Musings from a Muddled Mind: 11/09/08

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Quiet One (In Memory Of George Harrison)

The quiet one has grown silent now
All his petals have fallen to the ground
The day has quickly turned to night
Now we'll no longer hear the sound
Of a lonely broom sweeping
Of a guitar gently weeping
Anymore

The spotlight cast you in two shadows
Still you found an inner light
To walk you through this weary world
As you prayed with all you might
For another sun to be coming
A long, cold, lonely winter to be running
Into spring

Within you, without you
You gave love, you gave love
the only way you knew how
Knowing the only true moment
we have is now

You found yourself in your garden
At peace with the flowers and the rain
Digging through dirt for a simple life
That would leave the yoke of fame
Far behind that locked door
For you bit straight to the apple core
And it was all too much

So the quiet one has grown silent now
But his voice will still echo like mystic waterfalls
The song he chose to sing to his sweet lord
Awaiting on his call
And he happily accepted when it came at last
For he knew all things must pass
He knew all things must pass away

All things must pass away

I Flipped Around The TV

i flipped around the t.v.
and looked up on the screen
i opened up magazines
and read the paper in between

i turned back into history
and imagined future times
and thought back into memories
i might have left behind

i stared down at the flowers
and up at the skies of blue
then gave up when i realized
there will never be anything

as beautiful as you

A Bottle Of Minutes Slipping Though Sand

A bottle of minutes slipping through sand
There’s so much in it if you understand
The morning bird rises living only to fly
As the moon creates its candle in tomorrow’s sunny sky

A bottle of wine chills on the table
The cork is screwed, pulled from the label
The glasses are filled, they spill the toast
They’re making the most of each other

A lifetime of thoughts asleep in my bed
A pocket of dreams I keep in my head
There’s little known facts of the stars and waves
And all the other passions in which we’re enslaved

A quiet street corner on a late rainy eve
A small empty bar where they forget to believe
Restless as a wind shackled in locks
Lonesome as a head trapped inside a box

Nighttime falls at the end of the day
A time when daydreams come into play
The pile of minutes has now reached its end
But we’ll tip it right over, let the sands run again

How Many Dreams Have We Conjured

how many dreams have we conjured
relaxing ‘neath a tree in the shade
cut into whispers and satellite pictures
waking to the rising moon again

how many stars have we wished on
fearing the frozen moment would fade
folded like paper into a ship
set sail across a puddle in the rain

how many mornings have we woken
with the memory of a dream in the eye
swept away like many broken leaves
blowing softly along an aging, autumn sky

how many moments have i wondered
between our first breath and last sigh
as we lead ourselves to a six foot hole
how many different tears will we cry

The City's An Energy

the city's an energy
of fire and will
an unleashed animal
in pursuit of its kill

pouncing on passion
devouring its life
howling at the moon
its fangs hanging like a knife

craving uncertainty
it pierces with its claw
imprisoning all silence
by full penalty of its law

more than its tallest building
searching for eternity
it feels the sins inside its cage
slowly tumble to the sea

and when the arrow of light
splits the night with the new mom
it stitches together its fragmented pieces
wholly baptized and reborn

Into The Blur

Dreams drift
Thoughts twist
Silence runs swift
Through the theater

The players act
The audience reacts
The heart denies fact
But outside things are as they were

There’s children alone
People without homes
An endlessly busy emergency phone
Cryings for departure

There’s bottled minds
Meaningless times
First breaths at the end of the line
Rememberings for what were

The players are done
The audience is gone
They all move on

-Into the blur-

Through The Dawn...

the sun is shining on a winter sea
of crystalline snow and angel-wing trees
so won't you come over and play with me
we'll ride a wave of childlike ecstasy

into the dawn

every time i look into your eyes
i feel gentle like the snow that fell from the skies
something about them fills my heart with sighs
and makes me want to drop my hidden disguise

until the dawn

whenever you ask if heaven's real
i say it's not a place to see it's just something that you feel
and it's you my love with your powers to heal
for every moment we spend's another moment i steal

from the dawn

and i know if i had a day to do again
i'd choose the one when i met you my friend
for when i'm with you i don't need to pretend
i want us to drive together up around the bend

and through the dawn

I'm Just A Crazy Circle

I'm just a crazy circle
here I go again
and when I think I'll finally stop
I curve around a bend

and back to the beginning
for thus I always go
dropping dreams along the way
I guess I'll never know

so I imagine magic horses
and fairy tales to defend
'cause I'm just a crazy circle
and here I go again

I'm Only Me

I've got eight thousand legs
And they all lead back to my mind
My heart is humbled with regrets
But I'm afraid to scratch them out
For then I will find

I'm only me

So I keep my Cartoon Television
And my movies that live so real
And my poems and books that secure me
But I'm afraid to scratch them out
For without them I would feel

I'm only me

So I lose me in my nighttime
The blackness and my dreams
The forest that lies within the nothing
And still, I'm afraid to scratch them out
For without them it seems

I'm only me

Who Am I?

The poet
is his pen
The painter
his brush
The gambler
his 5 carded
royal flush

The philosopher
is his thoughts
The con man
his lie
The architect
his design
who am I?

I've Been Swallowed By A Painting

every time i see you
my humbled heart just sighs
a ribboned world of rainbows
sweetly strung to candy butterflies

as silken strands of gentle dreams
drip down the moonlit night
while melodic carnivals of swirling sounds
ignite the color of light

like the floating fire of imagination
floating free over fields of sunset
i have been given if only this once more
a moment i will never forget

for i've been swallowed by a painting
fallen endless through summer skies
been given a glimpse of heaven's wings
now living in your eyes

Life Is Really...

life is really
just a play
of little
connected
scenes

you love
for the ups
live through
the downs
and deal with

the in-betweens

Memories Of The Heart

A woman at a fruit stand
Talks fondly of her peach
Bringing a smile to the faces
Of the ears that are in reach

A customer at a bank claims
There's a chance that it may rain
While the teller says, "But definitely
The sun will shine again"

A young boy at a park runs
To a man hiding under a tree
And says, "The sun is shining down
Don't you want to come to see?"

Just moments of time
With temporary friends
But memories of the heart
Until the very end

The Empty Pages Of A Baby's Book...

the empty pages of a baby's book
become history by the end
imprinted with pictures of captured time
they only learn to wisely spend

when salt of hair and frail of finger
and humble of heart and mind
realizing at last the only moments that matter
are the unopened ones left behind

lost like presents on Christmas morn
never knowing the wide-eyed surprise
that slowly crawls across a person's face
unwrapping its paper disguise

for the baby explores what the grown up will question
the unknown that appears before the eye
the baby not caring the reason it's there
the grown up needing to understand why

but for now the pages are empty
and what's to be written anybody's guess
i only hope at the end when asked if they loved their life
they answer with a passionate yes

Morning Rose Slowly...

morning rose slowly
uncertain of her path
whether to hang her tear-filled clouds
or light the sun and laugh

searching through her swatches
she discovered a dreary gray
stapling it to the blanket of night
and presenting it as the day

a ritual runner grew curious
disbelieving of his eyes
was this to warn of a coming storm
or simply a disguise

consulting at last the calendar
she exhaled in full gale force
sending a child in search of his hat
as the autumn leaves tumbled their course

leaning against a lamppost now
the hat surrendered without a fight
as the boy smiled bright in victory
and danced with true delight

suddenly warmed by this glow of innocence
and realizing what she'd done
the morning struck a match to the sky
and gave the day a sun

Don't Look For Me, My Love

every september a candle comes around
leaving me looking at less of the road
some say it's a jet plane, a booming sonic sound
in the end i guess it's just all the stories you told

our gorgeous sun is shrinking, sinking low
shadowing allwarmth with a touch of cold
a distant train, whistle blowing, is chugging toward our home
and a receding sea's whispering secrets we thankfully got to know

the pale grey done creeping 'round
reminds me where i'm bound
but i promise we'll step of this world together
when it's our time to go

so don't look for me, my love, i'll be here
don't look, my love, i'm not going anywhere
don't look for me, my love
i'll be here to stare into your eyes

'til they're no longer there

Your Lips On Mine

Your lips on mine
A taste so sweet
The thrill of wine
A feeling complete

The laughter of children
Skating on a pond
Captured in a moment
Magic like a wand

An open door
A truth revealed
A swollen minute
A dream past concealed

A Christmas morning
Santa still alive
The cookies eaten
The note memorized

My entire life
Entwined as one
Inside of this kiss
I've finally begun

The Mixed Mind Of A "Do You..."

Do you think they're dumb
When they say "I cannot"
Or question all the numb
Trapped in the life they caught

Do you find the fiend
In the maze they built
Or question if they'll fall
Off their bending stilt

Do you see the light
Within the black-eyed rim
Or tell them it was better
Back in the place they'd been

Do you find the dreams
When you scratch out their eyes
Or stitch together deep-found wounds
When you find out the lies

Wrap them up
Tape them in sincerity
Open your hand like a cup
Tell them where you want to be

But most of all show them
The shades of all your blue
'Cause you'll just end up a worry
In the mixed mind of a "Do you..."

Without Sorrow

i'm living on horses
that can't be reigned in
and thinking of the sins I would have been
before I became what I am
the person that lies within
this thing
the one who wishes he could sing
if only for one night
in front of no one
but one person
sing for someone who understands
even if they run away
frightened of the connection
the glimpse inside the truth
see, because that's all i want
is to see a door swinging
back and forth with my perfect mate
8 miles down the freeway and
to leave a situation for once
not feeling alone

Pissing Off The Gods...

Here’s a tip to those who due to events seemingly beyond their control freefall 7 or so feet onto a pile of rocks.

DON’T.

IT HURTS.

A LOT.

STILL DOES.

A LOT.

I LIKE WRITING IN CAPITALS WITH A LINE BREAK BEFORE...

A LOT.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled whatever…

I would have said “events beyond your control” - no seemingly - except this fall occurred in India, the land of Karma.

So, I wondered…and wondered…and then a thought occurred but I denied it cause I wasn’t really hungry. (My doctor says my hunger is just a thought filling the empty void a person of my intelligence will usually find when attempting to wonder, so he recommend I stop and I did—hey, do you think he was being sarcastic and was actually saying I’m NOT intelligent? Naw.

But, stop wondering I did…til today.

What, in my past might have I done to piss off the gods?

So, I had myself hypnotized. And back I went, back, back, back…into not just early in this life, not just my birth, but into ANOTHER life…a PAST life.

And guess what?

I worked in a QUARRY. Gulp. I was closer to my reason. And then, I saw. I didn’t just hammer at rocks or remove the dislodged ones, I BLEW THEM UP WITH DYNAMITE.

I swear under hypnosis I heard tiny shouts of “Medic!” from the splintered fragments as the dust cleared. (Fragmented pieces is trying to be very PG-13. The truth, The R version: There were no pieces, never are in rock dynamiting, least not my past life me did it. They were pulverized)

Worse, I was known as THE ROCK HATER. Whenever there was a particular piece of rock that didn’t want to move, they’d all finally yell down a line you could hearing echoing all over the quarry:

Send in The Rock Hater. Send in The Rock Hater…on and on down the line til word reached me.

And I’d take a good, long, deep breath, chomping on a cigar, lit dynamite sticks calmly juggling deftly from hand to hand, smile sinisterly, and say:

Any day killing rocks is a great day to be alive.

And off I’d go…and BOOM. Nothing left. Nothing ever left. Pulverized. Just dust.

And out of hypnosis I came.

And I knew and know.

My seemingly out of control freefall was in my control. They say revenge is best served cold….and in another life. Wait, do they say that? I’m pretty sure. I’ll check on it.

Instant karma gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
- John Lennon

So true. So, so true.

PS: Did I mention in my former life I was the best-looking man ever with six pack abs and those muscles showing that lead down under my shorts to my unmentionables?

I was to.

Next Time You Hear "We" When They Mean You...

I’m hearing this not just spoken in hospitals by nurses and octors but by store cashiers:

How WE doing?

Next time respond with: Who’s we sucka?

And when they don’t know you’re quoting from a Dirty Harry movie, finish off with Harry’s line:

Me, Smith and Wesson…

…while reaching into a pocket.

It seems like a fun way to kill a few moments.

I haven’t tried it myself yet, as I’m uncertain how the “me, Smith and Wesson” line while reaching into a pocket as if pulling a gun would go over but…

…if you’d like to try it out and let me know how it goes, I’d be happy to try it…unless your writing from the prison Internet…of course.

The Thing About Yard Sales...

The thing about yard sales is this:

You sell off all the crap you bought at the yard sales you went to the year before…which is actually crap you owned the year before that when, in a moment of clarity and honesty, you said that not only did you not play with or use these particular items anymore, you haven’t even looked at them in a decade.

Then, the next year, in a fit of nostalgia you go to yard sales and buy it all back only to have, the next year, another moment of clarity and sell it off…

…and the cycle continues, endlessly.

So, remember, the next time you’re at a yard sale and pick up Stratego and say in a moment of wistful remembrance:

‘Stratego. I used to own one.’

Chances are: You used to own THIS one.

And that’s all I’ve got to say about yard sales. – (saw Forrest Gump recently)

Cousins and Money

This one belongs to a friend of mine:

One time he said – and it’s so on the nose true –

‘The most pointless thing in the world is having a rich cousin.’

And I thought...Most definitely: The only certainties in life are death, taxes, and you will not be receiving nickel one from your rich cousin.

"Studies" and Money

I recently read about a “study” undertaken to determine the most dangerous place in the world.

The answer: IRAQ

Give me $2.50, I tell you that answer right now.

I also read another “study” that determined essentially that teens have sex because it makes them feel good.

I’ll give you that answer right now and for free.

How much money are these people getting paid to “study” these subjects?

I guarantee it’s more than $2.50…and remember I’m giving my answer to the second “study” for free, so it’s definitely more than $1.25 per study.

So, next time you need an obvious answer to an obvious question, think about me.

Hollywood and Poster Catch Phrases

I feel like this is how Hollywood meetings discussing movie poster catch phrases must go:

They’ve just arrived in the conference room and someone immediately pipes up:

The film: RAGING INFERNO

How about “Raging Inferno - Detective Nick Inferno Is Raging”?

The boss: Works for me. Let’s break for lunch.

Then a couple years later, after RAGING INFERNO cleaned up at the box office the first two weeks before people realized it was a piece of crap, therefore warranting a sequel:

Again they just arrive in the conference room, now needing a title as well as a poster catch phrase and new someone immediately pipes up:

How about:

‘Raging Inferno 2 – Detective Nick Inferno Is Raging…Again’

The new boss: Works for me. Let’s break for lunch.

Two Tales From My Sister's Dating Wars

Guy 1:

She casually dated a man, in college I think, so they were apart during holidays, etc. and, one time, he called her and said, hand to god:

I miss you every OTHER day.

It’s like: Well, I guess I’ll speak with you in a couple days.

Unreal but true.

Guy 2:

She met a man who worked in the same office building she did - saw entering, exiting, elevators, etc. - and one day he asked her to lunch, telling her he knew of a great little French restaurant.

About my sister: She’s not someone who cares about being taken to someplace fancy for dinner. She'd like it, but it’s not a deal breaker, basically. So now this, not just lunch, but a workday lunch when they can find time, NO ONE expects anything, so she was taken aback by the choice of restaurant and looked forward to it.

So, lunchtime comes and they’re walking down the sidewalk, talking, getting along really well, when the man suddenly stops and says “Here we are.”

And there, standing before her was the French restaurant:

Au Bon Pain.

It makes you wonder if he would have called McDonald’s a cozy Scottish place.

All true. Unreal but true.

One Thing In Life Can Break My Will...

…and I'm talking weeping-uncontrollably-down-on-my-knees-hands-clasped-and-raised-skyward-god-I-believe-in-you-and-know-you-wouldn’t-give-me-more-than-I-can-handle- but-this-time-you-gave-me-a-mountain-I-promise-I’ll-start-attending-church-regularly-and-volunteering-my-services-to-those-in-need-if-you’ll-just-give-me-help-this-one-time…

…broken will.

The culprit:

MY COMPUTER

So let’s cut out all this ‘it’s an inanimate object’ crap and admit that HAL has arrived and his desire is nothing short of breaking the human spirit.

Director's 1st Films - Blood Simple (1984)

Blood Simple – Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Cohen

Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink) An excellent noir about a husband hiring a private investigator - no sane person would trust – to kill his cheating wife and her new lover. All the twists, turns, and double backs the Coens have become known for are evident here, as well as their trademark black, black humor. Exceptional.

(Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya, and the great character actor M. Emmet Walsh)

Frankie & Johnny (1991)

Frankie & Johnny – Directed by: Garry Marshall Written by: Terrance McNally

Pacino lightens it up here to play fresh out of prison Johnny who takes a job as a cook at a small New York diner. Middle aged, he throws himself back into life with gusto, hoping to accumulate some good memories before he dies. Unfortunatley, the woman he would like to start this new life with, Frankie (Pfieffer) is locked within herself, having been through a devastating relationship. Some incredibly sincere and honest talks between two broken souls collecting their pieces...and laughs to boot.

(Directed by Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, Flamingo Kid) and starring Al Pacino, Michelle Pfieffer, Hector Elizondo, and a terrific Nathan Lane.)

Donnie Brasco (1997)

Donnie Brasco – Directed by: Mike Newell Written by: Paul Attanasio

FBI agent Joe Pistone (Depp) goes deep undercover as Donnie Brasco, attempting to find insider information that will put mob bosses away for a very long time. He befriends “Lefty” Ruggiero, who takes him into his confidence and vouches for him as a “stand-up guy” and just like that Donnie is in. Feeding off Depp, Pacino’s performance as a poor shmuck continually passed over for promotion (even by Brasco) that must scream out how important and well known he is for people to turn his way is so heartbreaking, it’s difficult not to feel for the guy. This movie on the whole is much overlooked and should be at the top of all rental lists. Depp is exceptional, as well. (Starring Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Michael Madson.)

Scorcese's After Hours (1985)

After Hours – Wirtten by: Joseph Minion

A keep-to-himself yuppie wanders out for coffee one night and meets a strange but beautiful woman. Making a date to meet later at her apartment, the yuppie slips down the rabbit hole into a surreal fever-dream of twists, turns, and double-backs that culminate in him being hunted down by a neighborhood lynching mob…when all the while he just wants to go home. A black, black comedy with exceptional performances from all, Scorsese does a masterful job of exposing another part of New York’s underbelly.

(Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Teri Garr, John Heard...and a small cameo from Cheech & Chong)

Scorcese's The Age Of Innocence

The Age Of Innocence –

Set in late-1800’s New York, this beautifully shot (and I repeat: Beautifully shot) film tells the story of a reserved, proper lawyer (Daniel Day-Lewis) whose engaged to equally reserved and proper May (Winona Ryder) but falls for May’s free-spirited cousin (Michelle Pfieffer). Imprisoned deeply inside the invisible cage of social convention, Day-Lewis leaves the passion for the cousin to simmer beneath the surface, as a trained smile politely plays across his face. Proving it’s not how far you go, just as long as it’s a little more than allowed, watch for a scene where Day-Lewis kisses Pfieffer’s exposed wrist. Talk about sensual, sexual and erotic. Based on an Edith Wharton novel.

Starman

Starman –

An alien lands on earth and assumes the shape and identity of a grieving widow’s dead husband. Chased by government agents, the two forma a close bond as they make their way cross country to meet a spacecraft waiting to take the alien home. Bridges has the difficult task of making it feel as though this alien is truly adjusting to his new disguise, a body (which, being human, Bridges has had his hole life – a seemingly impossible tasks), and understand the English language beyond the words. (Co-starring the lovely Karen Allen – Raiders of the Lost Ark, Animal House.)

Gene Hackman Supporting Role - Heartbreakers

Heartbreakers:

A very funny story about mother-daughter con artists. Their hook: The mother lures rich men into marrying her, catches them in a compromising position with a young temptress (the daughter), and takes them for everything in the divorce. Trouble brews when they head to Palm Beach, Florida, and the daughter wants to break out and find her own mark. While the mother seduces an elderly, billionaire tobacco magnate (Hackman), the daughter sets her sights on a young bar owner.

Hackman’s exceptional as a man who’s dying from using his own product, refuses to hire employees if they DON’T smoke, and refers to an art curator who requests he put out his cigarette to preserve the centuries-old paintings as a “Nazi.” Ray Liotta shows a great knack for comedy as a mark, but watch as he realizes he’s been double-crossed and pulls a gun. BOOM. Right back to Henry Hill in “Goodfellas.” Quite a transition. (Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Hackman, Liotta, Jason Lee, and the always good to see, Anne Bancroft)

Gene Hackman Supporting Role - The Birdcage

The Birdcage:

A remake of the French movie “La Cage Aux Folles,” the story involves the son of a gay, Jewish couple, Armand and Albert, who own a drag club (Armand had a brief fling with a woman in college) marrying the daughter of extreme right-wing senator, Kevin Keeley (Hackman). To help you understand how extreme, he refers to Bob Dole as “too liberal.”

Murphy’s Law ensues when Armand and Albert prepare for the Keeley’s arrival by hiding their Jewish ancestry, their homosexuality, and the fact the son’s “mom” is actually Albert in drag.
Two great scenes: When both families sing and dance to “I Could Have Danced All Night” and Hackman going on and on...and on about the foliage they saw on the drive down.

A breakout performance by Hank Azaria as Armand and Albert’s houseboy, Agador.
(Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Diane Weist, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Dan Futterman – who wrote the screenplay for the exceptional “Capote,” his first one ever. Amazing)

You're So Vain - Carly Simon

you walked into the party
like you were walking onto a yacht
your hat strategically dipped below one eye
your scarf, it was apricot

you had one eye in the mirror
as you watched yourself gavot
and all the girls dreamed
that they'd be your partner

you're so vain
you probably think this song is about you

you had me several years ago
when i was still quite naive
you said that we made such a pretty pair
and that you would never leave

but you gave away the things you loved
and one of them was me
i had some dreams
they were clouds in my coffee

you're so vain
you probably think this song is about you

i hear you went up to Saratoga
and your horse naturally won
then you flew your lear jet up to Nova Scotia
to see the total eclipse of the sun

you're where you should be all the time
and when you're not you're with
some underworld spy
or the wife of a close friend

yes, you're so vain
you probably think this song is about you
(Carly simon words)

Sunday, November 9, 2008

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