Hello. After my last post and the continuing protests and discussions about the case, I have been continuing my reflections on Trayvon’s death. I was compelled to write a song (as I usually am when I’m feeling something so strongly). A friend of mine, a poet from Rockford, IL, named Christopher D. Sims, wrote a spoken word piece about it as well and we decided to combine them into one. I also enlisted the help of my son, whom I mentioned in that last post as well, in the making of a video for the song. The lyrics are included in the description on Youtube….here it is:
Hellooooo! Been M.I.A. for a bit. I have been a little busy with family things, so I have not had the opportunity to sit down and share what has been going on. At the beginning of the month, the Soundcloud Heroes group that I am a part of launched a new community collaboration project called the National Poetry Collaborations on Soundcloud this month. We asked people to contribute one single line of their favorite poetry and offer it up to the rest of the SC community to be used to create a completely new remixed poem using various lines from different users. In addition, musicians and producers could take those and add their own original compositions to the mix. So far, we have had quite a few pieces contributed and they are waaay beyond what I had anticipated.
What I loooove so much about community collaborations is that it forces everyone involved to push past their own boundaries, try something new, and dig deeper. Awesome! Now, here are a few select poetry remixes (including my own) for you to check out. It is not too late to join the project and submit some sounds of your own or to give your hand a try at a remix. Here is the link with more details about how to join: http://soundcloud.tumblr.com/post/46955630575/this-is-a-guest-post-by-soundcloud-hero-monica
Enjoy, share, and join! (p/s – still putting my album together, trying to figure out how to add some new techniques and organic sounds into the mix at the moment)
Helloooooo! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week thus far! I can’t complain, sun has been shining, music flowing, and I got to celebrate both my birthday and the birthday of my HERO, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I will never be able to fully explain my deep admiration for Dr. King. Since I was a little girl, I remember being so moved by his words. As the years have passed, his words and his belief in nonviolence and the power of love over hate have become central parts of my being. They permeate the life I live and also the music I make. So, as I contemplated on how to best honor him here on this blog, I came across a poem written by a friend of mine (and a fellow Soundcloud Hero from Rockford, IL). His name is Christopher D. Sims aka UniverSouLove.
He shared the poem below with me and I loved it so much, I thought I’d share it with you. Here it is:
In the 21st century, Martin’s Dream
seems so far flung. So not far from
former Slave’s who were murdered,
hung.
In the 21st century, Martin’s Dream
Finds Brown vs. Board of Education
A failure to nations of young people
who see that progress is
achievable.
In the 21st century, Martin’s Dream
discovers archaic drug laws, the
criminal justice system’s flaws,
politcian’s locked in the jaws of
the corporation.
Martin’s Dream in the 21st century
sees so, so, so much poverty. His
Poor People’s Campaign is much
needed, as American company’s
are the greediest. We are failing,
denying, the neediest.
In the 21st Century, Martin’s Dream
is not a reality. Mathematically, African-
Americans make up only 13% of America.
However, for some reason, we are
still licking our wounds from opposition,
failure.
Where will be in another 50 years?
If King’s Dream were alive today
It would be shedding tears.
Copyright Christopher D. Sims
January 21st, 2012
Dedicated to the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Chris is a kindred spirit and I appreciated his words so much as they do raise questions and touch on the fact that the “Dream” may be lost. Before Dr. King was murdered, one of his main focuses was poverty. It only takes one short walk around the block in any city in America to see that there is much more work that needs to be done in regards to the problem of poverty. How is it that so much time has passed, yet so little has been accomplished in this area? I agree with Chris, I believe Dr. King would be “shedding tears”.
Coming across Chris’ poem, it made me think of one that I wrote about a year ago. I thought it would be a good parallel to his. It is called the “American Dream”:
There is no rest for the weary
day turns into night
night turns into day
we are zombies, us all
walking through the streets with our breath sagging, our knuckles raw
from pounding against the steel of your vault
dark circles like swirls of smoke around our eyes
you’ve got us looking like raccoons
in a world run by buffoons
no prospects
no respect
so do we reject
the dream you’ve been selling?
dream
I wish I could
my eyes try and try
but my mind knows
if I rest I die
cause that’s the way you made the game
and so I spend each day the same
watching my blacks turn grays
until I forge a new path out of the haze
and when I do
I will see what you didn’t want me to see
that I don’t need you… NO!…
you are the one who needs me
so there it is–now it is clear
why you spin the way you do,
why you got our hands stuck like glue
to the metal of the machine
but I wash my hands clean of the dream you are selling
instead I will blaze my own trail
one where you have not set me up to fail
and I will be the first
if I don’t lose my thirst
if I don’t let my eyes win
if I don’t let the doubt in
if I don’t hear you say
I cannot go that way
if I keep my mind clear
Then will MY dream be here
and, then, I will laugh at the sleep i lost
and how much of my life it cost
trying so hard to break into you
because I never even needed to
So, I know that I have been sharing more Music than Words on here for the most part, so I thought I’d switch things up a bit this time. Hope something in either poem spoke to you and caused you to think, reflect. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and visit. Until next time!