Frequently designated a dreamer, in perpetuum,
among many other things, he does, he admits,
allow little space to plan.
                                          Rightly or wrongly,
        this is the path
             he has ended up on. Difficult, perhaps,
               at times when cracks in the concrete led him astray.
  Only recently discovered, by accident more than fault, is balance
maintained in a world cluttered with discrepancies and dogma
forced upon him by conspiracy theorists, self-serving henchmen,
    Jesus freaks and hangers on, black hole believers
        and Masters of the Universe
          who continue, ad nauseam, to propagate fear.

  Erstwhile encounters not forgotten, not
soon enough, minutes bypass memory, he has clung to details
      accounted for nostalgically and passionately,
          each plank of a moral platform galvanized and scandalized.
He continues, white-knuckle grip, adhering
to a belief system founded over time; tested, altered,
as deemed fit or favourable.
Fully aware and seemingly appreciative, he has crossed the line
   from seeing himself merely as a character in this long drawn-out drama
        to bearing witness
                         to what happens, as it happens.
He, alone, will not wait to understand, but,
    carpe diem, record the state of a disingenuous planet.

  Each event, as it unfolds, to be accepted as what will.
No longer a second-hand story in third-person narrative,
                     this first-person view could offer confusion at worst,
discomfort at least, though instant, authentic, and liberating in ways
only he will determine. Tenet nosce.
 Each element of freedom comes at a cost.
         He will taste the summer ahead, open mouthed, open-minded,
               without concern of those in the past, but
                   with a belief not to get too far ahead of himself
in the dreams he conjures.
Self and the spirit pacified today with the joy offered,
      instead of looking for what
               is no longer there. It is easier that way.

© 2018 j.g. lewis

Poem Kubili
International Poetry Collective
poemkubili.com

“I say get off your ass and get working while you can…
we’re still in our element and will go on for as long as
possible. We enjoy what we do and so do our fans.”
-Ronnie Wood firing back at internet trolls who say
The Rolling Stones are too old to rock and roll.

Age means longevity.

Ry Cooder just released a new album, his first in seven years. John Prine also has a new offering, after 13 years. Like The Rolling Stones, both of the American musicians are still in their element and, obviously, enjoy what they do.

I know I’m going to buy Cooder’s release this weekend, maybe Prine’s as well. I’ve got this thing for artists who continue making valid, substantial music. Both of these musicians have been around for a while; Cooder even played with The Rolling Stones before Ronnie Wood even joined the band.

Far from resting on their laurels, these musicians get off their ass and did what they love to do. They are working while they can. The Stones are touring the UK this year, Cooder is also back on the road (he’s even playing Toronto next month).

All of these musicians are all in their seventies. Who, really, is going to say that’s too old?

I haven’t bought the last couple of Stone’s releases. I don’t own all of Cooder’s albums either, but I’ve got many of the 17 studio albums the guitarist’s catalogue (1979’s Bop Till You Drop remains my favorite).

We’ve all got our favourite bands and artists. At some point in our lives a song, or an album, found its way into our heart, and we continued listening. As they aged, so did we. Some of those musicians have since left this planet, but their music lives on.

Isn’t it wonderful that some of those players who managed to capture our imagination still do? The same spirit that keeps the players playing, keeps us listening to the music.

Talent, creativity, or musicianship, has nothing to do with age. In fact, in so many cases, it improves with age and experience. Five years ago I watched Paul McCartney live, at age 70, and without even using the phrase ‘for his age’, he was amazing.

McCartney is a senior citizen, and surely lives through many of the ailments that come with age, but it doesn’t stop him. He still has a rock and roll attitude, like The Stones and many of his contemporaries.

Pete Townsend has not let his hearing problems stop him. Bob Dylan has all but stopped playing guitar because of arthritis, and Eric Clapton, who suffers from nerve damage, admits he has slowed down and has had to adjust his style. But he hasn’t stopped playing. His most recent take on the blues (2016’s I Still Do), sounds dirty and gritty, and oh-so-sweet. No, it is not the playing as it was decades earlier, but it is strong and identifiable as pure Clapton.

What it comes down to is, the musicians we admire, or worship, are just regular human beings, like the rest of us. They too get old.

Yes, there are scads of younger musicians who continue to introduce new styles and sounds, but rock and roll is no longer about youth, but about proof. Talent always wins out, and over time that talent needs to be appreciated.

Ageism has no place in music, or art, or theatre. . . or society for that matter.

Anyone else notice how much harder it has become to take politics seriously?

I’m not sure exactly when things started to shift, but we, more and more, are nominating and electing candidates who could hardly be considered wise, or appealing; or even qualified.

It doesn’t seem to matter where the election takes place, but more often than not there is a candidate inspired by, or modeled after, the still-startling and successful run for the presidency of the United States.

The not-so-recent election of Donald Trump has done so little to move society’s collective wisdom forward. What it has done is, somehow, given any windbag with money and opportunity a chance to buy their way into the leadership of a political party, and then proceed to insult the electorate with visions, ideals, and explanations that cannot be supported by logic.

An election campaign is underway now in Ontario where a ruling government with years in office is fighting for more time to keep doing what they are doing. The party and the platform both carry baggage, questionable tactics, and shameful examples of ineffectiveness, but (for the most part) there is some sort of a formulated plan on how they will do what they intend to do.

It’s an interesting dilemma here as the incumbent with 15 hard-fought years of political experience is being forced to defend platforms against a candidate who clearly has no idea of policy and procedure. What he is doing, day after day — even before the writ was dropped — is trying to appeal to populace issues (those which wrangle us the most) by promising to halt, or make clever changes to the way things are done.

There is no quantifiable plan of action to this approach.

It has to be noted that Trump’s campaign platform also had few, if any, solid, thought-out, examples. It was all threats and promises. Sadly, it worked.

Sadly, this it is now a ‘steps to success’ ideology that will continue to gain momentum.

The electorate deserves more.

You cannot — or I might better say ‘should not’ — simply offer, with a wink and a smile, platitudes and promises. To do so is an affront to the people, the process, and democracy itself.

Thing is, people eat it up. How else can you explain the fore-mentioned president?

We have become too accustomed to 140 to 280 character messages delivering information and news that matters. Few people are going further to read, or further to see.

Even more interesting is how pundits and the press continue to rely on polls to form the direction, and the content, of the issues and coverage the public is presented with.

It’s pretty easy to see, given past results in pretty much any jurisdiction, that opinion polls are not even close to accurate. Yet, in the need to fill the vacuous 24-hour news cycle, it is what is most discussed, or a politician’s windy reaction to it.

In both traditional and social media, there is too much time to fill, and too much space for parties and pundits to manipulate the message.

It is hard to get answers when we are mainly questioning the questions.

It’s a conundrum, wrapped in a dilemma, and presented as standard practice; and it has become exactly that. This is the best we are served up with.

If you are not outraged, you’re not paying attention.

by Bryonie Wise

mothering
is the highest frequency of love
available to all beings
 
who ever
walks, swims, soars, rolls, lands here,
on earth—
 
no matter what
no matter how
no matter who
 
no matter pomp and circumstance
 
there is a simple way
to tune in
 
press one palm
to one chest
 
rest
breathe
feel
 
receive
 
the determined pounding
of a hummingbird heart
 
housed in your spacious
cage made of lovely bones
 
rest
breathe
feel
 
receive
 
mothering
is a frequency 
of 
love
available 
to 
you

 

© 2018 Bryonie Wise

Bryonie Wise is an artist, heart alchemist and daughter of nature—her life is rooted in the belief that when we come from a place of love, everything is possible. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada with her rescue doggo, Winston—to find out more or to get in touch, please visit her online at www.bryoniewise.com.

The threat of corporal punishment was real. Legos, Star Wars, Hot Wheels cars and tracks littered the floor during playtime. I’m sure some of those Hot Wheels tracks still remain hidden around my childhood home. Childhood stories told, in my mom’s presence of course, just loud enough for all to hear. I love to watch her cringe as I tell everyone I break into a cold sweat at the sight of Hot Wheels cars.
  I can’t imagine what it would be like to be the mother of three busy boys, the youngest having cerebral palsy. She was told that he would never talk and be a productive member of society. Well, he can and certainly is, this can be attributed to Mom’s perseverance, some say stubbornness. Mom was Randy’s strongest advocate, and she is still standing up for those less fortunate.
  ‘Mother bear’ describes her perfectly; fiercely protective of her children, grandchildren, students and most recently the guests of the Barrie Out of the Cold program. She is the coordinator; firm yet fair, equal parts ‘Warden’ and warm fuzzies. A little jealousy creeps in when a few of the guests call her ‘Mom.’ This in itself, speaks to the character of this great woman, I call Mom.
  I am so proud of her and she inspires me daily. Her tireless efforts to help those around her.
  I have learned so much from her over the years, just now realizing all the seeds she has planted and all the time she has spent nurturing and yes, I needed a little pruning along the way until her effort started to bear fruit.
  I followed in her footsteps, though my path was a little more circuitous. Later she told me, she always knew I would become a teacher. I wondered why she never pushed me in that direction. Always frank, she told me I wouldn’t have been a very good teacher at the time. Of course, she was right. Perhaps, that is what makes her the mother she is, offering love, support and guidance but still allowing me to find my own way.

©2018 Jamie Forget

Jamie Forget is an elementary school teacher from Ontario. Actively involved in social justice issues, locally and globally, Jamie loves to travel and is always ready for the next adventure. Photography and poetry have become his mental health strategies of choice. You can find Jamie’s work on his blog Facebook and Instagram

Chris Riley is a photographer and filmmaker from Detroit currently in the midst of creating a documentary web series about her city’s neighbourhood rebirth. You can find more of her work at www.rileycreates.com