Sunday, February 26, 2006

Lost Again

Lost Again

Just when I'm found
I am lost again
Once in the sky
Now the ground again

Hurting inside because
It's hard to find
A place to roam free
Not confined by human mind

I know myself well
But my self is not known
No matter where I go
Can't find where I belong

They don't see my identity
And go belittle my integrity
Because it's not conventional
I'm labeled an unmentionable

Once I've been set free
Why return to captivity
An outcast from my origin
Foreigner to my liberty

I am that I am
Between the sea and the land
Between a rock and hard place
I dwell in a small space

JMC
2/26/06
(c) 2006

Monday, February 20, 2006

I to I

I to I

Idren to I-sistren
I-bandit to I-victim
I-man to Iyah
I-water to I-fiyah
I-love to I-hate
I-less to I-great
I-Father to I-Son
I-ignorance to I-wisdom
I-courage to I-fear
I-far to I-near
I-black to I-white
I-day to I-night
I-tal to Immaterial
I-humble to Imperial
I-livity to I-deada
I-worse to I-better
Almighty I to Satan lie
I and I
Will never deny
There is only One I

I-Messiah to I-Antichrist
I-virtue to I-vice
I-King Selassie I to I-Mussolini
I-generous to I-greedy
Ites to I-depths
I-naked to I-dressed
I-evil to I-good
I-stone to I-wood
I-Gentile to I-Jew
I-wiseman to I-fool
I-earth to I-sky
I-laugh to I-cry
I-strong to I-weak
I-proud to I-meek
I-promiscuous to I-chaste
I-save to I-waste
The Truth never die
I for I
Rasta for I

I-Mount Zion to I-Babylon
I-right to I-wrong
I-bless to I-curse
I-cradle to I-hearse
I-nity to I-segregation
I-oppression to I-retaliation
I-friend to I-enemy
I-reward to I-penalty
I-hot to I-cold
I-young to I-old
I-poor to I-rich
I-hungry to I-full
I-push to I-pull
I-well to I-sick
I-free to I-slave
I-destroy to I-made
I am I
Ask me why
I reply... Most I

I-womb to I-seed
I-doubt to I-believe
I-war to I-peace
I-west to I-east
I-anxious to Itate
I-go to I-wait
I-Atlantic to I-Pacific
I-vague to I-specific
I-real to Illusion
I-clean to I-pollution
I-saint to I-sinner
I-loser to I-winner
I-conform to I-rebel
I-heaven to I-hell
I-learn to I-teach
I-give to I-receive

I am you
You am I
Come mek we try
To see
I to I

JMC
2/13/06
(c) 2006

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Valentimes

Valentimes

Another year, another Valentine's Day
It's all vanity and romantic insanity anyway
People exchanging Valentines during these Valentimes
Blood rushing from their hearts to their minds
But not mines 'cause love hasn't been too kind
Only a distant memory or fantasy left behind

I have no red roses to give or sweet kiss to receive
So why bother betraying a kiss with only myself to deceive
There is no dinner for two in a candlelit room
With tense anticipation of what could happen soon
No lady in red or private lingerie show before bed
Just me, alone by myself once again instead

Man, I'm trying to survive these Valentimes
Dodging chocolates and cards that lovers discard
Because when the next day comes, reality hits hard
Petals on the ground, "she loves me, she loves me not"
The excuses and tears, "sorry babe I forgot"
And I stop

They all may have Cupid's arrows stuck in their backs
But I don't need stupid tricks, I have a worth unmatched
Woe unto the woman who should stumble upon me
My love is real love, a superior quality
I have a ravenous appetite to treat a lady right
Not a gimmick or game that only lasts for one night
For the light from my heart truly outshines
The artificial glow of these phony Valentimes

JMC
2/13/06
(c) 2006

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Bob Marley's Earthstrong

Bob Marley was born today 61 years ago, and although he left this earth at the early age of 36, his legacy remains. Bob Marley is one of those people who has meant so much to so many different kinds of people. It's truly amazing when even in the canyons of the American southwest where the Hopi Indians live, the vast cold emptiness of Siberia or villages in isolated Tibetan mountains... Bob Marley is known by the people. He was a messenger, a reggae prophet uttering psalms and putting them to music and words that reach across the ages. Truly a symbol of humanity, born of a black mother and a white man, equally belonging to two groups of people and rising above racial strife. During his lifetime he was beloved by his countrymen the Jamaicans, Africans, Europeans, Americans, and Asians alike, and now he is beloved by younger generations who were born decades after his death. His expressions and his inspiration have been central to the modern Rastafari movement, short of His Imperial Majesty Himself. Yet he was also a mere man, not without his faults or mistakes, teaching us the glory of obedience to JAH and the sufferation and consequences for following temptation.

With honesty, Bob Marley was my first real exposure to Rasta Reggae music. I was a young teenager when I heard his music for the first time, as in really listening to the words, and it hit me. Almost everyone has heard the "Legend" compilation with his greatest hits but I soon found the real rebel tunes, the deeper vibrations that were seldom heard by the masses. It really changed me and the more and more I absorbed the words, the closer it led me to greater appreciation for JAH Rastafari, for Emperor Haile Selassie I, for studying the Bible, for practicing livity. Bob Marley was the step into a world of more artists and music with equally poignant messages, like Burning Spear, Culture, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse and on and on. Eventually I saw how Bob Marley’s image and music had been commercialized and exploited, and it made me upset… and I took it out on Bob. I would see college kids getting drunk, acting like fools, and listening to Bob. I would see people getting stoned out of their minds without discretion, listening to Bob, their god of ganja. I would see people mockingly say “one love!” and not know the meaning, or “yah mon!”, listening to Bob. Making Bob another hippie, counterculture icon, his poster next to the patchouli oil, bongs, and tie-dye shirts. I declined to be associated with such nonsense after knowing the real deal. I delved deeper into other roots music, referring to Bob sparingly like the fat and sugar at the top of the food pyramid. Next it was hip-hop’s turn to exploit him and I stayed away from those equally misdirected conceptions. I continued to hang on to this philosophy for sometime until I decided to take the time to listen to more Bob Marley again, powerful albums like “Survival” and “Uprising”. I realized that Bob Marley was for everyone, whether I liked it or not, why should I be so selfish. Some people probably will never go beyond listening to “Jamming” and “Is This Love” and bother hearing tunes like “One Drop” or “War”, but that is their loss. Some people may never really understand the Trenchtown sufferation songs, the praises to the Almighty, the cries to liberate Africa from colonialism… but that’s their loss. With my mind made up, I returned like the parable son to the one who first opened the door to a new reality, and opened my eyes to a new vision. Bob was for everyone… is for everyone… and the world is better off of because of his message, and his continued exposure. Even if someone knows little, it allows the opportunity to know more. So I say give thanks to JAH for Mr. Robert Nesta Marley, and may his music continue to be an inspiration to one and all. Rastafari!

JAHsh

Bob Marley
February 6, 1945 - May 11, 1981

"Stiff-necked fools, you think you are cool
To deny me for simplicity.
Yes, you have gone for so long
With your love for vanity now.
Yes, you have got the wrong interpretation
Mixed up with vain imagination.
"

- Bob Marley "Stiff Necked Fools"

Monday, February 6, 2006

When We Reason

When We Reason

Sistren, when we reason, I love your positive sound
Emanating from across miles, distant cities and towns
Hours seem like seconds, your vibes beckon me to stay
Time is woven by our words, the night transforms to day
Yes, strictly reasoning together with reflective conversation
Leaves me a sensation, bathed and refreshed in cool meditation
I mean no disrespect when I probe your intellect
I just like the way you think and what you represent
Dawta of Zion, I dont mind when youre prying
Let your light illuminate every hidden thing
Cause Im trying to drink deeply of the water before me
Then take a dip beneath the surface and go further, exploring
I always notice your style and your livity shining through
Like the light from a star an ancient memory once knew
And how much Im freely given is how much I freely spend
Overstanding your mind, seeing things from your end
Listening carefully to all the smiles in your voice
Stumbling around my head for proper word choice
Yes, when we reason, its like my senses commit treason
No eyes to reply to speech, no touch to beseech feelings
Yet I try to find the meaning, the path that JAH has traced
Bridging time and space, just to see you face to face
Or rather, soul to soul, disembodied from the physical
How much more will be gained, to condense your spirit to body frame
Still a potent package because the truth remains the same
When we reason... good seed is what we sow
All things in due season... so I wait for it to grow

JMC
2/6/06
(c) 2006

Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Dennis Brown's Earthstrong

Today is the earthstrong of the late and great singer Dennis Brown. Many people outside of certain circles do not know of the "Crown Prince of Reggae", the rightful heir to the legacy of Bob Marley, or how his voice and style inspired many singers after him. I for one have been moved by his music since the moment it hit my ear. On days when I just couldn't find a way to articulate my feelings, the Rasta singer evoked the emotions back toward me, truly a blessing. Dennis Brown was a dedicated Rasta and member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel organization of which I-man am also a part of. His singing career began at the age of 12 when he recorded a song "No Man Is an Island" for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. Dennis Brown's lyrics were potent, he was a great songwriter, and his delivery was always filled with emotion... equally able to evoke lovers' tunes or inspire ones with cultural themes. By the time Dennis Brown was 22 years old he had written and recorded some of the most timeless reggae songs ever heard. He continued to be a prolific artist throughout the 1980's and 1990's, and along with his contemporary and friend Gregory Isaacs, was one of the reggae's most beloved singers. Many of today's cultural and lovers singers can name Dennis Brown as an inspiration, and often times the style is especially apparent in artists like Luciano. Dennis Brown died suddenly on July 1, 1999 at the young age of 42. The cause of his death has always been kept somewhat of a mystery but it was likely related to pneumonia and respiratory failure. Give thanks to JAH for Dennis Brown's life and his contribution to music with messages and lyrics from the heart. Big up Dennis Brown!

JAHsh

Dennis Brown
February 1, 1957 - July 1, 1999


"Love and hate can never be friends
Oh no, oh no

Here I come with love and not hatred
surely goodness and mercy
shall follow I all the days of I life
envy no one no wish to be with no evil man
for there'll come the day
when you'll be whipped by the father's hand"

- Dennis Brown "Here I Come"