In the middle of a bad dream I ask whoever is filming not to stop
I don't know what a nightmare is called when I am napping during the day
Or if I am awake
But I'm guessing it's really all the same
I enter this hole of self-pity
Which is really housing another hole
Of self loathing
Which reveals itself as a sea
Of utter contempt and I
Am now floating
The closest I came to knowing God was being caught in a rowing shell on the Fox River in the middle of a wicked storm
I looked into God's eyes, and they were gray--
Like my favorite woolen sweater, thrice worn and thrifted
I guess at heart, I'm a materialist
People often ask me what it's like to fly the coop
Budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies
I want to be a writer, if given the chance I would write a novel for every pretty girl that let me kiss her
And another for the all-seeing eye of her big sister
Rain drops smooched my hair soft
Your kisses were distinct like welts from an airsoft
I never wore a tie that didn't come from the thrift store
Before I was a vegetarian I should've fished more
I wonder if the pizza in heaven tastes better than here
My spidey-sense tingles whenever Eddie Vedder is near
I've never done anything impressive because being remembered as a headline would be delineating
I've never really wanted to be remembered
When Robert died I was in a bookstore that wasn't born yet
And all around me spun the narratives of other fallen heroes
Dust! Dust! Dust!
Dust on the tomes of the stories of yesterday;
Dust on the tombs of the heroes of today
Dust
Dust
Dust
I miss you
I was farmed for my similarity to a Duracell battery
And quickly abandoned at a calculator factory
I'm no Wizard of Waverly
But I wear second hand goods like they were made for me
I went to school to become a philosopher
But dropped out to be a sober Kid Cudi imposter
With a spoon that's porous, I lounge in Siberia
Dining on borscht with Boris
My mind has the drive of an old FORD Taurus
Unfortunately my mind has no roads: it's just a forest
Rap's Kurt Vonnegut, Blurb Fontset
Do you like your raps sung by a prettier gent
Who fornicates copiously with a prosthetic wench?
I'll fade into oblivion when my prophecy's spent
In a megaplex guessing where my office copies were lent
Now I, never was ever the best break dancer
And you'll never hear my name on your CB police scanner
But I can hoist my Braveheart-esque banner to the moon
And create much havoc in a small-town, college kid's room
Hip hop's grand prize is a following of nasty MILFs
Who understitched their lonely son's Eagle Scout quilts
Which explains why the lad is so passive-aggressive
And hastily labeled my press kit massively unimpressive
one breath
For you I would cross the infinite sea of midpoints
And eat french fries at your favorite cheeseburger joint
When we're old, please call me if you crack your diskjoint
I might be busy keeping these rhymes on point
Catch me rapping in your favorite restaurant's senior citizen line
Dropping wizened rhymes
About the fall of Byzantine
I said catch me rapping in your favorite restaurant's senior citizen line
Dropping wizened rhymes
About the fall of Byzantine
I'm an old man eating Zatarain's with cataracts
Worrying about matching my afghans with my stocking caps
A trip to the restroom can last me a couple hours
I remember when folks thought MCs had divine powers
Pretending we were Word Wizards and Conjurers;
TV told us we were murderers on the lam from their officers
In many ways I'm this culture's premiere historian
I told a young man at the bus stop and he said I was borin' him
Now I'm in the arts and crafts room at this old nursing home
Cutting out hearts from the same cardboard I danced upon
I couldn't possibly put to words how depressed I am
Every week I look forward to hearing the Funkmaster's Jam
I made some notes for what else I could blab about
The other night I told my bed nurse I was swagged out
She put me in my place fast, responding
Why can't you wipe your own ass?
Damn
1. Listen to the birds.
That's where all the music comes from. Birds know everything about how it should sound and where that sound should come from. And watch hummingbirds. They fly really fast, but a lot of times they aren't going anywhere.
2. Your guitar is not really a guitar Your guitar is a divining rod.
Use it to find spirits in the other world and bring them over. A guitar is also a fishing rod. If you're good, you'll land a big one.
3. Practice in front of a bush
Wait until the moon is out, then go outside, eat a multi-grained bread and play your guitar to a bush. If the bush dosen't shake, eat another piece of bread.
4. Walk with the devil
Old Delta blues players referred to guitar amplifiers as the "devil box." And they were right. You have to be an equal opportunity employer in terms of who you're bringing over from the other side. Electricity attracts devils and demons. Other instruments attract other spirits. An acoustic guitar attracts Casper. A mandolin attracts Wendy. But an electric guitar attracts Beelzebub.
5. If you're guilty of thinking, you're out
If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something that is fur bearing.
6. Never point your guitar at anyone
Your instrument has more clout than lightning. Just hit a big chord then run outside to hear it. But make sure you are not standing in an open field.
7. Always carry a church key
That's your key-man clause. Like One String Sam. He's one. He was a Detroit street musician who played in the fifties on a homemade instrument. His song "I Need a Hundred Dollars" is warm pie. Another key to the church is Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitar player. He just stands there like the Statue of Liberty-making you want to look up her dress the whole time to see how he's doing it.
8. Don't wipe the sweat off your instrument
You need that stink on there. Then you have to get that stink onto your music.
9. Keep your guitar in a dark place
When you're not playing your guitar, cover it and keep it in a dark place. If you don't play your guitar for more than a day, be sure you put a saucer of water in with it.
10. You gotta have a hood for your engine
Keep that hat on. A hat is a pressure cooker. If you have a roof on your house, the hot air can't escape. Even a lima bean has to have a piece of wet paper around it to make it grow.
I'm thinking of place,
I could just be,
Where unseemly,
I feel free
All that I’ve done and
All that I’ve been
Past, present, future
Unseen unseen unseen
Music sounded good
Without a way to sell it?
I know
I know, I know
It never really happened
There's always been a play
You always had to pay
But I think I'd give myself away
If nothing ever lasted
But I don't wanna go away
Before I get somewhere
It feels like such a waste
Like a prayer
Maybe I'll go nowhere
Maybe I'll go nowhere
The Story
This is a dark fantasy novel/fable for young adults ages 10-18.
It appeals to those who enjoy symbolism, adventure and the search for truth.
The story is set primarily in the present day, with an ambiguous timeline to avoid feeling dated.
The protagonist is a 14-year-old boy named Avery, navigating through secondary school while living with separated parents. Avery is characterised as reckless, unfocused, and has a limited circle of friends, leading to struggles with feelings of worthlessness. He is also described as stubborn and non-compliant, finding it difficult to focus and apply himself. However, his strengths lie in being independent and self-reliant. Avery yearns to escape from the challenges of school life and his complicated home situation. His journey involves discovering friendship, courage, and perseverance in a classic coming-of-age adventure.
The journey begins with a setting of home life in the early morning.
The atmosphere is warm and familiar with imagery of household items.
An alarm strikes and Avery is set to wake up for another school day.
A quarter of the way in, Avery is trapped in a dark forest with no signs of escape. Typical school bullies have chased him, and he starts to feel claustrophobic as the trees close in on him. Avery is unaware of what he's about to embark on, and the forest evolves into something unforeseen…
After Avery's sharp exit from the bullies, he realises he's lost in the resounding echoes of the woods. He's cold, scared, and unable to see clearly in the dark. Rushing to return home, he fears the unknown and what lies ahead. After hearing a noise, he scarcely begins to run away and trips over a branch. The noise came from an owl, but he mistakes it for something far scarier. After returning from his fall, he realises he's being watched by something.
(The owl flies away with the image of the moonlight in the distance).
Colourful lights and distant sounds begin to creep in. Slowly, the spirits of the forest enter, their silhouettes glimmering through the trees. The forest starts to come alive! It's seemingly vibrant now more than ever. Looming closer, Avery can hear music, chanting and a hypnotic parade slowly approaching. The trance of the mysterious gang influences Avery to go into a dreamlike state, and he is almost paralysed. The spirits approach and the music begins to stop; skeletons, animal-like creatures, and demons look at Avery, and shortly after, he collapses. Surprised, he wakes up in bed, startled by what he has dreamt. He exits bed to get a glass of water before returning to his room; he realises his window is now open; when attempting to close it, a giant eyeball reminiscent of one of the spirits peaks into his room; he wakes again, shocked to find he's being gleamed over by the spirits.
SCHOOL DAY
Avery at school
Being bullied and messing around. (Bullies look like skeletons?)
No sense of discipline or focus
He goes to the after-school club/gets picked up by a sitter.
The kid gathers a sense of family with a babysitter and is somewhat shy around them.
DRIVE HOME
On the way home, he nearly runs over a rabbit, but the kid sees it as one of the spirits.
Mother picks Avery up. Drives him back home,
The main road is closed off because of accidents/traffic
It's getting late, so Mother detours through country/farm life.
The mother talks with the child about school but is distracted while driving.
The child tells their mother he got kicked out of class but doesn't address why he got in a fight.
Because the mother is distracted and now shocked with the news, she loses focus off the road and avoids running over rabbit (unknown thing)
They stop to pull over to see if everything is alright and get back in the car. The car drives off in the distance. An innocent rabbit runs across the path, and the car drives off in the distance.
"Remember, we're visiting grandma tomorrow, but don't think I've left you off the hook."
"When we get back, I'll be talking to you about this"
The camera focuses on trees and brings the title up (the forest).
The camera zooms up at the night sky and suddenly changes to the morning sky, which starts the day.
The spirits in the forest, being lost souls similar to Avery, mirror Avery's struggles and feelings of isolation and search for belonging. Through their interactions with Avery, these spirits could symbolise the connection between his internal battles and the external world he navigates. They represent the collective experiences of feeling lost, misunderstood, or outcast, resonating deeply with Avery's challenges. This connection suggests a journey of self-discovery for Avery and understanding and empathy towards others who share similar paths of hardship and the quest for identity and acceptance.
Avery's ultimate lesson is understanding the significance of sacrifice, perseverance, and humility while evolving into a compassionate leader. Throughout his journey, Avery will learn the value of selflessness, the strength required to endure challenges, and the importance of recognising and respecting others. As he navigates these crucial lessons, Avery will grow into a leader who empathises with others, fostering a sense of unity and guiding those around him through their journeys of self-discovery and acceptance.
IT'S IN THE TREES, IT'S COMING!…
(COMING SOON)
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