She offers me milk for my bones as hers lose strength,
the cow is “just around the back”, it’s “no trouble at all”…
I have not been here, to see her in years and everything is pristine,
as he left it
when he left her.
She smiles as I decline, her eyes remain
Hollow
Distant
Patient; looking
to their reunion.
We talk, small talk of Heaven, of Hell. She is certain he waits for her, and they shall sip milk and honey together
Underneath the shade of a Willow
(her favourite tree).
And what of these pains, these obstacles to cross?
She sees no boundaries, questions nothing, all healing with time, she’s learned to respect the laws of fate.
In her youth, she recalls, she was headstrong, deviant, at war with the world,
felt rejected, ostracized by biological difference,
‘Chiney Mama’, I call her now, ‘Dirty Coolie ’, they stoned her then.
In time, with experience, new perspective helped harden her skin, condition her mind, to neutralize the blows.
-Atlas
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Why is this News?
So, according to "The Jamaica Gleaner", Tyra Banks being named "Woman of the year" by Ok! magazine is newsworthy information.
For anyone remotely curious enough to care; "The TV presenter was given the accolade by America's OK! magazine for her business sense, as well as her position as a role model for women worldwide". Yes, "role model", people apparently look up to her, not that i'm on a Tyra bashing trip, but let's hear why; "She said: "An average American woman is size 12 or 14. So if I look like a 10 or 12 in a picture and someone says I look disgusting, are they saying the majority of America is disgusting? That made me really upset, and that's why I decided to fight back.""
It's funny when and how people become 'advocates' for causes sometimes, so someone calls Tyra fat and now she cares about fat people, where was all this concern in her pre "curves" days?
It all sounds like nonsense spurred by bobble-headed vanity, and it sickens me that it is being celebrated through publication.
For anyone remotely curious enough to care; "The TV presenter was given the accolade by America's OK! magazine for her business sense, as well as her position as a role model for women worldwide". Yes, "role model", people apparently look up to her, not that i'm on a Tyra bashing trip, but let's hear why; "She said: "An average American woman is size 12 or 14. So if I look like a 10 or 12 in a picture and someone says I look disgusting, are they saying the majority of America is disgusting? That made me really upset, and that's why I decided to fight back.""
It's funny when and how people become 'advocates' for causes sometimes, so someone calls Tyra fat and now she cares about fat people, where was all this concern in her pre "curves" days?
It all sounds like nonsense spurred by bobble-headed vanity, and it sickens me that it is being celebrated through publication.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Jamaican Mating Rituals: To Dominate or to be Dominated?
The Jamaican relationship as I view it is psychological warfare, it is a conquest for both the male and female element, though it is generally percieved as the conquest of the male, the strength of the female "game" is always underestimated to the point that the male does not even realize she is playing.
The principal arena for the selection of the mate is The Dancehall; bodies are girated to music to display ones talent and technique, that which is also implicit of ones sexual skills. Notice that within the arena of The Dancehall, the males are most often found on the periphery, so that they are provided with an adequate view for the selection of their prey. Unbeknownst to them however, the girating female in the centre has often by this time already selected hers (females still in contemplation stand on the periphery with the males). The strategy of the female is to attract her prey with her giration, so that by his approaching her, he entirely is unsuspecting of her own power. If a number of candidates approach, she simply rejects those she does not desire.
From the beginning, the female sizes up her opponent, she can tell by his shoes, his stance and his pants whether he's a 'gangsta', a 'bitch', a 'tief' or a 'clown' and based on the conclusion a strategy for control is devised.
The 'bitch' may or may not even require a strategy since he is so easily dominated anyway, but depending on the level of desire/willingness there may be some barriers that need crossing, some personality traits that may need 'changing'; for instance, if he's a church-goer, you may need to become one to get your foot in the door, the only real challenge here is deciding whether you want him enough to compremise certain aspects of your selfhood.
Where the domination of 'the bitch' is concerned the trick is the tease...he doesn't even need to get any for you to have control, once he does though, good luck trying to get rid of him...the point though is to keep him around to do your errands.
The 'tief' and 'clown' should both be avoided at all costs, they are a waste of time and the victory of their control would come with no reward.
Now, the 'gangsta' is a challenge, and there are different degrees of 'gangsta'; on a superficial level a target can be identified by the level of Marijuana intake (whether said "draw" is followed by a cough). Upon identification of her target, the skilled female makes absolutely no attempt to approach him, for the 'gangsta' he must always believe that the conquest is his, always, even as the relationship progresses. Here, the trick is also the tease...but as opposed to the conquest of 'the bitch', this is not a physical tease, but an emotional one. Now, the 'gangsta' rarely ever WANTS emotional attachment but begins to CRAVE it when he finds himself an apathetic female. This is mainly the case because of the general misconception of the female as "weak", "emotional", "clingy", when the male finds a female defiant of the stereotype he feels himself inadequate, he thinks; "if she doesn't love me, i'm not doing it right". This is why it is important to give the 'gangsta' the best sex of his life, the more of this he gets, the more he'll want to return the favour, the more he returns the favour, the more he doubts himself because of the female's inability to "fall in love" with him....Get the chain?
It sounds easy, this game, but tread lightly, only the strong survive....
The principal arena for the selection of the mate is The Dancehall; bodies are girated to music to display ones talent and technique, that which is also implicit of ones sexual skills. Notice that within the arena of The Dancehall, the males are most often found on the periphery, so that they are provided with an adequate view for the selection of their prey. Unbeknownst to them however, the girating female in the centre has often by this time already selected hers (females still in contemplation stand on the periphery with the males). The strategy of the female is to attract her prey with her giration, so that by his approaching her, he entirely is unsuspecting of her own power. If a number of candidates approach, she simply rejects those she does not desire.
From the beginning, the female sizes up her opponent, she can tell by his shoes, his stance and his pants whether he's a 'gangsta', a 'bitch', a 'tief' or a 'clown' and based on the conclusion a strategy for control is devised.
The 'bitch' may or may not even require a strategy since he is so easily dominated anyway, but depending on the level of desire/willingness there may be some barriers that need crossing, some personality traits that may need 'changing'; for instance, if he's a church-goer, you may need to become one to get your foot in the door, the only real challenge here is deciding whether you want him enough to compremise certain aspects of your selfhood.
Where the domination of 'the bitch' is concerned the trick is the tease...he doesn't even need to get any for you to have control, once he does though, good luck trying to get rid of him...the point though is to keep him around to do your errands.
The 'tief' and 'clown' should both be avoided at all costs, they are a waste of time and the victory of their control would come with no reward.
Now, the 'gangsta' is a challenge, and there are different degrees of 'gangsta'; on a superficial level a target can be identified by the level of Marijuana intake (whether said "draw" is followed by a cough). Upon identification of her target, the skilled female makes absolutely no attempt to approach him, for the 'gangsta' he must always believe that the conquest is his, always, even as the relationship progresses. Here, the trick is also the tease...but as opposed to the conquest of 'the bitch', this is not a physical tease, but an emotional one. Now, the 'gangsta' rarely ever WANTS emotional attachment but begins to CRAVE it when he finds himself an apathetic female. This is mainly the case because of the general misconception of the female as "weak", "emotional", "clingy", when the male finds a female defiant of the stereotype he feels himself inadequate, he thinks; "if she doesn't love me, i'm not doing it right". This is why it is important to give the 'gangsta' the best sex of his life, the more of this he gets, the more he'll want to return the favour, the more he returns the favour, the more he doubts himself because of the female's inability to "fall in love" with him....Get the chain?
It sounds easy, this game, but tread lightly, only the strong survive....
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Curse of Idealism
Believing ever in the possibility of there being something better separates us automatically from the world of the realist and places us in the limbo of the idealist...
Subsequently we are challenged until the end of existence to not only think of an alternative that will aid in the betterment of us all, but also of a means of achieving said alternative, a means of mobilizing the until now silent masses to aid in the process that can only be a collective, communal effort if it is to be successful.
We must first start by eliminating the concept of "the individual"; first point, first barrier is that said concept is the primary characteristic of the human being, it is a fact, we leave the womb and enter the grave alone. It is a concept though that can be corrected through the principal unit of socialization; the family. If we are taught then and there to think beyond "the self", to think in terms of "we" rather than "i" then that would provide us a valuable starting point.
But within this unit we must be careful; the "we" of which I speak must not be limited in any way, to the members of that specific family, the members of that specific community, of that specific race, culture, nation. Ensuring this presents us another barrier, inherrent biases (cultural, political, social or other) always prove to influence the negative...
Before we can even get past the 'starting point' we have already come upon enough of a barrier to put an end to the entire quest...thus is the curse of idealism.
- Atlas
Subsequently we are challenged until the end of existence to not only think of an alternative that will aid in the betterment of us all, but also of a means of achieving said alternative, a means of mobilizing the until now silent masses to aid in the process that can only be a collective, communal effort if it is to be successful.
We must first start by eliminating the concept of "the individual"; first point, first barrier is that said concept is the primary characteristic of the human being, it is a fact, we leave the womb and enter the grave alone. It is a concept though that can be corrected through the principal unit of socialization; the family. If we are taught then and there to think beyond "the self", to think in terms of "we" rather than "i" then that would provide us a valuable starting point.
But within this unit we must be careful; the "we" of which I speak must not be limited in any way, to the members of that specific family, the members of that specific community, of that specific race, culture, nation. Ensuring this presents us another barrier, inherrent biases (cultural, political, social or other) always prove to influence the negative...
Before we can even get past the 'starting point' we have already come upon enough of a barrier to put an end to the entire quest...thus is the curse of idealism.
- Atlas
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