The Dog Days Aren't Over Yet

I've been getting into the local (Twin Cities) art and music scene a lot lately. I've found myself continually wanting to go into the cities. The suburbs have been driving me crazy lately. They have no personality, they have no realism. They're just one house after another after another, and they don't have any soul to them anymore.

Seriously, does this look exciting to you?

I know that an apartment in the cities would hardly be any different from that, but the difference is that I'd be able to go out and get a taste of those intangible things I love: Music, art, people, personality.

However, first I need a job. I have applied at everywhere (literally everywhere. I honestly wish I was exaggerating.) within biking/walking distance, and to many places outside of that radius. I can't pay for all of my classes without a job, so among the other obvious reasons I should get one, it's more important now than ever. If anyone has any ideas/suggestions, maybe leave it in the comments or tweet it to me or post it on the blog's Facebook page.

I wrote this piece a while ago when I was contemplating my discomfort in the suburbs.

Sorry, Suburbs

Sorry, Suburbs, we've had a good run
But it's just not working out.
I've decided I need to pack up and leave.
You're just not the same neighborhood I fell in love with.

When I was a kid, I would go exploring in my back yard,
A field of endless towers of corn
And I would break the stalks, rip off the ears
And fashion myself a Samurai's sword
To wield in gallant, epic battles against invisible assailants.

I remember finding magazines I was much too young for
In a creek half a mile away.
I remember saying out loud to myself,
"Why would anyone publish something like this?"

I rode my bicycle to No-Name Park
Dug my feet deep into the sand
And felt the heat between my toes.

Now, for me, there's too much past here, and not enough future
And conformity is on me like a downtown moocher.

Each building lies in a perfect little row, sprouting up as though sown from the seeds of real estate
And being farmed by agents with perfect Colgate Total smiles, alabaster teeth shining
Like the houses they show off.

Each of those model homes flowers into a husband and a wife,
And two children (an older sister and a younger brother)
And a small, yipping dog, and a minivan, AND a Prius,
And an above-ground pool, and a wooden deck, and...
Slow down, Smiths.
Why are you always jonesin' to keep up?

No-Name Park has had a generic title forced upon it,
The creek has dried up with barren, dusty rocks biting at the shore,
And the field has been trampled underfoot by the "New Development".

From the roof, I see lawns freshly mowed,
Windows spritzed into a perfect sheen,
Two garage doors like blind eyes staring me down.
I see this pseudo-perfection and taste bile in the back of my throat.
This assembly line of American Dreams is putting me to sleep.

The Dog Days aren't over yet, despite what Florence says. I'm still trying to get a job, trying to keep the suburbs from getting to me too bad, and trying to keep my chin up.

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Thank you for reading.

Creativity in the Twin Cities

Sorry, readers, it's been a while since my last post. I've been downtown, doing creative things with creative people.

Last Thursday, the 7th, I went to downtown St. Paul with a few friends. We all are part of a collective called Random Receipts, with the purpose of fostering creativity with a light emphasis on music and spoken-word poetry. Around St. Paul are scattered pianos, painted and sheltered from the weather, in tune and everything, free for the public to play. So, naturally, a group of creative souls such as ourselves couldn't resist. We found a piano in front of a music college, and just began creating. I myself elaborated on a piece I had written earlier, played my friend's djembe, and plunked out a few melodies on the piano.

Fidelis on Piano and myself on Djembe

There was a young  girl, about 13 or 14, there with her younger brother, and she was listening very attentively to what we were performing. Eventually, we asked her to do something with us. After a lot of coercing and friendly encouragement, she sang something for us... And it blew us all away. The girl had talent, there was no doubt of that, but what really astounded me was her willingness to walk up to a group of older guys and perform something herself. This girl was ballsier than any of us there.

Then, just yesterday, we went back to downtown St. Paul to a small deli near the farmer's market. There, we performed spoken word, hip-hop, classical, and foreign music with a slight rock vibe to a fairly good sized audience. It was the first time I had done something like that, and the crowd (as well as my fellow members) were all very supportive. I met a lot of very cool people and my family and a few friends were able to see exactly what it is I do. That, I think, was the main reason I wanted to go so badly.

Left to Right: my brothers Fidelis, Joe, Jeremy, and myself

I wrote the following piece while I was at the deli waiting for others to show up-- I was the first to arrive, so I opened up my notebook, found my favorite pen and just freewrote to pass the time. I was somewhat surprised with how organized it turned out.

Black Coffee

 "No, I'm waiting for a few friends, don't mind me.
Well, maybe some coffee, black as midnight and bitter as my ex.
I do need to wake up. Don't we all?
Sure, I got up in the morning. I got up.
But I'm not awake.

I'm sorry, Miss, say that again?
Oh, no, I'm not from around here.
But, say, this coffee's not bad."

I carried this smalltalk on for another hour,
waiting for my own Godot to show up.

These days, if I have any money, I waste it.
If I have any time, I waste it.
If I have any energy, I waste it.
But, say, this coffee's not bad.
Maybe it's time to wake up.

The Twin Cities area has a very unique art scene, so I'm very happy to be so close to such a diverse movement. The best thing about the feel of the area is that it's all very supportive, very open, and very kind. You might get harsh criticism every now and then, but that's because they do genuinely want you to get better.

If anyone is interested in getting involved with Random Receipts, you can sent me a private message or leave a line in the comments. We'd love to create with you.

You can also follow me on Twitter or become a follower on the right if you're so inclined. I'm also considering a Speaking with Storms page on Facebook, so we'll see where that idea goes.  I went ahead and created the Facebook fan page, so if you like what you read, click here to "Like" me on Facebook! Thanks for reading, everyone.