Bare feet touch the prickly grass around me,
“Appreciated, Mother Earth,
Your attempts to tickle me, are not in vain.
Lord knows I could use a laugh or two
Right about now”
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â HazPainting
Lines.
The lines I design
Lasso social barriers smothering the world,
Flinging them, from here,Â
To that pocket dimension
You never knew existed;
Till now.
– O.D. ©2018
Photograph by:Â Aquilapse
Sol·ace
Simply addicted,
To the process of experiencing life
Outside the choices and influence
Of others.
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â CaringWong
Reactance.
I mean, I get it
I do not like it, but I get it
Shooting eagles is a pastime you adorn
To help you close the gap between you
And bearers of the sky.
Side note: no-one helps devalue you
More than you do.
The spirit I possess, if left to be defined by others
Borders on self-aggrandizing,
Honestly, I find it hard to care
How many people would you say I need to appease
Before I become me?
None. That is the answer.
I am a shepherd that has learnt to herd his own
Thoughts and emotions, and to me
That is all I need to brandish as a brass ring.
I leave people to their chosen beliefs
Not condemning them if they are indeed different.
Every day for me is a fight you will never get to know
And probing me to tell you all about it is far from the solution
Accept what I let you know about myself
It may be a surprise, but it is far much more
Than I let anyone else know.
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â Joshua Mays
Spirit and Soul.
I savour every frame
Of those picture perfect moments
Captured by my all-seeing eyes;
Unbeknownst to nay-sayers
I am not plugged in to the consensus
Instead, my spirit and soul
Find fulfilment at the prospect of my seclusion.
– O.D. ©2018
Photograph by: unknown
Stem.
Isolation allows me
To place myself at the highest peak,
Cleansing my thought palate
With the most calming wind.
Isolation allows me
To look at life and find new meaning
Garnering appreciation for that which
I already have – not yet lost,
Finding peace, stemmed from the cradle
Of my rich imagination.
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â chateaugrief
I often Isolate myself to regain focus(especially after a rough encounter). People usually question me on why I do this instead of relying or asking for their help. I don’t know why, but it’s saying things like that which deters me even more; perhaps I don’t react well when the help I’m being offered is teetering on force-feeding. I’m man enough to admit I need help when I do indeed need it; however, I never accept that as my only option when a new ordeal comes my way.
Is it selfish of me?
C/haracterization.
Versatile and formless
I ebb and flow on that which acts as
The solid foundation of balanceÂ
For the majority’s sense of existence.
I mirror the likeness of the landscape,
Sun, moon and stars,
Taking them with me wherever I go
Recreating their likeness in my own
Still life, albeit wavy design.
I am an artist,
Resist the temptation to hold
Or pocket my work, for it is only as good
As its proximity to me
Simply put;
It is mine to keep.
– O.D. ©2018
Photograph by:Â Lumarieus21
I have a few things in common with water, minus the whole evaporation and raining thing; I leave that to the actual pro.
Descent.
It’s a long fall,
So with the little words
I can use as comfort
I give you something
You can hang onto.
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â ryky
Free Fall #Revisited
Never mind the descent,
What looks like falling to you
May look like flying to others.
– O.D. ©2018
Art by:Â ryky
Totem.
It took the intersection of my
Dispersed thought clouds, to combine vapoured yet
Paralleled lanes of understanding,
Into a richer, heavier, condensed form of thought.
It took, experiencing life through different lenses
For me to have a clearer picture of my intended purpose.
I bear stripes they try so hard to look past
Even as I tango at the centerÂ
Of their one dimensional point of focus.
God gifted stripes in whichever shade you choose
Black or white, my enigmatic nature is of your making
Takes a closer look to understand parts of me
I would never dream of spoon feeding to you;
But that would be too much for you wouldn’t it?
Actually working for something, and thus, to you
I bid, Adieu.
Attempts at bridging positive thoughts to thoseÂ
That need them, with Reason(s) I can only hope
To remember when my days get darker;
Sad really, how you work so hard to gain my approvalÂ
Even if it means you take the role of being the soleÂ
Source of toxicity in my social circle.
Uncustomary for a Champion to not take the time
To write for his people, my melanin brothers and sisters
“You are beautiful, let no one tell you otherwise”
And yet, within our ranks lie the uninformed,
Who sell our culture for cheap in a bid to garner cheap pops
To think slavery was a choice is a reality only you
Would bring from the plantation that binds you
In your mind.
A sell out like you could not begin to understand
That which we go through… …but let me stop
And take deep breaths, before I yield
To your wish
Of making this all about you.
– O.D. ©2018
Picture by:Â NicolasEvariste
Spoke to my father the other day, we were talking about my family totem which my grandparents (on every occasion) never hesitate making mention of. The Zebra.
My father said it was done long ago as a way of signifying clans or tribes (emblems of sorts) to help know who was in our bloodline. Furthermore, most of these totems were associated with character traits. An example he gave me was of those from the Buffalo tribe; how they’re considered to be short-tempered, I found it quite fascinating.Â
I absolutely love Zebras (bias from it being my totem maybe) but it goes beyond that, the stripes resonate with me. Not to mention the all-powerful hind kick capable of shattering a crocodile’s jaw (Incredible!)
But I’m gonna stop now before this becomes a Nat Geo special.
Â
O.D. 