city life

i chanced upon this amazing poetry forum online headed by a rising American poet Jahan Khalighi. Born in the Middle East, brought up in South America and now based in Chicago...He is young, relevant and you will see why this makes sense to urban singaporeans. He has won what modern poetry call poetry slams (like rap actually), and i think he's brilliant. 
I've placed his poem here to marvel at a youngster's depth of words. 

I get all baby-mama ish when i see teens & adolescents being so put together despite the craziness we live in :)
Enjoy..


THERE ARE VOICES WITHIN THE CONFINES OF
THIS CITY IS A CACOPHONY OF OUR SUBCONCIOUS
MEN HUNGRY FOR SPIRIT
BEG FOR CHANGE IN ORDER TO BUY A BOTTLE OF SPIRITS
FIXING FOR A TASTE OF A FEELING OF CONTENTMENT

THIS CITY IS BUSTLING BARITONE BASS DRUM
BUSES CARRY US HOME
CARRY OUR DREAMS
CARRY OUR FRUSTRATIONS
AS WE TRANSFER DIRECTIONS
PITYING OURSELVES
ANGRY ABOUT THIS OR THAT
ALL THE WHILE
FLYING ON THE MAJESTIC WINGS OF CHANGE

THIS CITY IS COVERED IN CONCRETE
EVEN THE TREES ARE LONGING FOR SOME SPACE
TO WIGGLE THEIR ROOTS

FUNNY TO THINK BENEATH ALL THIS AGGREGATE
BENEATH ALL THESE SLABS OF STONE
BENEATHE ALL THESE PAVED OVER SIDEWALKS
THERE IS SOIL, THERE IS EARTH
FERTILE AND PULSING
DORMANT WITH SEEDS
WAITING TO BREATHE
AND BRING FORTH
LIFE

THIS CITY IS BUSTLING
IS NOISY
IS SCREAMING AT PASSING CARS
IS TALKING TO ITSELF IN THIRD PERSON
IS SELLING SEX ON THE CORNER
IS SELLING CIGARETTES ON THE CORNER
IS SELLING DIABETES AND CEREAL
AND CANCER AND TOOTHPASTE ON THE CORNER

AND IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE OUR SHAMANS ARE TODAY
THEY ARE ON THE STREETS
HUSTLING AND BUSTLING AND BURNING AND SLEEPING
IN NEED OF COMMUNITY
JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE

THIS CITY IS A METRONOME
IS A MIRROR

I SEE MY FEAR WALKING ON TELEGRAPH
I SEE MY ANXIETY IN A PARKING METER
I SMELL NOTHING BUT GREASE AND GLAMOUR
AND FOSSILIZED GLITTER
AND EVEN GOLD AND JADE AND CRYSTAL
ONE DAY DISAPPEARS

THIS CITY IS PAINTED
IS MAKING MELODY OF MEMORY
IS ASH AND BURNING CULTURE
IS OLD DYING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT
BILLBOARD SEX SYMBOL

THIS CITY IS BLOWING A RUSTED SAXOPHONE AND SOMEHOW
REMEMBERING ITSELF INSIDE OF THIS UNFAMILIAR WOMB
THIS CITY IS BEGINNING TO TELL ITS OWN STORY
IS WEAVING SMOKE AND SAGE AND TEA AND DRUM AND POETRY
BACK INTO ITS BOWELS
THIS CITY IS BREAKING CONCRETE WITH STEAL
IS COMPOSTING ITS SCRAPS OF DECAYING ORGANIC MATTER
IS REGUVINATING SOIL
IS PLANTING GARDENS IN THE APPARITIONS OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS
IS ARCHIVING ANCESTERS WITH EARCH CORN STOCK
EACH SUMMER SQUASH
EACH BED OF STRAWBERRYS
REGROWING OUR SANITY INTO THIS LAND OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

WATER AND GREIF
THYME AND OREGANO
DEPRESSION AND ISOLATION
MINT AND COMFY

THIS CITY IS HEALING IN THE PROCESS OF DYING
IS BECOMING
IS BUSTLING
IS SINGING 
IS MAKING ITS MUSIC ALL THE WHILE.