Unseen

pain doesn’t really care what colour you are
whether or not you have a trust fund or
live on the street
pain doesn’t care how old you are
if you live a comfortable life
or haven’t slept in a week

fear doesn’t give a fuck if you’re a homosexual

if you’re straight as an arrow

or you live your life celibate

and fear doesn’t care if you’re an athlete or professional

if you live a rough life

or your whole world is delicate

this is life right now and there’s no prerequisite

no instruction manual, no list for double-checking it

we’re only here as long as we are – no half steppin it

this world brings us down only as long as we’re letting it

you see, sadness doesn’t just pick on the weak-hearted

and madness doesn’t just steal the minds of cowards

we wanna build our lives, but before we start it

we should take a few minutes to analyze our power

strength lies in more than our muscles and bones

strength is what it takes to build a family, a home

a community, a world worth living in

when a man does you wrong, it takes strength to be forgiving him

it takes courage to live this life

to be true to oneself in the face of the odds

to make sense of a world that can seem so odd

keeping faith is more than about believing in God

it’s about seeing greatness in the eyes of each other

responsibility for pointing out the lies in each other

no matter how uncomfortable, we must rely on each other

we can either grow together or die with each other

and might sound drastic, but life can be drastic

we all carry burdens around, we try to mask it

lie about the fact that sometimes we get our ass kicked

it’s like we’re tryna shine our light through layers of plastic

but we’re greater than we give ourselves credit for

you’re greater than your bank account balances and credit scores

this world made you forget who you are – what you let it for?

once upon a time, you had a dream – what did you forget it for?

get quiet. take some minutes from time and just listen

be patient with the process,

get in touch with your inner waves like audio that’s lossless

fuck a dollar sign – silence is priceless – costless

just listen…

because love doesn’t care what mistakes you’ve made

even if you spent half your life drinking your way to the grave

and love doesn’t resent you for being a human being

love lives in the unseen – there’s so much we’re not seeing

The Path

Lyrics for "The Path” feat. Mike Devine (produced by Junia T) - lead single on the poet EP:

VERSE 1:

I saw my life painted on a canvas

strayed from my path and then the picture vanished

did a bit of damage

tried to put it down, but life without raps – I can’t manage

now I’m feeling famished                                                                      

hungry for a bigger life, thirsty for a broader dream

now at least I sleep nights not toking like a fiend

and though I’m grateful for that, I can’t stop moving

when I’m making progress the only time I’m not losing                                              

six years since I stopped boozing – for what?

so I could relax and lay in the cut? nah – fuck that

can’t live my life without momentum like a drum track

keep my skills sharp like the tip of a thumbtack                                                              

I know that there’s battles ahead, I won’t run from

though I feel cut from my Roots – my life “Undun”

but from this place, spitting out distaste

refuse to live my life in the shadow of disgrace                                        

the race of a thousand souls, what is fifth place?

when only one or two can shine, what is it we chase?

life ain’t an iPhone, you can’t replace

years gone by or the time you waste                              

staring in the mirror, tryna analyze my face

the man that grew from a boy,

now it’s build or destroy

I guess it’s time to put away old toys

on this journey tryna find my voice                            

CHORUS:

seeing my dreams as I create that

ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs

blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it

ain’t no glory on the path of a poet

I know that time don’t wait for no man

gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’

where this road leads is not for knowin’

try to keep faith and enjoy the moment

VERSE 2:

consumed by thoughts that aren’t theirs

pursuing wares that ain’t fit for the wear

walking through life sometimes I stop and stare

I’m looking for that soul but it just ain’t there

try to numb out but I really do care

what’s the point of keeping score when nothing is fair?

sometimes I wish that I wasn’t so aware

but I know what I know, I gotta spit it and the message is rare                           

we are much more than they ever said we were, unsure

of whether we can live out our dreams, cliché as it seems

I believe that we need to achieve

our utmost, to bear fruits on these branches of leaves                                    

(so) caught up in all that we receive

we refuse to pay attention to the things that the world really needs

we hiding in the night like thieves

looking for ways to get a buzz but we’re never relieved              

we can’t relax, losing real estate in our minds – Remax

try to do better but we tend to relapse

where are we goin? we gotta take a look where we at

we can’t grow from where we ain’t, we’re not sinners or saints

we’re in between like the colour between purple and green

it’s all blue, the distance between me and you

real recognize real, real recognize the fake too

but I don’t hate you…

CHORUS:

seeing my dreams as I create that

ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs

blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it

ain’t no glory on the path of a poet

I know that time don’t wait for no man

gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’

where this road leads is not for knowin’

try to keep faith and enjoy the moment

VERSE 3:

moments yeah they pass by

sometimes miss ‘em like I got two glass eyes

everybody hustle hard, tryna live ‘em fast lives

half the time talking in tongues, speaking fast lies

overly familiar like past-lives                                                         

feeling like I been here before, is this a failed attempt

to live a glorious life, or am I just exempt

from the mediocrity of averages

that we all condone while ignoring the savageness                                           

honestly, I don’t how to handle this

sometimes lost in my ramblings, searching for advantages

tryna manage my own career without management

half my time spent tryna recoup my damages

so what’s the sense in it

when everything’s an expense and that I keep on investing in

self-interest vested in

laying out my soul over beats and manifesting it

struggling’s the method that my character is tested in                                      

not just another rap specimen

a poet that grew from walking the path of lesser men

from the fog I was in to way out of my element

I still resist this road to my detriment                            

I got a soul sickness – this art is my medicine

so I’ma play my part and shine light like Edison

but I’ve learned to keep my pace steady-and

anything less than my God given purpose I’m not settling

CHORUS:

seeing my dreams as I create that

ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs

blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it

ain’t no glory on the path of a poet

I know that time don’t wait for no man

gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’

where this road leads is not for knowin’

try to keep faith and enjoy the moment

Inspirational Words: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a highly influential figure in shaping of the voice of American literature and thought since his life in the 19th century. Essayist, poet, lecturer, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement, Emerson's words influenced many famous auhtors such as William James, Friedreich Nietzsche, Walt Witman, and Henry David Thoreau. Perhaps what made Emerson such a prominent figure was not only his unflinching questioning of everyday societal values and ways of life (which he did throughout his prolific career), but he also pointed people in the direction of different ways of thinking and looking at the world. His words still echo today, long after his death, with the same poignancy and relevance as the times they were written in. 

Here are some of his words. Read. Question. Be inspired.

REAL Freestyling at GZA Concert

Inspirational Words - Tenzin Gyatso (The Dalai Lama)

Tenzin Gyatso has been the spiritual leader of the Gelupga lineage of Tibetan Buddhism since 1950, when he was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama at the age of 15. He has been in exile from his home since the 1959 Tibetan Uprising against the Communist Part of China (CPC), and since set up the Government of Tibet in Exile in Dharamshala, India. He has been an international symbol of peace, compassion, understanding, wisdom, and other tenets of Buddhist religion and philosophy throughout his life. Winner of the Nobel Peace Price in 1989 and strong advocate for Tibetan rights (both inside and outside of Tibet), Tenzin Gyatso has devoted his life to being of service to others.

Here are some of his words of wisdom. Read. Learn. Be inspired. 

  

Pen and Pad

the pen and my pad my refuge from solipsism

when I’ve dwelled in my self-made prison for too long,

pen to the pad as I write another song

‘cause without it my life just feels wrong…

reminiscing on days I spent living from a bong

lighting cherries that buried my soul, losing control,

lying to myself,

I was the opposite of strong,

I thank God that those days are gone

I ain’t arrogant enough to think I can’t return

to the place where my fingertips burned

but I’ve learned

if I day at a time I stay focused on my rhymes,

meditate and pray when it’s time to clear my mind

I can find a bit of peace on this earth,

for what it’s worth

I’ve been walking this path since my birth,

since before I crawled;

since before I was born,

I heard my name called,

said I was needed to deflate the conceited –

that’s what I came for

yet I need to stay humble and grateful,

keep the poison from my lips because it’s distasteful

and above all else never be hateful,

‘cause my brother told me that there’s nothing below that,

a sapling from the tree of life,

I’m tryna grow that,

when I put my pen to the pad is how I show that,

and I need to be patient – I know that,

but it’s hard when what I’m seeing all around me is so wack,

sometimes the past beckons to me,

I can’t go back

I’m looking at future moments, wishing I could hold that

I know my presence lives in the present,

that’s where my power lies,

if I look too far ahead then I’m paralyzed,

living out my legacy while staring through this pair of eyes,

already seen the truth – I ain’t scared of lies,

most living like they’ll be here forever –

that’s where the error lies,

their dreams sautéing on the back burner until they’re caramelized

my pen and pad are the only things I’ve ever truly owned,

even this life that I call my own is on lease,

I put what I know in a poem and I release

everything I’ve been keeping inside, I set free,

on the path of a poet, the only thing left to be

is me,

sometimes the hardest thing to see

is that which is lovely

in a world that can be so ugly,

but if you look deep enough, you must agree

that if we

pay close enough attention to the signs, then they do appear

and guide us to the rivers of life – it’s all fluid there,

if there’s a destiny to fulfill, we must do it there,

put my pen to pad,

receive courage and march through the fear.

She

She loves me for who I am,

she loves me for who I’m not.

She loves me when I’m sick,

when I’m down,

when I’m scared.

She loves me when I want space,

when I’m distant,

when I’m mean.

She accepts me unconditionally

and supports my dreams.

I love her,

yes, I love her,

and still something inside me

tells me to run.