Sunday, December 30, 2007

life experience 101



wow. I'm sitting here combing through the events of last night in a bit of shock... no less shock, more awe. Did that really happen? Did that really happen to me? Wow.

Let's just say DC's finest police officers were involved. And that was before many adult beverages and dancing with wild abandon.

Many thanks to good friends.

I'll leave it at that.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Poetry on a bar-nap: Kramer's w/ Boris!

We were restless, broke, and creative... so we went to Kramer's for adult beverages & fun. Here's the result of our efforts, enjoy!

TOPIC: Home

The space where I breath easiest
The place where I am free to laugh, cry, stress out,
or dance around naked.
Home is your scent when I wake up.
Home is her laughter at a new discovery.
Home is "Momma, it's time for breakfast!!"
Home is the way he calls me princess.
Home is good conversation.
Home is our time together.
Home is now.
- k.k.

Leaving one home for another
Flying across the miles,
I take it with me
Memories, fine golden threads
Tying me to people, places
Filling spaces in my heart
Nomadic, I shoulder my sack of
Dreams
And move on
- Shallom

TOPIC: Nicknames

I haven't had a nickname yet
That stuck around for long
Maybe I'm one of those people
Who can't be abbreviated...
- Shallom

Little Lady
Baby girl
Lover
Sweet Cheeks

I've always hated
nicknames....
until He.

Gave me

these names and more,


See, I am his principania....
and I
love it
- k.k.

TOPIC: Girlfriends

My wet head drips
With moisturizing evaporates
My clothes are a little
Damp
However,
I am warm and
Dry
While the storm
Occupies the town
- Boris

Girls
Boys
Ladies
Men
Friends, Lovers, Friends
Around and around
They spin
Begin again,
Girlfriends once more,
Sharing secrets, sewing together a
Tapestry of stories far richer than
Wealth known.
Barely innocent, they roam...
Drinking each other in
Like nectar.
Love blooms,
Especially when they're
Girlfriends
- k.k.

"Girlfriends" a word with many meanings
Unexpected
Treasured,
We move through each others'
Worlds like silk across skin
Smooth
Comfortable
Warm
- Shallom

TOPIC: NAUGHTY

I sure do look nice...
Innocent & sweet
Look a little deeper and you'll see
A little something naughty
Underneath
- Shallom

I pledge allegiance to naughty
Not because it is the elder,
Wiser; but because it is
Sensible and complete
It acts without the pretense
Of control
It finds its passion and
Does not shy from it
- Boris

Naughty by nature,
Nice by choice.
I must be masochistic.
Oh, the thoughts I think!
Shall we?
Let's!
Naughty this night,
I think...
To bite
To squeeze,
A nipple to tease,
Naughty is nice,
It seems.
- k.k.

TOPIC: Free Refill

Refill
Refresh, Rewind.
Do over. Do again.
Essie May?
Essie won't.
Do, or Don't.
But, please,
Whatever you
May or won't do,
Find me
A REFILL!
- k.k.

Free Refill
Who has tea to chill
Or sun to brew
Or tobacco to chew
Or birds who flew
Or hearts that grew
My glass is empty
Or half a glass for tea
- Boris

I need a refill, darlin'
You think you can fill me up
Again?

... ooooo, I thought so.
- Shallom

TOPIC: Nibble

Nibble on me
But not too hard -
Or, I might bite back
In fact -
I'll bite you anyways -
I know you like it
- Shallom

Nibble on my cheekbones,
I giggle, wiggle,
Jiggle and...
That's right,
You scream
with pleasure.
So, nibble away.
- k.k.

Bite
Bite Bite
Bite Nibble
Pass the fork
Forks make me tired
Just dive in
Mouth
First
- Boris

TOPIC: Bitchy

She gets this way
When she is not moving
All blah, blah blah
or, "That ain't right!"
Unless she do what
Boris Willis does.
ARGH!
Someone needs to go
Beddie-bye
or
Move
- Boris

I wouldn't call myself bitchy
But I don't take shit from anyone -
Step up, step back or step off
'Cause I'm comin' through
- Shallom

Bitchy -
Oh, Yes,
I can be.
Quite.
Test me,
You'll see.
This bark only hints at the
bite.
- k.k.

TOPIC: New Year

New Year
Old Fear
Damn, I need a
Resolution
- k.k.

Resolute, the world turns
New, or the same
Whatever
Peek into and grab onto and live
Scream and release
- Boris

This new year brings new beginnings
Mint green shoots of new growth
Pushing tips through snow
Heading home to old friends
I bring the new ones with me
In heart and mind
Coming back to pick up where
I left off
- Shallom

Friday, December 28, 2007

A smoking ban in France?

Hmmmm... I found this a bit surprising, based on my memories of France. As a person who still enjoys a social smoke (yes, I can admit it) I wonder how the smoking French will respond.

Even my occasional social smokes typically happen at private residences these days - the non-smoking public tends to have that holier-than-thou "YOU ARE THE CAUSE OF CANCER!" look on their face when watching a smoker's huddle in public spaces. I don't need that judgment...

The French have a particularly acidic holier-than-thou stare (primarily when aimed at Americans). I am curious to see how the French adaptation of the CANCER STARE will look... anyone have pictures already?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7163178.stm

French cafes set to ban smoking
A girl in a Paris cafe (file image)
France is transforming the image of traditional smoke-filled cafes
France is poised to extend its smoking ban to bars, cafes, restaurants and discos, but the measure will not be enforced fully until 2 January.

The health ministry said smokers would be allowed a 24-hour "grace" period for the New Year festivities.

The ban, which will also cover casinos and hotels, comes on top of a partial ban on smoking in public places that took effect in February.

Similar bans are already in place in Britain, Ireland, Italy and Spain.

The French health ministry said the wider ban, due to take effect on 1 January, would not be monitored strictly during the New Year festivities, in a gesture of "tolerance".

Any smoker caught flouting the ban thereafter faces a 450-euro (£332; $662) fine, while those who turn a blind eye to smokers on their premises can be fined up to 750 euros.

France has about 13.5 million smokers among its population of 60.7 million.

In February smoking became outlawed in French airports, railway stations, hospitals, schools, shops and offices.

The new ban is seen as a big cultural shift for France, where smoky cafes have long been the haunts of famous artists and philosophers. The ban does not include pavement tables or open-air terraces.

In 2004, Ireland became the first European country to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in all workplaces, including pubs and restaurants.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Assassination

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7161590.stm

Benazir Bhutto killed in attack
Benazir Bhutto at the rally on 27 December 2007
Benazir Bhutto had been addressing rallies in many parts of Pakistan
Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated in a suicide attack.

Ms Bhutto had just addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi when she was shot in the neck by a gunman who then set off a bomb.

At least 15 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

President Pervez Musharraf condemned the killing and urged people to remain calm so that the "nefarious designs of terrorists can be defeated."

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.

Ms Bhutto, leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had twice been the country's prime minister and had been campaigning ahead of elections due in January.

Map

It was the second suicide attack against her in recent months and came amid a wave of bombings targeting security and government officials.

Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, said her death was a tragedy for "the entire nation".

"It is not a sad day, it is [the] darkest, gloomiest day in the history of this country," he said, speaking at the hospital where she was taken.

The United Nations Security Council is to meet for emergency consultations shortly to discuss the situation in Pakistan after the killing.

Scene of grief

The attack occurred close to an entrance gate of the park in Rawalpindi where Ms Bhutto had been speaking.

Man cries in grief at scene of attack in Rawalpindi
Extremist groups have in their sights all those committed to democratic processes in Pakistan
David Miliband
UK foreign secretary

Police confirmed reports Ms Bhutto had been shot in the neck and chest before the gunman blew himself up.

She died at 1816 (1316 GMT), said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of the PPP who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital.

Some supporters at the hospital wept while others exploded in anger, throwing stones at cars and breaking windows.

Police in the north-western city of Peshawar are reported to have used tear gas and batons to break up a demonstration by angry Bhutto supporters and there were also protests in other cities.

Mr Sharif said there had been a "serious lapse in security" by the government.

But an old friend of Ms Bhutto, Salman Tassir, told the BBC World Service he did not think criticism should be directed at the government.

"There have been suicide attacks on Gen Musharraf also," he told Newshour.

"... I mean it is extremism and the fanatics who are to blame."

Earlier on Thursday, at least four people were killed ahead of an election rally Mr Sharif had been preparing to attend close to Rawalpindi.

Ms Bhutto's death has plunged the PPP into confusion and raises questions about whether January elections will go ahead as planned, the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad says.

'Cowardly act'

The killing was condemned by the US, the UK and others.

BENAZIR BHUTTO
Father led Pakistan before being executed in 1979
Spent five years in prison
Served as PM from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996
Sacked twice by president on corruption charges
Formed alliance with rival ex-PM Nawaz Sharif in 2006
Ended self-imposed exile by returning to Pakistan in October
Educated at Harvard and Oxford

"The US strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy," US President George W Bush said.

"Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice."

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "deeply shocked" by Ms Bhutto's death and said "extremist groups... [could] not and must not succeed".

Ms Bhutto returned from self-imposed exile in October after years out of Pakistan where she had faced corruption charges.

Her return was the result of a power-sharing agreement with President Musharraf in which he granted an amnesty that covered the court cases she was facing.

It was only a matter of time before the darker forces... carried out this action
Helen Stynes
Swaffham

But relations with Mr Musharraf soon broke down.

On the day of her arrival, she had led a motor cavalcade through the city of Karachi. It was hit by a double suicide attack that left some 130 dead.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

TV Spot

Cheza TV show Featuring CONTRADICTION DANCE
Kelly Mayfield•Joseph Nontanovan•Bryan East
8/20/2007


Xmas after-thoughts...




So the party is over, the peeps have left... save the dear Shallom & the artist Dwayne. As I sit here, sipping my last glass of red I'm listening to Dwayne singing Stevie while Shallom is drawing in her sketchbook. All is well and to all a good night.

Highlights from the day:
- my mother dancing (salsa & "tut")
- the impromptu jorda (spelling?) in my livingroom
- pop-lock lesson & group choreo
- Alana learning Chess
- wonderful food
- good friends

YAY! Holidays!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

XMAS Feast, Oscar Peterson, & tidbits

Happy Holidays All!!!

I'm brimming with the spirit of the season... it tends to sweep me up and make me feel like flying. I've had butterflies on the mind lately - why would I hide this smile?

I'm taking a break from the madness of preparing a feast for friends. My feet hurt and I can't chop anymore, but I'm content and happy to be feeding my friends. There are a few who can't be here, of course, and they are missed. I find that as I cook, my thoughts linger on those who will share the meal - bonds made over food are lasting and warm in my world :)

I'm curious to see how my guests will mix and mingle... it's a diverse crowd in terms of gender, race, economics, religion, age, marital status, nationality, and expectation. hmmm more on that after the fact, I suppose.

Sad news in the music world... seems like so many great ones are gone... if you haven't enjoyed live music recently... GO!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7159591.stm

Jazz legend Oscar Peterson dies

Peterson received all of Canada's highest honours during his lifetime
Peterson performing
Jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson has died of kidney failure at his home in Toronto, at the age of 82.

Peterson was one of jazz's most recorded musicians, and was famous for his fast-playing virtuoso style.

He made more than 200 albums and won eight Grammy awards, including a lifetime achievement honour in 1997.

He released his first single at the age of 19 and performed with greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Nat "King" Cole.

The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame announced last month that it was to present the star with its Founder's Award in 2008.

This was to celebrate "a brilliant jazz pianist and composer" who showed "musical dexterity and energetic performances", it said.

Peterson, who had a working-class upbringing in Montreal, won a talent contest organised by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) when he was 14 years old.

"The world has lost an important jazz player," Hazel McCallion, mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, and Peterson's close friend, told CBC News.

"He's been going downhill in the last few months, slowing up," she added.

His studio and live partners included Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Stan Getz.

Basie once described Peterson as someone who "plays the best ivory box I've ever heard", while Ellington referred to him as "Maharajah of the keyboard".

Gifted at improvisation, Peterson said in 2005 how live free-form jazz could enable "moments of great beauty to emerge".

He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour, and he was the first living Canadian to be depicted on a stamp.

Peterson was married four times and had five children.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/7159591.stm

Published: 2007/12/24 18:59:13 GMT

© BBC MMVII

You MUST meet Dorothea...

My dearest Shallom is the brain-child behind a new cartoon character, Dorothea. Together we have launched a new blog where her adventures can be seen by you, dear reader! Please proceed to Dorothea's World: Earth Lessons from a Robot DIVA!

Enter Dorothea's World

Sunday, December 23, 2007

But, I do


I rediscovered this out of a conversation with my dearest girlfriend... It took many months to be able to put these words down. Now, I'm thrilled to be far away from this place. Most of us have been there once or twice, perhaps you can relate.

k.k. :)


4 December 2006

But, I do


I thought I understood what heartbreak was. I am finding that there are new depths to this pain daily. I feel like I am every cheesy cliché personified.

I observe myself in disbelief. I don’t cry at random quiet moments. I don’t avoid men because the thought of being with them frightens and repulses me. I don’t feel broken and shattered. But, I do.

I don’t wait for him to knock on the door, call, text, or email me - every hour. But I do.

I don’t stop myself from calling, writing, flying, or driving myself to him. But I do.

I don’t need support, advice, girlfriends, assistance, and care. But I do.

I don’t force myself to get out of bed. I don’t struggle between parenting and mourning. I don’t strain for focus and clarity of thought. But, I do.

I don’t claw through the day just to get through it. I don’t wish for the bliss of apathy. But, I do.

I do all of these things. Now. Because of you, and us, and what we are no longer. And what we will never be. And what I no longer have the trust to try. The future I no longer see. The warmth I no longer feel. The love I miss with every passing second.

Every time the clock ticks by, a part of me wilts and crumbles. My soul is folded in on itself and crinkled. If it dries out, it will eventually turn to dust and blow away.

Tiny particles that can never be mended.

I no longer recognize all of myself. I don’t write long-winded descriptions of my emotional state as a soul/dust metaphor. But, I do now.

And I don’t want to, like it, or appreciate this new side of the coin.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

quirky science site

http://www.world-science.net

sniffles

He says he doesn't inspire me anymore...
doesn't he know
chicken noodle soup doesn't make itself.

He makes me laugh...
that matters more than almost
anything.

The rest is none of your business!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Poetry on a bar-nap: The Lost Poems





OOPS! I never posted these... What was I thinking? Jazzie, these are for you! As for the pics... this is how poetry on a bar-nap goes down. With Style. Photos from Tom-Tom, The Diner, & Tryst... and I don't even hang out in Adam's Morgan!



TOPIC: Worm-Holes

Wormholes-
a portal to the unknown
a portal to another dimension
another planet
another life
poetry - a portal to another
state of mind
I write, and write, and
my mind wheels, whirls,
careens, jumps through
space and time
stars, planets flash by
faster than sound
faster than light
but I'm standing still
- Shallom

lost on this path,
this journey to the unknown
expecting the unexpected, and yet
not expecting at all
cuz you, I'm ready for
what's coming my way
giving and learning everyday
wondering if its worth
all the heart ache and pain
tryin to determine if my
struggle has been in vain
if love is worth fighting for
if pain will cease to stain
all the broken promises
tossed and turned and yet I stay
falling, crawling, fighting
in this wormhole
ever changing, rearranging
in this wormhole
this wormhole
my wormhole
my mind, my thoughts,
my life
- Jasmine

He said yes.
Yes, there is more.
More than what you first
perceive.
Stay longer.
Visit often.
Listen.
Shhh.
Now, you may learn.
- k.k. :) (from the b.)

imagespicturesviewsvistasperceptionsthoughtshues
- k.k.

Europe's border-free zone expands

Check it out...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7153490.stm


Europe's border-free zone expands
Hungarian government ministers celebrate the Schengen expansion at the border station of Hegyeshalom
Nine mostly ex-communist states have joined the Schengen zone
Celebrations have been held after midnight to mark nine new states joining a European border-free zone.

The Schengen agreement, which allows passport-free travel across the area, now embraces 24 nations.

Some 2,000 people celebrated with the EU anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, and fireworks in the town of Frankfurt on Oder at Germany's border with Poland.

The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia joined the zone.

See map of Schengen area

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish PM Donald Tusk will mark the event on Friday morning in the town of Zittau, near the point where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet.

Crime wave fears

They will be joined by Czech PM Mirek Topolanek and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

On Thursday a checkpoint between Austria and Slovakia was dismantled in one of several events marking the enlargement from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic.


Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico (left) and Chancellor Gusenbauer of Austria
From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000km from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls
Robert Fico, Slovak Prime Minister

New border security fears
In pictures: Border-free EU

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer sawed through a barrier at the Berg border crossing.

Other ceremonies took place in Hungary, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Baltic states.

Initially the lifting of internal controls involves just land and sea borders, but that will be extended to airports at the end of March 2008.

Mr Gusenbauer welcomed the extension of the Schengen zone, rejecting fears that it might create a crime wave in Austria.

The European Commission says that one billion euros (£720m) has been spent on beefing up security on the new EU frontiers, including the establishing of missions along the Polish and Slovak borders.

Mr Fico said: "From midnight tonight you can travel 4,000km (2,485 miles) from Tallinn in Estonia to Lisbon in Portugal without any border controls."

Although the enlargement allows passport-free travel throughout the area, travellers can be asked to carry documents by any of the countries concerned.

Vast database

For non-EU nationals, a Schengen visa allows travel across all the participating countries.

Thirteen existing EU states have already been part of the Schengen accord as well as two non-EU countries, Norway and Iceland.

The UK and Ireland are not involved in the zone - which embraces 400m people - but they have signed up to agreements on security.

A significant element of the Schengen agreement is the Schengen Information Service (SIS) which features an enormous database in the French city of Strasbourg.

The SIS database enables police in any Schengen state to find out whether a suspect has been involved in any kind of crime across the EU.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

all dressed up...

angry
mad
frustrated
pissed
flustered
dismissed
angry
mad
still
frustrated


In her words, "It's hard to be with someone on training wheels when you're riding a big bike all by yourself. They just can't keep up."

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Winter Thoughts...

At times when I am still and the winter light is weak and gray
The sorrow creeps in,
For much is lost and little gained
In a world where cold rain greets you in the morning

Seeking peace, I am at war within
One path ends, a new journey begins…

This is the road less traveled,
Or, is it?

Thursday, December 13, 2007

New Treaty for E.U.

When you take the below story w/ the NAU info (the video) and take at a global view, it's a bit much. Is anyone paying attention?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7141651.stm

EU leaders sign landmark treaty
EU leaders sign the Lisbon Treaty in Jeronimos monastery, Lisbon
The treaty was signed at Lisbon's historic Jeronimos monastery
EU leaders have signed a treaty in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, that is expected to greatly alter the way the 27-nation body operates.

The treaty creates an EU president and a more powerful foreign policy chief.

The document, signed at a ceremony at the city's historic Jeronimos Monastery, also scraps veto powers in many policy areas.

It is a replacement for the EU constitution, which was abandoned following French and Dutch opposition.

EU leaders insist that the two texts are in no way equivalent.

But the Lisbon treaty incorporates some of the draft constitution's key reforms, and several governments face domestic pressure over the document.


KEY LISBON TREATY REFORMS
Creates new European Council president
New foreign policy supremo to increase EU profile
Commissioners reduced from 27 to 18
Removes national vetoes in around 50 policy areas
Voting weights between member states redistributed
No reference to EU symbols such as the flag and anthem
Treaty faces referendum in Ireland and must be ratified by all other EU parliaments

Q&A: Lisbon Treaty
Send us your comments
Mark Mardell's Euroblog
In a speech before the signing, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on European leaders to use the treaty to make freedom, prosperity and solidarity an everyday reality for all European citizens.

"From this old continent, a new Europe is born," he said.

Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said the treaty would create a more modern, efficient and democratic union.

"The world needs a stronger Europe," he said.

The leaders signed the treaty, translated into the EU's 23 official languages, using specially engraved silver fountain pens as a choir sang Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

UK signing

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown signed the treaty later in the day after missing the the ceremony, citing a prior engagement in the British parliament.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband attended the signing ceremony.

The UK's opposition Conservatives accused Mr Brown of "not having the guts" to sign the treaty, which is politically controversial in Britain, in public.


Jeronimos monastery

Symbol of Portuguese history
Having started this year with a celebration of its 50th birthday, the EU hopes the signing of the Lisbon treaty will end the serious mid-life crisis brought about by the death of the constitution, the BBC's Oana Lungescu reports.

There will be a lot of relief, said a senior European diplomat, but also some apprehension about what happens next.

Ireland is the only country planning to hold a referendum, but most voters there seem either undecided or indifferent.

Parliaments in Britain, the Netherlands and Denmark are also expected to give a turbulent reception to the 250-page text.

However, Germany, France and Poland have pledged to be among the first to ratify it, so that the new reforms can come into force in 2009 as planned.

Slimmed down

The treaty is a slimmed-down version of the European constitution, with a more modest name and without any reference to EU symbols such as the flag and anthem.

It is meant to ease decision-making, by scrapping national vetoes in some 50 policy areas, including sensitive ones such as police and judicial co-operation.

There will also be a foreign policy chief, controlling a big budget and thousands of diplomats and officials, and a permanent EU president appointed for up to five years.

But some already fear that instead of giving Europe a strong single voice in the world, the new posts will only generate more rivalry, our correspondent adds.



Poetry on a bar-nap: Tryst, Dec 10

Shallom & I went for some much-needed adult relaxation. Of course, poetry on a bar-nap became the main event.... our friend Don (), a fabulous photographer joined in the effort. No pics yet, I'll upload those another time!


TOPIC: The Truth Fairy


The Truth Fairy loosens my tongue
My lips
My hips
And I admit things better left
Unsaid -
Suggest things that nice girls
Just don't do
Even before the words escape
My eyes betray me
- Shallom

The Truth Fairy
What a crock of shit
Seriously
Truth is in the eyes of the beholder
Or, the oppressor
Tyrant
Winner of the war
There's His side
Her side
And, the truth
But who gets to hear it?
Can you feel her wings
Beating in your ears?
- k.k.

I love children.
That's a lie.
I love children in the way
that I love most other people:
Taken as individuals.
The truth is,
I like the more adult aspects of children.
The ones that carry on adult conversation.
- Don

TOPIC: Wishes


If ifs and buts were
Wishes and nuts,
Then we'd all have
A Merry Christmas.
- Don

Wishes, like tear drops in a bucket...
Useless to quench this thirst.
Dreaming by the light of realism,
I despair.
Find me in darkness,
And rejoice;
I am your dream!
- k.k.

Do you wish you knew
What I was wishing for?
Maybe I'm wishing for you
And wishing you knew
Without having to tell you.
- Shallom

TOPIC: Sad Songs

"When every little bit of hope is gone,
A sad song says so much."
so says photographer Don
As song after sad song comes on
And I drink my wine
Having a mellow time
Writing poetry that rhymes
And then doesn't
But, that's okay
Because I've had a long day
- Shallom

Sad Songs...
Aren't they usually about
Trucks, dogs, beer & cryin'?
Oh, that's country.
This sad song is about
Loss on a global scale.
Can you really search my house?
Time to move -
Europe, perhaps.
The ultimate sad song
Is yet to be written,
But already foretold.
- k.k.

Sad Songs,
I only like sad songs
When I'm happy.
When I'm sad,
A sad song will kill me.
- Don

TOPIC: What's Next?


What's next?
What's new?
Have we fully realized the moment?
Have you?
Shall we?
Lets!
chaos. Discord. Rules.
Organization.
Theory.
Experience. Chance.
Circumstance.
Perspective.
ART.
FIND THE MOVEMENT!
Tomorrow.
- k.k.

What's next?
The next laugh, the next slow breath
Next sunrise, next glass of wine
Next thought leads to the one after
And the day after
And the next week, month, year
The next decision
Next change to your world, my world
Shifting plates
Earth & rock & sea
Skin & muscle & bone
Converge, diverge, & transform
Awake to the next dream on the horizon
- Shallom

TOPIC: Apples & Vodka

Red, Green, & One A Day
No doctor needed,
Just Rocks.
- Random Stranger

You like them apples?
Too much vodka and I get a little
Too honest...
- Shallom

Shots, Anyone?
Yes, please!
But, only if you smell like
Apples & Vodka
- k.k.

Apples & Pears
She looks in the mirror.
She wonders, she frets.
Doesn't she know?
All it takes is vodka?
- Don

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Dancing in Protest

This week my company performed Objects of Hope: The America Project at St. Mary's College. We faced quite a bit of skepticism, anger, objection, and offense at what we presented... at first. As the performance week wore on there seemed to be a palpable shift in the understanding of what we were saying in the work. In a nutshell, the entire piece was me asking myself questions in an effort to reclaim my personal patriotism. I'm still asking questions... feel free to join the effort.

I've come to a few conclusions:
1. Many military families object to anything involving the flag in a perceived disrespectful way. My response: It only makes sense - military families exist in a community that is supportive of each other. If a military friend falls on ill times, the rest of the community will pull together to make sure that person does not fall through the cracks. Military families have a village raising their children. Military families have to make difficult choices regarding freedom, service, taking orders, managing paperwork, benefits, wills, etc. Military families experience many of the most beautiful aspects of what the "stars & stripes" are meant to represent: a community of people with a common cause working together to achieve their goals - and demanding support from each other. Patriotism in action, loyalty fulfilled, etc.

As an artist, I have a similar community; I am fortunate. Sadly, many Americans live an isolated life devoid of much true humanity. There is little tangible giving and sharing in the average corporate life. It is far too easy to live for one's self and regard others as "characters" in the "Play of my Life." The piece was meant as a wake up call to people who rarely have to think about the larger picture of how our own actions, those of our community, and our government affect the global community.

Perhaps the piece comes across as offensive or confusing to military families because it is truly preaching to the choir?

2. If more Americans took responsibility for the actions of our elected officials, the laws they/we make, and the role we (as Americans) play globally, etc there would be no need for work like "The America Project." Answering for the U.S. while on travel is a deeply personal & difficult experience - the piece is, in part, a response to that phenomenon.

3. There is great beauty in the freedom to question and protest. It was frightening and glorious to exercise this freedom. I hope more people are inspired to ask their own questions and demand answers of themselves and others. I will continue my journey...

4. As a citizen of this country I am responsible, in part, for the actions of my country. At least that's how other's see it. Governments are made up of people, we ARE the people of the United States of America... I for one have allowed people who do not represent me in any way, shape, or form to make decisions, form public policy, start wars, etc that offend me.

5. The most effective way for me to produce change is through my art. Onward.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

MISSED

U R MISSED
(for a.k.)

Hearts beating

Eyes meeting

Souls stirred

Time blurred

No time,

Or place

Hands aching,

Not touching

Skin calling

Breath stopping:

A Kiss…

- KEM
5 May 2007

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

performance week impressions...

So.... I just wrote to a friend who posted a poem on his myspace:

Love is a delicate path. Love is not fragile, but it requires careful attention.
I believe this to be true - that love is not delicate; it can endure, but it's easy to misplace, forget to polish, etc. It needs a lot of food & water.

hmmmm. My boo is out of town and it sucks. Needing a little food and water myself.

The piece we're performing takes a lot of mental energy; I'm finding myself a bit exhausted this evening with more work to do than can be done. Tomorrow is the longest day of this week. I hope I create some success for myself in the day ahead. I am earnestly avoiding self-sabotage.

On another note, my students are working their tail ends off and they are improving daily by leaps & bounds. It is exciting to watch and be a part of their progress. I hope by the end of this run they have an understanding of how much they accomplished in one short semester. It's one thing for me to tell them; it's another for them to feel it and know it internally.

sleep.

now.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Hope... poetry on a bar-nap style


Sooo... we were at Kramer's after seeing a show... BTW, the CULTURESHOCK DC 5 year anniversary show was fab & fun!

I'm working on a HUGE project called Objects of Hope. One version of it, The America Project, is in performance Tues-Sunday at St. Marys College next week. I am in the planning stages of Objects of Hope: Washington, DC.

Personally, I've had a very long few weeks; much momma-drama & work. I think the poetry reflects that... can't pretend to be hopeful when I'm feeling something else.

TOPIC: HOPE

Hope is a four-letter word.
So, for that matter,
is
Time.
As well as,
Love.
As long as we're counting,
Shit (4 letters)
I'm not THIS angry - a five-letter word,
or pessimistic.
I'm just deflated.
Where are my objects of hope?
They lie in another 4-letter word:
Rest.

Shallom's effort is far sweeter....

A safe drive home
A good night's rest
The soft touch of skin on skin
Watching you smile in your sleep
Wondering if you're dreaming of me
A morning filled with movement
And sunlight
A long goodbye, a swift return
A life lived to the last drop -
Love reaching across the miles
Love, coming home again.