22 Dec
Prayer to the Solstice, a poem
PRAYER TO THE SOLSTICE
By Bay Sweetwater
I pray the solstice in its might
To turn the earth from dark toward light
Will turn me with it toward the bright
Of breaking dawn that follows night.
26 Nov
Conversation with an Autumn Leaf, a poem
CONVERSATION WITH AN AUTUMN LEAF
by Bay Sweetwater
O leaf all curled and brown,
Lying silent on the ground,
Within the misty halo of the streetlight all alone.
Tell me, I want to know,
About the moment you let go,
Falling, flying, crying down into the day unknown.
Were you happy, were you sad?
Were you glad for all you’d had?
Did you fight the wind that swept you from the cradle of your tree?
In that slice of minute,
With eternity within it,
Could you touch the golden feather of the eagle flying free?
Come up into my hand,
No one here can understand,
Come sleep upon the amber chair beneath your lovely tree.
Then in some distant spring
When life wakes you up again,
Please find my ear and whisper all the mysteries to me.
19 Aug
The loneliness of thorns, a poem
THE LONELINESS OF THORNS
by Bay Sweetwater
Can a rose who blooms beyond the reach of summer sunbeam,
Awakening to feel the chill and loneliness of thorns,
Missing fragile whisper of companionable petals,
Hold dear the amaranthine dream wherein its flower was born?
- The last rose of summer, in my garden this morning
3 Jul
It’s 4 a.m. and brightening
It’s 4 a.m. and Brightening
by Bay Sweetwater
In the center of the summer,
beside a wild river,
I found a tiny moment.
Speaking like a seashell
Its haunting echo said
It belonged to all Eternity.
Holding to its hand,
We wandered in the past
Through today, into the future.
It’s 4 a.m. and brightening.
My life has turned around.
I don’t know where I am.
My Real Home
Click to hear the tune by Lasswell that inspired this poem (vocals by State Shirt). Yep, it’s real short, but straight from the heart.
5 Jun
Til love calls them home again, a poem
Til love calls them home again
by Bay Sweetwater
I’m forever dreaming of a room inside the tempest,
A music room, where blustering wind sits still,
And picks out haunting tunes of lost endearment,
On a harp o’ wild grasses from the radiant hills.
They say that what is past is lost forever
In the mists of time, but what if love
Could summon wind to find a bygone dream
And play it on the harp again, a different octave?
Dreams are wild and lonely things; away
From those who love them they lose form,
And mingle with the mists of time forever,
Til love calls them home again, in from the storm.
10 May
THEY Say, a poem
"Kobian"-photo courtesy Waseda University, Tokyo
THEY Say
by Bay Sweetwater
See that guitar player there? They say he’s just a dreamer.
And that girl having visions? Just too out of touch.
See that guy who turns his cheek? Just a troublemaker.
And that old guy with frizzy hair? He won’t amount to much.
O Robot, dry your tears, don’t listen to what THEY say.
No one at this party’s seeing clearly; it’s all a swirl
Of smoke and mirrors; no one sees into your soul;
They only see your steel and wires, though you might just save the world.
11 Feb
Ezzai 2/11- Egypt Liberation Machinima, Second Life–with lyrics!
Here’s my latest machinima, a tribute of love and admiration for the brave heroes who ushered in freedom for Egypt! Virtual Egypt and Modern Egypt sims in Second Life were packed to capacity with avatars celebrating the news Friday February 11, 2011, that Mubarak had stepped down. Sympathizers came to the Egypt sim every day of the revolution since January 25 in support of the real-life protestors in their fight for freedom. Congratulations, Egypt! I join you dancing in Tahrir Square.
Music credits
The song “Ezzai” [English translation: "How Come?"] was recorded in November 2010 and released on February 6, 2011. It immediately went viral over the Internet and became the song of the revolution, sung throughout the streets of Cairo.
Sung by Mohamed Mounir.
Composed and arranged by Ahmed Farahat.
Lyrics by Nasr Al Din Nagy.
Translation
English translation of Arabic lyrics of “Ezzai” below.
Thanks to hopescalop on Overstream for the translation: http://www.overstream.net/view.php?oi…
See original “Ezzai” music video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIKcHI…
HOW COME?
How can you accept for me, my love
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
I can’t find a motive to love you
or an excuse to love you so truly
How come I raise your head [make you proud]
And you bend my head [humiliate me].
How come?
I am the oldest street in you
And your hope against what happened to you
I am a child who got attached to you
Who you lost in the middle of the road
If your love was a choice
My heart would have changed.
I swear by your life I will keep changing
In you til you approve of me
How can you accept for me, my love
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more?
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
I can’t find a motive to love you
or an excuse to love you so truly
How come I raise your head [make you proud]
And you bend my head [humiliate me]?
How come?
How can you leave me in my weakness?
How come you are not standing on my side?
When I lived all my life
Just to not see fear in your eyes!
In your sea or your land
How can I protect your back
When my back at the end of the night
Sleeps bent and exposed?
I am the oldest street in you
And your hope in the harm that happened to you.
I am a child who got attached to you
Who you lost in the middle of the road.
If your love was a choice,
My heart would have changed.
I swear by your life I will keep changing
In you till you approve of me.
How can you accept for me, my love,
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more?
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
10 Feb
English lyrics for “Ezzai” song of the Egyptian Revolution!
The song “Ezzai” [English translation: "How Come?"] was recorded in November 2010 and released on February 6, 2011. It immediately went viral over the Internet and became the song of the Egyptian revolution, sung throughout the streets of Cairo. Thanks to hopescalop on Overstream for the translation, See original “Ezzai” music video here.
Sung by Mohamed Mounir.
Composed and arranged by Ahmed Farahat.
Lyrics by Nasr Al Din Nagy.
HOW COME?
How can you accept for me, my love
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
I can’t find a motive to love you
or an excuse to love you so truly
How come I raise your head [make you proud]
And you bend my head [humiliate me].
How come?
I am the oldest street in you
And your hope against what happened to you
I am a child who got attached to you
Who you lost in the middle of the road
If your love was a choice
My heart would have changed.
I swear by your life I will keep changing
In you til you approve of me
How can you accept for me, my love
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more?
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
I can’t find a motive to love you
or an excuse to love you so truly
How come I raise your head [make you proud]
And you bend my head [humiliate me]?
How come?
How can you leave me in my weakness?
How come you are not standing on my side?
When I lived all my life
Just to not see fear in your eyes!
In your sea or your land
How can I protect your back
When my back at the end of the night
Sleeps bent and exposed?
I am the oldest street in you
And your hope in the harm that happened to you.
I am a child who got attached to you
Who you lost in the middle of the road.
If your love was a choice,
My heart would have changed.
I swear by your life I will keep changing
In you till you approve of me.
How can you accept for me, my love
That I adore your name
While you only confuse me more?
You do not feel my kindness.
How come?
9 Jan
The Lonely Snowman
The snowman had his first real date,
He waited long, he waited late;
She never came, and O he felt
His snowman heart begin to melt.
26 Dec
The Spirit of Giving
And now, an original holiday poem and machinima for any of you who think that the frenzy of Christmas has swallowed up the Spirit of Giving. LOL
A SCOLDING FROM MOM
by Bay Sweetwater
The Spirit of Giving blinked wide his three eyes,
His antennas twitched, wild in distress.
His hackles reared up in gold spikes on his back.
He wailed, “I’m done with this mess.”
On his couch, he’d been napping, a much-needed rest,
When the TV awoke him mid-snore
“Give her for New Year’s what you didn’t at Christmas.”
“No!” shrieked the Spirit, “no more!”
“The Yuletide frenzy’s already too much,
If they’re adding New Year’s, I quit!
He packed a small suitcase and slipped out the back.
“What else can I do? I can’t take it!”
“Everyone’s buying, but nobody’s giving,
Even I can’t find Giving anymore!”
He wiped at the tears on his brown furry snout,
“Who needs me, with malls full of stores?”
Eyes clouded with tears, the poor Spirit stumbled,
He’d tripped over some kind of root.
He stared as it wiggled, then he saw with a start,
What he thought was a root was a boot!
And tapping that boot was the Mother of Creation,
Frowning at him in dismay
“I’ve got six babies waiting for the precious Gift of Life;
I can’t give it, if you go away.”
The Spirit was awed by his Mother’s harsh words.
He stammered and begged for forgiveness,
“Mama, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have quit,
“But Giving’s turned into a business!”
“Nonsense!” she cried. “Giving’s doing quite well;
We talked this morning at breakfast.
You’re just looking for him in all the wrong places.
Dear Spirit, you really have vexed us.
“Why are you looking for Giving in stores?
Or in silly TV commercials?
Why look in the faces of holiday salesmen?
They’re giving just whatever sells!
“Look in a sunrise, look in a tree;
Look in the faces of children;
Knock on the blue door at the bottom of your heart.
Giving is usually in.
“Make him hot chocolate, befriend and inspire him;
You’re his muse, dear Spirit, all said.
Weave him a scarf out of wishes and love songs,
And a hat full of dreams for his head.”
