To find the ideas and words to voice ones truth, We need to delve into the subterrane of our wit, Descend into those tunnels unmapped, To excavate those nuggets of self, And return them to the surface, To be smelted into artistic ingot,
It’s a mysterious realm in those caves, That grey matter quarry, So close yet so alien, Only fitfully lit by electric neurons, It’s impossible to know what you could unearth, Jewels and coal in equal measure,
To discover that most valuable of material, You must be a spelunker, A miner, A dangerous hobby to be sure, But rewarding in the extreme, To reveal those diamonds of your minds reserve.
How is everyone doing this week? Keeping safe and sound I hope. Getting over all of the silly Will Smith memes? I’m rather bored of the whole thing myself, but I know people are making the most of the comedic value. I’ve had a rather bad week myself I’m afraid. As well as a few more personal negative events, I found out yesterday morning that I’ve finally fallen victim to the great plague. It’s rather inconvenient as my plans for the week have been torpedoed but I’m surviving, don’t worry. I’m not going to let COVID defeat me.
So, on to more happy pastures now. It’s time for the Harlequins writing music! There have been a few new inmates reading in the last week or so, particularly on the Facebook page, so for their benefit I’ll briefly explain this segment. Every Wednesday I like to share five musical artists, tied by a particular theme, that I enjoy listening to while I write my poetry. I find music excellent for relaxation and inspiration both. My thinking was that it would help all of you other beautiful artists out there, if even only a tiny bit.
So, did anybody see the clue for the theme I posted earlier on today on my social media handles? Well, the musical theme for today is Scandinavia! Oh yes! A part of the world that I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting, though it’s definitely on the list. I realise of course that Scandinavia is in fact 5 different nations. In no particular order: Sweden, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The great north, as I like to say.
These nations are among the happiest places to live in the world from what I heard. There are entire musical genres that originated in one or several of these countries. The ones that come to mind are usually more in the alternative scene. Black metal, death metal and the like. These genres obviously have existed in other parts of the world, but when I think of them I picture a big badass Nordic bloke in a Viking outfit. Is that just me? There are obviously artists of every shade in this part of the world, in fact one of my favourite bands is from Sweden and they’re certainly not death metal. How about an artists per northern nation eh? I think I can do that!
Join me as we delve into the musical minds of Scandinavian artists the north over!
And there we have it! I almost feel like drinking out of a horn after all of that. So that’s one artist from each Scandinavian country. I’ll let you work out which is which! I do hope that you check out all of these artists anyway, they all deserve the attention. There were so many other bands I could of chosen, particularly from Finland and Sweden. I decided not to include my favourite band this time. Maybe another time. Hehe!
So, time to go through my usual social media spiel! The asylum has a media presence on Facebook, an account on Instagram and a page on Twitter as well! Come and follow me over on those, it would mean a great deal! Also, if you really enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page as well! Thanks for everything!
You detracting tyrants, Don’t try to railroad me, I’m not factory issue, I’m not a homing pigeon, Not an outlaw, Not bound for your stifling captivity,
I’m an artist, Your box doesn’t contain me, I am mutable, I am liquid, I am herculean, I shall slip from your cubic cell,
This killing jar, I’ll turn it into particles, Erupt into the world, A fountain of prismatic ink, Every feeling under the rainbow, Newly at liberty to compose and create.
Do you ever feel, In your most fevered moments, That you have endeavoured towards the wrong goal? Your target no longer hooks you, Like you’re a different man to when you began, You want for something new,
Changing journeys can be an endeavour itself, It becomes a trap, The trek ahead imitates a steel ceiling, The path behind an MC Escher stairwell, Like a trail closed behind you, But no trap is unassailable,
To pivot oneself becomes strife, Maddening indeed, And yet, It is a necessity, To be upon the right track, The right endeavour.
Midnight has come, And still I walk, I’m free on these twilit highways, Coyote eyes in the moonlight, No destination among these mesas and dust, No endgame, I’m simply chasing distant storms,
The breeze is a constant static in my ears, My only companions the vultures overhead, Silhouetted against the face of the moon, Blood specks upon the asphalt, But still I follow this trail, Goaded by distant thunder and close air, One foot after another,
Eyes are the windows to the soul, That’s what they say, Yet apertures work both ways, Our souls experience the universe through them, But it’s often difficult to look outward,
Blue and amber and malachite, But does a man always see? Just because his eyes are open, Does not mean he can perceive, We miss so much,
A man is not omniscient, Just which details does he identify? Which fae clouds and rough seas, Which of the seven wonders of the world, Whom are the souls with which his eyes connect,
The sun and Earth show us so much, Colours and shapes and madness, Yet those prisms are limited by our oculi, Which light does shine through those portals? And can we recognise it?
Awakening halfway through the days life, Wearied and jaded, I rise only to fall again, Starting the long journey to the floor, I surrender myself to the stupor, Limbs forced prone by fatigue, Staring at the ceiling, That grey vignette of tedium, Reading stories in the cobwebs above, The gravity grows in intensity, I’m a prisoner of this rug, Outside doesn’t exist, There is no outside, Only this cell of my own hearth.
So here we are once again! How are you doing this week? I hope you’re all keeping those creative minds ticking along nicely. The world needs artists now more than ever I fear. It’s been a fairly pleasant week here at the asylum with only a few hiccups, it’s beginning to feel a bit more like spring finally. I was getting rather sick of winter, I can tell you that! Here’s hoping the rest of the week will remain warmer. Ahh also, it’s mothers day this weekend I believe. Thanks for reminding me! Haha!
So, we need some music today don’t we? It’s the law here at the asylum after all. Not really, but it sounded true didn’t it? So, did anybody see the clue for todays musical theme earlier on today? Instagram was being a real pain in posting it for some reason. The other platforms had no issue. So that was weird. Did anybody guess it?
Well guess no more! The musical theme for this week is affection! I thought I’d so something of a nice positive theme this week. Affection can be a fairly broad topic. We can be affectionate of our friends, family and paramours. It’s not just about romance. It’s camaraderie and it’s partnership. It’s the glue that holds friends together. Platonic love, erotic love and well… family love? It’s a quintessential part of the human experience. As such, it’s no surprise that many artists have written on the subject. It doesn’t have to be purely the romantic genre, as I have outlined. It’s a subject that transcends genre in my opinion and so you can find it in any area of music. Want to hear my picks for this week? Go oooooon.
Join me as delve into the musical minds of tender artists the world over!
And there we have it! Does anybody else have a nice warm and fuzzy feeling in their gut? There’s some nice songs there eh? Do they remind you of somebody that you’re affectionate of? I certainly hope so. I also hope that you check out all of these artists as they all deserve the attention.
Speaking of attention, mind bestowing me with yours? Or rather bestowing my social media pages with your attention? The asylum has a Facebook page, an account on Instagram and a page over on Twitter as well. It’d be really swell if you would give me a follow or like on those sites as well. Also, if you enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page as well! Thanks for everything!
We sit in front of that cyclopean god, Eyes splayed as it preaches before us, Beaming images of approved messaging, Vacuous reality TV and tedious gameshows, Distractions on every channel,
We sit forearms exposed to the idiot box, Drips from screen to vein, Replete with foul tawny liquid, Ichorous refuse made of those selfsame pixels, Sickening anaesthetic for the agony we witness,
As we drool in our armchairs, Our eyes develop red sheen, Our wallets are unceremoniously sapped, And the real world slowly rots, Through a window neglected.
WorldofHarley 