister-Jean Chretien (3.5)
39. Angela's Ashes-Frank McCourt (4)
38. How To Be Good-Nick Hornby (3.5)
37. Lush Life-Richard Price (3)
36. Half Broke Horses-Jeannette Walls (3.5)
35. Before I Wake-Robert J. Wiersema (3)
34. De Niro's Game-Rawi Hage (3.5)
33. Black Money-Ross MacDonald (3)
32. Then We Came To The End-Joshua Ferris (4)
31. Brief Encounters With Che Guevara (Stories)-Ben Fountain (3)
30. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon)-Crystal Zevon (4.5)
29. The Anthologist-Nicholson Baker (2.5)
28. The Factory Voice-Jeanette Lynes (4)
27. Love and Summer-William Trevor (2.5)
26. Chronic City-Jonathan Lethem (3)
25. Amsterdam-Ian McEwan (3)
24. Going Rogue (An American Life)-Sarah Palin (3)
23. Open (An Autobiography)-Andre Agassi (4.5)
22. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay-Michael Cabon (4.5)
21. Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood (3)
20. Netherland-Joseph O'Neill (3)
19. The Incident Report-Martha Baillie (3)
18. Summertime-J.M. Coetzee (3)
17. Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It (Stories)-Maile Meloy (3)
16. The Favourite Game-Leonard Cohen (4)
15. My life Outside The Ring-Hulk Hogan (3.5)
14. The Color of Lightning-Paulette Jiles (3.5)
13. Youth-J.M. Coetzee (3)
12. What The Dog Saw (And Other Adventures)-Malcolm Gladwell (3.5)
11. The Winter Vault-Anne Michaels (5)
10. My Prison, My Home (One Woman's Story of Captivity In Iran)-Haleh Esfandiari (5)
9. The Song Is You-Arthur Phillips (5)
8. Exit Lines-Joan Barfoot (2.5)
7. Boyhood-J.M. Coetzee (2.5)
6. Lark + Termite-Jayne Anne Phillips (4.5)
5. American On Purpose (The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot)-Craig Ferguson (3.5)
4. Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress-Dai Sijie (3)
3. Generosity (An Enhancement)-Richard Powers (3)
2. The White Tiger-Aravind Adiga (3)
1. The Disappeared-Kim Echlin (3.5)
There you have it. The ratings are more a reflection of a books ability to engage me and to keep me interested, which is why true stories, memoirs and such score higher.
I haven't finished anything yet this year. My attention is on almost nothing. Below was the song I listened to the most last year.
New York City Is Killing by Ray LaMontagne
"The previous morning, he had lain for a while on the beach listening to the chain of small metallic noises coming from the hen on the window ledge above him. In that moment, he understood that what you do does not necessarily define you. You can choose to say, Yes, I do this. But I am separate from it. You can give them callow gesture, because that's what they're worth, and you can be as you were. As you were - it's a military expression." Curiosity (A Love Story) by Joan Thomas.
I used to be overly kind, and perhaps people remarked about this aspect of my personality compared to their indifference to my presence and now that the shoe is on the other foot, I wonder about other people's kindness. Where does it come from and why has it not been exhausted, especially as it relates to me.
I read when my attention span is relatively long compared to its relative shortness. Relative. Relative to what. Anyway, I finished 60 books last year and they are listed below with a score out of 5. I am a generous scorer, since I find it impossible to see anything from start to finish, anyone who can write a story, start to finish, has accomplished something. I guess the only thing I can be guaranteed seeing from start to finish is my life, though the start is a mystery as I suppose the end will be.
Chronological order, most recently finished last year.
60. The Yiddish Policemen's Union-Michael Cabon (2)
59. Plainsong-Kent Haruf (3)
58. A Long Way Down-Nick Hornby (3)
57. The Unnamed-Joshua Ferris (3)
56. The Autograph Man-Zadie Smith (3)
55. Slam-Nick Hornby (3)
54. Exit Ghost-Philip Roth (2.5)
53. The Retreat-David Bergen (2.5)
52. The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green-Joshua Braff (3.5)
51. Last Words-George Carlin (4)
50. A Gate at the Stairs-Lorrie Moore (3)
49. Juliet, Naked-Nick Hornby (4)
48. In the Skin of a Lion-Michael Ondaatje (3)
47. Sixpence House (Lost in a Town of Books)-Paul Collins (3)
46. The Boys in the Trees-Mary Swan (3.5)
45. Stories From the Vinyl Cafe-Staurt McLean (3)
44. Garbo Laughs-Elizabeth Hay (4)
43. The Night Watch-Sarah Waters (3)
42. A Long Way Gone (Memories of a Boy Soldier)-Ishmael Beah (4.5)
41. Elizabeth and After-Matt Cohen (3)
40. My Years as Prime Minister-Jean Chretien (3.5)
39. Angela's Ashes-Frank McCourt (4)
38. How To Be Good-Nick Hornby (3.5)
37. Lush Life-Richard Price (3)
36. Half Broke Horses-Jeannette Walls (3.5)
35. Before I Wake-Robert J. Wiersema (3)
34. De Niro's Game-Rawi Hage (3.5)
33. Black Money-Ross MacDonald (3)
32. Then We Came To The End-Joshua Ferris (4)
31. Brief Encounters With Che Guevara (Stories)-Ben Fountain (3)
30. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon)-Crystal Zevon (4.5)
29. The Anthologist-Nicholson Baker (2.5)
28. The Factory Voice-Jeanette Lynes (4)
27. Love and Summer-William Trevor (2.5)
26. Chronic City-Jonathan Lethem (3)
25. Amsterdam-Ian McEwan (3)
24. Going Rogue (An American Life)-Sarah Palin (3)
23. Open (An Autobiography)-Andre Agassi (4.5)
22. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay-Michael Cabon (4.5)
21. Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood (3)
20. Netherland-Joseph O'Neill (3)
19. The Incident Report-Martha Baillie (3)
18. Summertime-J.M. Coetzee (3)
17. Both Ways Is The Only Way I Want It (Stories)-Maile Meloy (3)
16. The Favourite Game-Leonard Cohen (4)
15. My life Outside The Ring-Hulk Hogan (3.5)
14. The Color of Lightning-Paulette Jiles (3.5)
13. Youth-J.M. Coetzee (3)
12. What The Dog Saw (And Other Adventures)-Malcolm Gladwell (3.5)
11. The Winter Vault-Anne Michaels (5)
10. My Prison, My Home (One Woman's Story of Captivity In Iran)-Haleh Esfandiari (5)
9. The Song Is You-Arthur Phillips (5)
8. Exit Lines-Joan Barfoot (2.5)
7. Boyhood-J.M. Coetzee (2.5)
6. Lark + Termite-Jayne Anne Phillips (4.5)
5. American On Purpose (The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot)-Craig Ferguson (3.5)
4. Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress-Dai Sijie (3)
3. Generosity (An Enhancement)-Richard Powers (3)
2. The White Tiger-Aravind Adiga (3)
1. The Disappeared-Kim Echlin (3.5)
There you have it. The ratings are more a reflection of a books ability to engage me and to keep me interested, which is why true stories, memoirs and such score higher.
I haven't finished anything yet this year. My attention is on almost nothing. Below was the song I listened to the most last year.
New York City Is Killing by Ray LaMontagne
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