Last night I got to go see a good friend, Mike Huckleberry, play his guitar at the Varsity Theater. It was the most fun that I have had for a long time (It was good to see Renee and Hillary there as well). There is nothing that I like more than to be in a bar lounge with couches, drinks, smoke machines and live music. I was in heaven (no doubt God will have smoke machines and New Castle on tap waiting for us).
I could listen to Mike play for a long time. Not only because he is a long time friend, but because he is damn good. Damn for the rest of us who dare to compare to his white boy guitar rap and soulful soul. Who knew? His voice is refreshing and the rhythm was incredible (thanks to Zach and Will who I met long ago and don't remember meeting).
Mike and I have had one of those relationships where we can be completely absent from one another for years, reunite, and easily reconnect even though so much has changed. Anyways, he is one of my favorite people on the planet--even though we haven't even spent a month together in cumulated time.
In short...I was inspired. After having my head in the books for so long I haven't taken a breath of creativity for a while. My heart was full after leaving the Varsity Theater last night. I went home and read my own poetry for about two hours. I thought that I would share a couple poems here...if only to remind myself of when I last took time for creative expression.
I wrote this six years ago this month:
Hearts crushed
under the weight
of our sin
wear their masks;
it's Holloween tonight--
and we can't
see their story
except wandering eyes
that barely see out
at the
masked world
and its "maskless" people
who don't know
their shame
and those who
have forgotten
grace that they own--
For too many
it's Holloween tonight.
In honor of Mike's soulfulness...this poem is 4 1/2 years old:
hot skin cry
on the night street--
her destination Minnesota
south side city drama
in my ghetto heart--
I've missed you
6 comments:
I remember that guy! He was at Navs when I was just starting out. I remember his sharing his point of view as to why the thumb (or "meditate") is the most important aspect of the "hand illustration" during a fall conference.
he was great... i loved the whiteboyacoustic hip hop number. very brave - and successful. plus, it's fun to go out on a tuesday night and come to work with a red x on your hand and get caught. :-)
oh, and i like your poems.
all you people make me want to live in the twin cities and work 9-5 or 8-4.
Who is working a 9-5? Come on over, Jim!
Hey, what's Mike up to these days?
Post a Comment