Life is a game of Jenga, A contest of balance, As the years go by, We pile up the blocks, Hands trembling, Modest teak bricks in saffron placed gingerly, Each one an achievement or idea, A victory or love ballad, Building materials of a good man,
An unseen hand haphazardly places opposing cubes, A spectre with our own scent, These sable blocks are insecurities and fears, Each one providing instability, So take utmost care, The mind is a Jenga tower, All it takes is a little tremor, A little push, A bad day,
March is indeed marching on isn’t it? Quite a lot faster than I would have preferred I must admit. How are you all finding it? Good I hope. I’m doing quite well myself. It’s been an uneventful week so far to be honest. I’ve been pretty happy with the responses I’ve been getting to the recent poems. You beautiful people are far too kind! I’m humbled as ever.
So, did anybody get todays musical theme clue? I posted it a bit later than intended today. I may or may not have napped for longer than I ought to have. I thought it was a clever clue, though I’m clearly biased. Haha!
Todays musical theme is kind of a strange one. It’s Playstation. In particular, the “vintage” games of the PSone. As some of you may be aware, I’m an avid gamer and nerd. It’s my primary form of relaxation and escapism. It’s also inspired some of the poems and drawings I’ve created in the past. Though the original Playstation wasn’t my introduction to gaming (the Sega Megadrive can claim that honour), it is probably the console I played the absolute most. It influenced the genres of video game that I fell in love with in years to come and still has some of my favourite games of all time in its catalogue.
So, I figure that some of you may sigh at this theme. “Not videogames Harley! Why u do dis!?”. But I would argue that the musical talent involved in many of these games, particularly ones from Japan, are really quite profound. They had to be, they didn’t necessarily have the graphical fidelity to hold the game up on that merit. I’d not be embarrassed to listen to many of this music in public, same as any band I enjoy. I can’t quite settle on a particular musical genre in the music today, as it depends heavily on the atmosphere and setting of the games it features in. So, let’s see what I can come up with eh? I’m going to display today five of my most memorable tunes from the original era of the Playstation.
Please join me as we delve into the musical minds of Playstation artists the world over!
And there we have it! Some serious nostalgia there, at least for me! Particular mention goes to Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of the majority of Final Fantasy titles (like the one above). He is my absolute favourite composer of all time and his musical output over the years has been superb in my eyes. I would seriously say it would be worth checking out these soundtracks even if you’re not into gaming. They really will surprise you I think.
As for surprises, this next bit isn’t one. I have some social media pages for the blog that would be greatly improved by your attention! The asylum has a page over on Facebook, an account on Instagram and a page over on Twitter as well! Also, if you really enjoy the nonsense here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page as well. Thank you for everything!
I know that monitor is not just a device, I know what it means to you, It’s your social safe space, The real world was always too bitter, You met these souls without seeing their faces, Side by side exploring myriad galaxies, Across battlefields rendered in digital space, Amicable rivalries upon podiums that never were, They were and are real, They are not mere pixels and handles, They are friends, Past and present, And perhaps future also, People not profiles, Place a hand upon the screen, You can feel their palms against yours.
How are we all doing this week? And by ‘we’ I obviously mean all of you lovely people out there. I hope you’ve all been creating to your hearts content. I really need to get into the habit of looking through more peoples blogs and websites. Not to mention interacting more with other bloggers. I seem to be lax with this recently and it’s not great. That’s something for me to work on I suppose. Also, it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas now. Or so all the adverts keep telling me. I’m not a great fan as I’ve mentioned before.
Enough about the holidays for now though. It’s time for music isn’t it? The Harlequins writing music that is! Did anybody see the clue for todays musical theme earlier on? I know I ask that every week but I am genuinely curious how many people see them.
Todays musical theme is that abhorrent thing we all call love. Or romance. Or affection. What ever nomenclature you prefer. It’s a pretty integral part of the human experience isn’t it? It can be love of a partner, love of family and I suppose even love for oneself. I think it would be reasonable to say that everyone feels love at some point or other. An assumption perhaps. But a safe one I feel. When it comes to music, there is no shortage of musical artists who play music themed around romance or love. I’d say that some of the most well known songs ever definitely romantic ballads. Lionel Richie anybody? Incidentally not on todays list, but you get the idea. Speaking of, who wants to see todays musical choices? “Hurry up you stupid clown!” I hear you shout. Ok, ok, I’m getting on with it!
Join me as we delve into the musical minds of amorous artists the world over!
And there we have it once again! Have these choices made your heart ache? Beat faster? Well good, they’re all excellent songs and artists. Haha! I hope that you all give them some love as they all deserve it. Maybe play one of them to someone who is important to you. Dance with a loved one. Profess your feelings to somebody through music.
Enough about all that soppy stuff eh? Let’s have some social media nonsense. The asylum has a page over on Facebook, an account on Instagram and a page over on Twitter as well. Please consider following me over on those sites too! Also, if you enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please also consider supporting me over on the Ko-Fi page. Thanks for everything!
How are you all doing this week? It’s been another scorcher here in England. I may or may not have gotten myself a little bit burned again. I really have to learn to use sun-tan lotion more correctly. It’s a bit of a family thing when it comes to forgetting though I’m afraid. I’m taking it easy now though, don’t worry. As for writing, I’m actually feeling like my work this week has been a little less good. A couple pieces felt almost rushed or incomplete when I read them back. I’m not sure why this would have been, but it is something I’ve felt all week. I’m not always positive about my work you know! Hehe!
So, it’s that day of the week again! The time for the Harlequins writing music once again. It’s actually taken me all week to settle on what I was going to make the theme this time. It’s one that I’ve wanted to do for a while. Did anybody get the clue earlier on today? If you’re not a nerd like me, it may have been a bit unclear.
The theme for todays writing music is the video game series Final Fantasy! Oh yes indeed! For those less familiar, Final fantasy is a fantasy role-playing series from Japan that has existed in pop culture for a very long time. The music of this series has inspired me for around two decades at this point. I don’t just mean when playing video games either, I often listen to this music when I’m just chilling as well. The sheer scope and variety of the melodies and tunes present means there’s songs for any occasion, whether it be upbeat, relaxed or meditative. Most of the earlier soundtracks were written and created by a personal hero of mine as well. The venerable Nobuo Uematsu. I truly admire this man and the dedication he has to his work. He has been followed by some great artists of course (Soken is of particular note), but he will always be my favourite. And not just cause of red-tinted glasses either. So, does anybody want to hear some of my favourite tunes from the various entries in the series?
Well, join me as we delve into the musical minds of fantastical artists of the world over! Umm… I mean, from Japan in this case…
Final Fantasy XIV – Dragonsong
Final Fantasy VIII – Force Your Way
Final Fantasy IX – You’re Not Alone
Final Fantasy XI – Ronfaure
Final Fantasy VII – Cosmo Canyon
And there we have it! What do you think of my choices eh? I would hope that, even if you don’t enjoy video games, you can all appreciate the musical talent put into these songs. It was very hard to choose just five songs from the entire series and I could have picked at least a dozen more. Please let me know what you guys think eh? Oh, and while I think about, all of these songs are the property of Square Enix and obviously not my own. I just feel like it is prudent to point that out.
So, how about some social media nonsense? The asylum here has a Facebook page, an account over on Instagram and a page over on Twitter. Please come and follow me over on those, I post random stuff and clues for my poems ahead of time. If you enjoy what I do here at the asylum, please consider supporting me over at the Ko-Fi page! Cheers!
What does it mean to be a duelist?
Is it the air of flamboyance in your raiment?
Or the tales surrounding your blade?
The cold atmosphere of your stare?
Or is it purely your talent at arms?
A swordsman must be as a snake,
Biding her time to riposte and strike,
Reptilian eyes looking for a weak point,
There’s no underhandedness here though,
She is as regal as a king cobra,
And deeply respected as the fang she is,
The patience pays dividends of course,
A chink is spied,
No cuirass is impenetrable,
Not for an artist,
Not for a true duelist.
In a space system far off,
Centuries ahead of Sol,
Blood money is the ultimate income,
Wars are raged daily,
By mechwarriors,
Warlords of steel and uranium,
In their knightly engines,
Man made gods of war,
Piloted by saints and killers alike,
Statures of raw scale,
Towering over the enemy,
Metallic bodies collide,
Showering the land with ore and limbs,
Component guts are beaten and torn,
Lazers sear,
Armour plates and artillery,
Autocannons shatter,
Gore and gears,
Missiles swarm,
Carnage and circuit-boards,
The ground groans under the havoc,
The warlords squabble as the planet cracks,
Within this stout bunker,
With the other bystanders,
The ground quakes,
As do I,
I hear the iron feet coming.
WorldofHarley 