Saturday, March 13, 2010

Ice...Lemon Supreme Moons and the Power of Art

from Love Poem #27

It was but a momentary dream in rhyme
a stolen moment in the scheme of time

Paralleled paradise under gloomy noon,
we shared a lemon supreme moon.


-- Richie M. (2010)


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People of the Internet!  In order to survive apathy we must participate in our human endeavor, we must empathize, we must strive, we must create!

Don't take your voice for granted, fight for what you believe in -- because "if we die, we must die" but not until we have truly lived.

This is my call for action! Find a way for you to actively change something; even if it only a couple of minds.




Continuing on, I will discuss the nature of ice and the metaphors we adopt in order to enlist a justification for various ideals.

In his novel One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote that when Jose Arcadio Buendia upon seeing ice for the first time claimed "This is the greatest invention of the world" yet as the history of the family unfolds, so does the illusion; The City of Macondo --  the city of mirrors -- undergoes a whirlwind of destruction predicated on its own tragic self-reflexivity. Likewise, Japanese Haiku poet Gozan wrote "The snow of yesterday / that fell like cherry petals / is water once again."

-- Although Gozan encapsulates a zen-like meditation on the relationship,  both writers invoke the forces of nature and on a deeper level speak on the transience of life and desire. In this blog that is seldom read, I seek to take part in this discourse that transcends boundaries of time and space (credit Mucluhan with his notion of the text as an extension of the nervous system).

Our dreams were ephemeral, and like ice melted into water.
Not like thats a bad thing, water is fluid, it is strong. As Bruce Lee said, Be water my friend.

(coming next post: A Thrilling tale on the relationship between Lions and Sheep as they relate to modern life)

My band (The Stanton Street Collective) has been doing pretty well. We played for a benefit fashion show last weekend at The Lancers Club. Proceeds were donated to the battered women's shelter in El Paso. We played with Chrissy (wonderful singer) and the powerhouse known as Ribo Flavin'!!!! It was a really fun show, and to be honest I couldn't quite complain about the event :D

This weekend  (Sunday  March 14th) we will be playing another benefit show at the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) office on 2115 Piedras. This is to support the El Paso delegation in the Texas Caravan to join the national rally in Washington DC to demmand immigration reform. Show up and enjoy some local entertainment and delicious food from various members of the community. Volunteers and donations are appreciated.

Here is the flyer for the event:



I hope that you can make it. If you are reading this after the date then I hope you will be able to come out and support future events dedicated to human causes.

Now go and make a difference,

Peace and Love,

Rich

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Welcome!

My friends,

Welcome to the Wandering Poet Society

Feel free to post original poetry, quotes/poems you find inspiring, posts about music, posts about art, posts about local culture, or simply if you need a space to put your thoughts down.

This should be a welcome atmosphere and a place for us to share ourselves to the world.

-- Rich

Stanton Street on the Beat

Hello all,

This is a post from my friends @ The Dodo's Nest

Stanton Street Fashionistas


The Stanton Street Collective had a small show this weekend for our pal David's Fashion Show this Saturday March 7.

It was a bigger spot than we were used to but we pulled it off nicely. Preceding us was Christine singing, with Josh doing bass work, and the mystical Mouse on the drums. Mr. Mouse went on to sub for our beatmaster Tony. Following our set was a great local band called Riboflavin' who performed some impressive hip-hop that sounded like it had heavy influence from People Under the Stairs.

The Stanton Street Collective: Rich, Eddy, Zelene, Freddy. (Not pictured: Tony)


I am currently looking for any recording someone may have made. In the meantime, here's a little list of our set:


* Freddy's Red Robin
* F Key for Sax
* Tiene Hambre, Tiene Sed
* ¿Como te Llamaras?
* Avian's Forgotten Dreams
* Zelene's I Am Leaving You
* Zelene's Juarez Poem

Friday, March 5, 2010

Achy Obejas was Here

Achy Obejas was here




Achy Obejas, Cuban-American writer, translator, and journalist just recently visited El Paso and UTEP for Women's History Month.

As a journalist, she has received awards for several of her freelance stories written in the Chicago Tribune. In addition, she has earned the Lambda Literary Award for her novels Memory Mambo (1997) and Days of Awe (2002).

After meeting her in person this past Tuesday, I have to say that she has a wonderful and refreshing personality. If you have the opportunity, check out some of her novels.

Bibliography:

* "Havana Luna (novel)" (2009) Akashic Books
* Ruins (novel) (2009) Akashic Books
* Havana Noir (editor) (2007)
* This is What Happened In Our Other Life (poetry) (2007)
* Days of Awe (2001)
* Memory Mambo (1996)
* We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? (1994)


On Tuesday, she signed several copies of her books for me; during which we had a small conversation. I noticed that in my copy of days of Awe she wrote: "Send me a Poem" with her e-mail. I found it very flattering; yet as soon as she had written this, I felt as though every thing I had ever written in my life was suddenly crap. Of course, I'll follow up though, I just wanted to share.