Return.

Current Mood: Happy
Listening to: Don't Forget To Breath by Bitter:Sweet

Hello blogworld,

It's been too long.

I've had a roller coaster of an autumn. But I'm still here.

September was like a breath of fresh air. Finally, a little more structure after a free-form, organic summer, which I needed. I'm taking some exciting classes too. One class in particular, Performance of an Urban Space has been stimulating me creatively on a level that no other class ever has before.

One particular assignment got me talking about my grandmother's garden because we had to write about a place we were fond of in our childhood, one that holds particular importance to us even now. This is what I wrote:

Her Hands

Tender and tenacious
her unyielding hands
planted fields of lemon balm
and chamomile
for a south side backyard paradise
that concrete slabs
and urban fences
could not inhibit.

There were holes there...

Soil punctured for air
where serpents stealthily
coasted past elephant ears
and newly sheared pink rose bushes...

There were strawberries there...
Boxed beneath the shrouding vines
for homemade wine.
They sprouted white
and ripened red
just in time for snacks
when school recessed.

But the best...

the best were the raspberries,
seeded and sour,
flowering on a bush by the garage...

But time,
neglect
and weeds have made that all
a mirage.

I remember the beehive by the plum tree,
sitting like a Christmas gift under it...
I'd unfold my arms and feel the earth move with wonder.
If we were heard saying bad words or talking back we'd return to it
To pick a switch for which my grandmother
used to reprimand
with her tender and tenacious hands...

I learned love
where it was not always simple
or quiet
or soft
but always beautiful.

Today,
I wonder if
her dutiful work
has long departed.

..................................................

This quarter will be over just in time for Thanksgiving. Then break and then just 2 quarters from my Bachelor's!! I'm keepin it together! I'm so close. So close...

Anyway, September I went to New York for the first time ever in my life! Me and some friends hopped in a car and drove to NY for a few days and it was just the kind of road trip I've been dying to go on.

And it was not without it's road trip drama. We had trouble with the trunk of the car on the way while laying over in Ypsilanti, MI. We were visiting my girl CasMercedes' dad, the great jazz musician Buster Wiley! He gave us a much-needed morale boost. First, he called around asking friends if they could help fix it. Then took us to some friendly local mechanics. But no luck.

Then he makes another call to a friend.

So we start on the road to meet his friend. We pull into this pretty ranch with a big trailer and a large car shed. Out comes a handsome, charming man in his black stetson with an air gun (similar to that of No Country For Old Men). He blows off the lock and our luggage was freed!








Who was the man in black stetson? Son of the famous Jackie Wilson (you know the guy that Elvis Presley stole his moves and performance style from? the famous soul singer that gave us "Lonely Tear Drops" And "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"), Jake Wilson. Of course he told us to call him Uncle Jake, and so we did. We sat and chat, he gave us peppers from his garden, and showed us around his ranch. It was such a great pre-cursor to the trip.

...............................................................
New York was a blast. There's a great video here of me performing in the subway with my friend Joshua Torrez. You can check it out here:



................................................................

While in NY, I had a great falafel from Mamoun's, shopped 125th St, saw the Apollo Theater, chilled in Marcus Garvey Park, had drinks in the famous Lenox Lounge (where Billie Holiday used to sing), hit Union Square, and of course, Times Square where we ran into the soul brother Bilal!










Ahhh. Yes. Twas an awesome trip.

And now I'm on my way to Minneapolis where me and CasMercedes will be performing for an event called Women's Work. It's at the West Bank Social Center, Friday October 23, at 8pm right above the Nomad Pub. If you're in Minneapolis, I can't wait to see you tonight!

Til then

and til the next time I remember to blog,

Love::KrisDeLaRash