I wanna write from a place where no one else has been before I want to pour forth new truths that could have only come from me I don’t have time for words that don’t mean anything I’m not here to put down more scripted sentences
I’m here to speak my truth To scream and shout And share something in my soul That little bit of unique fire burning Only the way it can within me
It is fueled by all my pains and mistakes By all my victories and defeats And I want it to blaze bright Showing the light Of all my life has been
Dear child, I write you from afar and ask only one thing for you to take into consideration for your one precious life.
Through the toils of the years, and the influences of society – I ask you to stay wild. Consider this for you were forged in the stars, and assembled in the wilderness; and – though illusion may pervade – nature will always remain your only real home.
Shake loose the shackles of the poachers whenever their locks tighten so. Fight off the tyrants whenever they go near what must not be touched. Spit out the decaying taste of the plastic soul’s dust. Never wander too far into corporate falseness. Stay wild – in mind, body, heart and soul.
Whenever you can, get back to your nature; live out on the fringes, and exist on the edges, among the wild eyes and undomesticated souls, for that is where the magic happens.
Entertain new developments; playfully explore new philosophies; and toy with new technologies but never forget to come back, into the trees; to the depths of the waters. and the murkiness of the unknown.
For that is where you truly belong: deep between the roots of the forest; in the expansive emptiness of the clouds; and the timeless universe of the ocean.
Where the magic happens
in the wild.
(taken from my new poetry and prose book No Filter Necessary, available through my shop page)
“You’re an angry young man,”
That was all my uncle had to say
after reading my first book.
But I knew he wasn’t totally right
Many people had been moved by my writing
Affected to a good degree
Some expressed deep emotions
And there were even a couple who quit jobs
To go and travel.
But for others like my uncle
It didn’t resonate
Didn’t speak to them
It just came out as anger
As spit and venom
From a jaded individual
I guess some of it was anger
But I really felt
That for most of that book
I was just letting the song of my soul
Play out onto the page
But maybe he had a point
For as others read my writing
I saw that some of them liked it
But most of them
Simply distanced themselves from me
Or pretended they hadn’t read it
Or dismissed me as a nutcase.
I guess there is no way to please them all
No artist has ever been universally adored
And what is singing to some
Is screaming to others
And that’s why I always think twice
When I listen to the birds
“But what is it you want to DO?” he asked me
It was a friend’s stepdad
In a bar over Christmas
One of those middle-class types
With the flash car and hot wife
I looked into his eyes
And thought about answering the question properly
To tell him about all my heart’s urges
About my crazy dreams
And existential desires
But of course, I knew
He would only understand an answer
That came in the form of a job role
These people often come up to me
They see me: a young man
Someone who speaks well
And even went to university
Surely he must be doing something with his life
For me, I was doing something
I was doing The Thing Of following my heart
Travelling the world
Writing my poetry
And searching for the essence
Of what life was about
But it seemed that these things
Were not things
To people who measured life
By job titles and bank balances
God, maybe I really am crazy, I thought
Maybe I should just give up this crusade
Get a regular job
Become like that man
Tell people how I work in finance or something
How things are going well
Which holidays I’ve got booked
And what shows I’ve been watching on Netflix
But another part of me, says no, fuck it
I will not be ground down like the rest
I will not extinguish my fire
I will keep my shape
And stay true to who I am
And when they ask me what I do
I will look them in the eye
And tell them all the wonderful things I do
With a smug sense of pride
Maybe you don’t think your voice matters
Maybe you think that you’re just another person
With nothing of any value to say
And this is exactly
What they want you to think
But know that every person on this planet has a unique perspective,
That can be a source of treasure to others
But as we grow up the noise of society intensifies
And many of us begin to believe that our feelings are wrong.
So we learn to silence our inner voice
Out of the fear of judgment and ridicule.
But think about the people who inspired you.
They were once in the same position
Of questioning whether they wanted to share their truth
Before finally discovering
That their emotions and their feelings
Were just as important as any news broadcast
Or school textbook.
So if you can feel something inside trying to get out
Then have the courage to open up.
Write your poetry.
Sing your song.
Dance your dance.
Speak your truth.
The world was not what you told me mother How could you bring me into this pain? I want to live, and not just be another broken soul trying to shelter from life’s rain.
Yeah my eyes drip with sadness and I am soaked to the bone; lost in the storm of my own madness destined to drown on my own.
And how could it be you promised me a life full of happiness and joy? when the winds of this society require me to consume and destroy.
How could it be that you told me the world is sunshine and rainbows? when the hollow heads attack me and get their highs from my lows.
How could it be you encouraged me to chase my dreams and my desires? when the world is clouded with hatred and corrupted by users and liars
Yeah you lied to me too mother And that’s why I stand here now Drenched in defeat Shaking like a leaf Shivering and beat Losing hope and belief
I guess I will just keep convincing myself that the good times still haven’t begun and maybe one day this storm will pass so my soul can dry out in the sun.