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jgroffdaily · 1 year

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Merrily We Roll Along reviews (part 2)

A review summary is at Broadway World and Playbill.

TheaterMania

Groff, Mendez, and Radcliffe are the other reason for the production's sterling success. Giving career-best performances, not only do they have palpable chemistry, but you actually buy them as friends (and I've seen this show plenty of times where you don't). You can sense the gut-punching disappointment when their relationships come crashing down, and the palpable joy they find in the successes that paved the way. They sing the absolute hell out of Sondheim's best score; "Old Friends,""Opening Doors," and "Our Time" have never sounded better.

On the page, Frank is a cipher, and you never really know what makes him tick. Groff grounds him in the reality of a man who watched all his dreams come true, and it's only after he reaches the height of his powers that he realizes it's not what he wants at all.

Vulture

A large part of that lies just in the casting. It is hard to hate anyone played by Jonathan Groff, who lends an innate sweetness to the character and has a silvery voice that lines both his songs and his dialogue with melancholy. We meet him in the midst of a big party for a movie that people say to his face they love and knock behind his back, and he’s playing the part of a wheeler-dealer while also communicating that this character is playacting too (Gilmour has Groff in a finely tailored white shirt and black pants, switching him into looser versions in the same colors as time reverses).

Friedman, whose version of Merrily originated in London, makes much of the contrast between both Groff’s and Radcliffe’s demeanor (one smooth, one nearly always vibrating with energy) and physical size (Groff lifts Radcliffe on his back twice). You can see her background as an actor in her direction, the way that she’s encouraged them to find as many telling gestures as possible within each individual scene or song. When the trio of Groff, Radcliffe, and Mendez jump into “Old Friends,” you feel as if you’re in a scene-study workshop with them, full of rambunctious energy that endears you to them en masse. They are never sweeter than when doing their little triple-pinky promise.

The Wrap

Groff in particular is a revelation as Franklin Shepard, a once-in-a-generation composing talent who morphs into a self-centered Hollywood producer barely clinging to his second marriage. The “Spring Awakening” and “Hamilton” alum is an irrepressible charmer, and it’s easy to see how he deploys his charisma and crystalline tenor to take the edge off his character’s inherent jerkiness. He’s a narcissist capable of flashes of regret.

New York Stage Review

Let me add, nine years later (although it seems like 20), that Friedman’s present mounting is even stronger.

This, in part, because of the concentration by this ‘actor’s director’ on the central players. Franklin Shepard, the anti-hero of the show’s triumvirate, is here played by Jonathan Groff (from Spring Awakening, in 2006, and more recently that mad King George in Hamilton). Frank is a study of success gone sour, with the idealistic young man turned soulless celebrity over the course of the action. In reverse, as it happens, as Merrily was conceived to roll along backwards, present-to-past.

Part of what sets this production off so powerfully is that Friedman and Groff are not afraid to present Frank as cold, cruel, and decidedly unlikable. That is in the writing, yes, but prior productions have tended to keep him more sympathetic than not. Groff is not afraid to be downright insufferable. It turns out that this jump-starts the action, in an odd way instantly matching the angry energy of the bravura overture which starts the evening. It is not until the trio “Old Friends,” when Groff throws in a bit of a goofy shuffle step, that we start to see what attracted the others to Frank in the first place.

New York Stage Review (2)

Spring Awakening and Hamilton star Groff—who previously played a composer in William Finn’s ode to “heart and music,” A New Brain—makes for a wonderfully sympathetic Franklin Shepard. That’s not to say he lacks a dark side. His Franklin is pretty pathetic when arguing with the scorned Gussie: “Do you really not see that I’m ashamed of all this? That I am as sick of myself as you are?” We can see the sting on his face after Charley’s TV confrontation (“You’re goddamn out of my life, Charley”). And we see the hardness peel away, layer by layer—he literally crumples to the ground during his divorce from first wife Beth (Katie Rose Clarke)—eventually revealing the starry-eyed piano-pounding visionary.

These three truly look like “Old Friends,” as the number goes; their breaking-through-as-artists sequence, “Opening Doors,” which Sondheim called the only autobiographical song he ever wrote, is irresistible.

The Hollywood Reporter

Franklin has always been an off-putting key character for a musical, a self-serving sellout whose personal loyalty seems easily disregarded. Casting the infinitely likeable Jonathan Groff allows us to see the regret in his choices and the yearning for the young dreamer he once was.

Groff has a wistful way of revealing that all the achievements, the comforts and the fashionable entourage of Franklin’s high life can’t match the vitality of his youth, when everything was about struggle and promise and hope. There’s a contained anguish in his performance that’s very moving. At the same time, he acknowledges his frustration with his friends’ reluctance to allow him to change and grow.

Chicago Tribune

Friedman’s production, which demands with every note to be back on Broadway, features four blisteringly emotional and deeply rooted performances from Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez, Daniel Radcliffe, and Katie Rose Clarke. All dig deep trenches and the show is especially propelled by how richly Groff links his vocal excitement, energy and power to his character’s calcified well of emptiness.

New York Post

When Groff, who is sensational playing a famous composer named Franklin Shepard, stares out at the audience in this staging’s final image, he’s back again in middle age with his life in tatters. At that moment, you really believe that he’s changed and that these three formerly inseparable New York pals can make it work; that our experience watching the show has been Frank’s own all-important lightbulb moment. An infamously unfulfilling show suddenly satisfies.

But it’s not only a striking image that helps “Merrily” roll along, but a stunner of a trio. The old friends are fabulously played by Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez, who never overplay a millisecond of a story that can easily get caught up in showbiz cliches and 1970s kitsch. Here, everything is grounded and real.

Observer

Nearly decade on, Friedman’s elegant, emotionally searching revival is Off Broadway and it’s remarkably satisfying—and sold-out, thanks to ex-Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe (a talented comic crooner) as angsty Charley. One also must factor in cult adoration among musical-theater fans (of all ages), in addition to the inspired casting of super-charismatic Jonathan Groff as Franklin and iron-lunged Lindsay Mendez as Mary. Operating at their prime, these ace performers anchor the show and sing the daylights out of the scrumptious score. Don’t be surprised if a Broadway transfer is announced before the January 21 closing.

The Daily Beast

This Merrily finds Jonathan Groff in a career-shining role as Franklin Shepard, the rich, famous songwriter and film producer...

#jonathan groff #merrily we roll along #nytw #reviews

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sometimesrosy · 10 months

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Hey Rosy, I have an ethical question to make. I don’t really like AI generated images, I feel like it’s soulless and a plague in the bookstagram community, for example. I support artists and hate to see so many AI images being spread around with thousands of likes and comments saying “how you depicted xyz is exactly how I imagined it!” while some real artists don’t even get close to those numbers.

But, a few days ago, my boyfriend commented how it would be useful to him to use AI generated images for his DnD campaign, just to idealize the characters and settings better (but would obviously never profit from it). I immediately frowned, but I have to be honest and say that, due to that, I’ve been having the thought that maybe it isn’t so bad to use AI juuuust to create some images for my story characters as well, without ever publishing them anywhere, without ever calling it art. Maybe I’d even use celebrity pictures and modify them with AI to get them elf ears or something, maybe I’d mix a sky with three moons, maybe I wouldn’t even generate a full picture.

I am, to be honest, almost ashamed of having these thoughts when I was (still am) so vocal against AI generated images. What would be your take on this, especially considering you’re an artist yourself?

SUPER timely question. I gotta be honest I'm grappling with it myself.

I don't believe that AI is in inherently bad. I think it's a tool, although there are some unethical things about it.

First of all, it isn't artificial intelligence at all. It takes real creations or performances that are already out there and uses those to synthesize amalgamations. It's not that real people don't do that, being influenced by other artists, they do, but they also put themselves into it.

I have actually seen some really cool stuff that human artists have done using AI generation tools, creating a kind of slick glossy surreal world.

I think someday, AI generators are going to be used like photographic cameras are now. When photographs first came out painters were horrified. Technology taking over what had until then been sacrosanct. Photography didn't take over art. It became it's own art. Sometimes it was just used by the masses to take snapshots for their own personal benefit and some was used by artists to create stunning works of art. Yes?

The problem we're having here is that corporations seem to want to use AI to get rid of human artists, writers, performers, editors, etc. Artists are pains in the ass. Always having opinions, being troublesome and wanting to keep the profits.

It's frankly terrifying, as an artist and writer. Is my job at risk because my clients can just ask Chat GPT to write them a novel?

I have less of a problem with people trying to visualize their own characters in their own book or DnD campaign. That's akin to people taking snapshots of their kids birthday parties. You know? I've used it. Got some ideas for visuals for my alien spaceships... although I've also drawn my own stuff.

If we're talking about turning AI generated images into things to create a profit, I think then we start getting into shaky territory. Those long text AI things are writing novels, right? But they're not paying the fiction authors whose works they scraped to get that.

The Hollywood producers are trying to pay performers one time rates to film them so that they can then create AI performances based upon their performance to use in perpetuity.

Seeing people create AI art for their self published book covers is concerning. First of all, none of the artists whose works were scraped to get those generated images are paid. Most of them didn't agree to their work being used. I think that's copyright infringement. It's stealing.

Second of all, yeah, that's a lot of human artists who are losing work. Not that the self pubbed book covers done for cheap are all that genius anyway. They're a package for marketing, not works of art for the most part, although you can certainly hire an artist for a gorgeous artwork, which is more expensive. In fact, that may be why they want to do it themselves, because they can't find something in their price range that meets their standards.

Thirdly. Using AI generated art looks flashy and impressive, sure. But we're starting to recognize the look and frankly, the images are slippery and slick. They LOOK like AI. They look like the authors are using AI not human art. As we get more familiar with it, that's going to say it's own thing. And it's not professional.

IDK. I'm still struggling with the whole thing. Have I even said anything that makes sense here? I see multiple sides. Most worrisome is coming from corporations and big business. Hollywood. The publishing industry. Journalism.

Least concerning is private people playing with a new toy to make things more fun for their hobbies. I mean yeah sure, would it be better if you paid an artist to create your DnD character profiles or fanart or fantasy maps? Sure ABSOLUTELY. But were you going to do that? Is the AI art taking away from an artist you would have otherwise hired? Chances are it's not.

Like fanfic, you know? If you're going to do it for your own enjoyment that's fine. If you're going to try to make money off of someone else's intellectual property... that's an actual crime, isn't it?

This whole thing is CRAZY and the ideas around it are still developing. I'm open to keep having this discussion.

#AI ethics #ethics #artists and writers

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forestwater87 · 5 years

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A moment to chat about “The Butterfinger Effect” (obv spoilers for S4e17)

Wow, so a lot of people fucking haaaaaated this episode. And since I’m addicted to That Discourse, I had to say something because I think they’re super wrong. (And this isn’t me just being a total Camp Camp fangirl here; like, the pee episode was bad. That was bad tv and bad for all the senses. There have been mediocre and even shitty episodes of this show; this just wasn’t one of them.)

There are a couple different points of criticism aimed at this episode, and while there’s one I’d like to take a deep dive into in particular I might as well take some shots at the others real fast:

The moral was too obvious: god, you guys whine all day and night that you wanna see Max show character growth and whenever he displays it you hate how it’s done. This show has never been one for subtlety. I mean, the climate change ep? This is how the show works; it’s part of its twisted-Saturday-morning-cartoons charm, it’s the most efficient way to get a point across in a short runtime, and it was the set up for the joke at the end of the episode.

It didn’t advance the plot: bitch what plot are you talking about???

Not enough dad//vid: listen I’ve made my thoughts about the fandom’s idea of dad//vid incredibly clear at this point, so let’s just:

The most common argument, though, is that it’s all so very “unrealistic” and “out of character.”

Considering the show’s concept of “realistic” involves squirrel armies (hey, another mediocre episode! See, I can call them when I see them) and a universe-destroying space octopus, I’m not sure how to rebut that without another Bianca del Rio gif. So, the out-of-character accusation.

Listen, characterization is hard as balls. Everyone fucks it up sometimes, and not every characterization in every episode is gonna work for you.

But you know who nailed it this time? Eddy Goddamn Rivas, the writer for this episode, that’s who.

In fact, I’d argue that the entire point of the episode is that it’s not Space/Race Kid’s new interest that caused the majority of the changes, or some sort of mystical “butterfly/finger effect,” but Nurf’s attempt to put things back to “normal.” He caused the thing he was trying to prevent -- which happens to dovetail perfectly with the moral of accepting change and not letting it freak you out.

This episode is brilliant, and plays with the canon characterizations of all our campers while staying true to them, and I’m gonna show you how.

Under a cut, because not everyone has time for that shit. But first, a juicy preview of the sexy discourse to come:

Space Kid

This one is the easiest to defend, because Space Kid is just . . . Race Kid. Aside from maybe having an idea that he’s cooler than he used to believe he was -- which makes sense, because why do people buy fancy sports cars except that they think it makes them look cool? -- we’ve seen his tendency to latch onto an interest and go 110%.

Reasonable, hilarious, and adorable. I actually don’t think anyone has any problem with Race Kid, so this is a quickie.

As for why he dropped it so fast: I mean, hasn’t everyone gotten really into something before deciding it wasn’t as fun as an old hyperfixation? I’ve been coming back to the Camp Camp well since 2016 because it’s just so much fun.

Nurf

Nurf is the one I think people are sleeping on. All the time, always, but especially in this episode. The summary hints that Max is the one unable to handle the idea of change -- something this entire season has been working towards, and I literally just realized change has been a thematic thread throughout several of the episodes and that’s really cool -- but it’s actually Nurf who can’t stand the thought of things being different.

And, in trying to prevent the “butterfinger effect,” he sets it in motion. The irony is delicious, and his head in a fishbowl makes me laugh every goddamn time.

(Also, “A battle of wits is not my strong suit” was just hysterical. Nurf is full of great lines and y’all need to stop ignoring what a comedic goldmine this kid is.)

Preston

Oh, I’m sorry, are we shocked that Preston would jump at the chance to be admired by people, even if it means doing something he doesn’t particularly enjoy?

Were we all in comas during the episode this very season that was literally only about this exact thing?

As to why he’d pick football: he’s a theater kid addicted to the corniest, most cliche tropes. When he got a taste of power by bullying Nurf -- which was also totally in character, because honestly, Preston is not a very nice kid -- of course he went to the thing that in every 80s teen movie meant “cool bully who’s super popular”: the sports jock.

Add to that getting positive recognition from Campbell -- who we’ll get to -- and this swap is totally in-character, and entirely kicked off by the power rush he got from finally getting to be the one who bullies instead of being bullied.

Nurf created his own worst nightmare by being afraid of change. This episode is fucking brilliant.

Harrison

To nobody’s surprise, Harrison is a sadist who thinks he’s hot shit.

He’s emotionally traumatized Neil to win an argument, he’s made Max vomit up, just, like, so many things and shown zero remorse, and got an unflappable sense of self-worth that skates right off the edge into total egotism.

These are the things we love about him. (And yes, obviously his arrogance comes from a deep well of insecurity, but that only exacerbates why he’d absolutely refuse to help Nurf, because it gives him a chance to be better than someone.)

As for why he’d choose to model himself after goth!Max . . .

Honestly, this one doesn’t entirely make sense to me. He’s never shown any particular interest in Max. The only thing I can assume is that . . . well, actually Max was right, and at least in Harrison’s eyes, he is at the top of the social hierarchy. And he got there by giving zero fucks about what anyone thinks of him.

Which is what Harrison did, by refusing to help Nurf. We come full circle!

(WAIT: When Max asks why he’s acting like . . . you know, him, Harrison’s response is, “Why? It’s not making you insecure, is it?” While we could take this as “I’m coming for your shtick,” it could also imply that Max’s general Maxyness makes Harrison feel insecure about who he is. Which explains why, as soon as he’s offered a chance to emulate someone who makes him feel insecure, he chooses Max.)

Ered

Nerris and Ered have established themselves as friends, and she at least has expressed a token interest in playing DnD before. She’s listened to Nerris talk about this stuff enough to repeat it at times -- albeit incorrectly -- and so, when there’s “nothing better to do,” she tries something her friend is super into and finds it really fun and embraces it.

I can attest that DnD totally turns you into a massive, shameless nerd. It’s just that awesome.

Plus, she’s too cool to give a shit if people think she’s being nerdy, so of course she’s not embarrassed about being seen dressed like a Viking; in “Ered Loses Her Cool,” she had that moment of growth where she decided that her coolness comes from her happily choosing to be herself.

Also, she gets to carry an axe around. So like, extra cool points for that.

Nerris

Nerris is gonna grow up to be a band geek, and she’ll especially enjoy the theatricality of marching around in parades while dressed like a Christmas Nutcracker. It’s like being a real-life bard.

This is the only one that really has a “supernatural” level to its change, except maybe the counselors (yes, I’ve come around on Neil; I’ll defend him at the end). While everyone else can be explained by psychological and in-character reasons, I have no idea what caused her to suddenly have this whole getup. I’d chalk it down to her seeing everyone else trying something new and being interested in upping her LARPing game, except she explicitly says she doesn’t know where it came from.

It’s one of the few that doesn’t make perfect sense, but I don’t really mind it because it’s such a top-tier episode otherwise.

Dolph

This is another one with questionable backing in the rest of the canon. However, I think it works less on a characterization basis than on an archetypical one.

Hear me out: how many artists actually make it professionally? And how many of them end up falling back on something solid and lucrative and artistically unfulfilling to pay the bills? Some people are of course lucky enough to land their dream job, and others are lucky enough to find something close enough to that dream job to make money while still doing something creative and adjacent to their interests (becoming an art teacher, for example).

But in Hollywood, at least, the idea is that you’re either a professional artist who Makes It, a starving artist who’s sacrificing for their dream, or a total corporate sellout who abandons their soul for the sake of profit. A child, especially one with a father so unsupportive of his artistic interests, would only have the Hollywood idea of success to fall back on, which means if Dolph was tying to think of a way to “grow up” and stop wasting his time on being an artist, of course he’d jump straight into the most famously corrupt, artistically soulless type of job possible.

The problem here, of course, is that I don’t know what triggered it; like Nerris, I don’t really see a clear line from motivation to new hobby. However, it works really well at poking fun of the “artist to sellout” pipeline portrayed in popular media, so I certainly can’t be mad at it.

Also, look at these credit scores:

David’s score is either astoundingly good -- 825 out of 850 -- or astoundingly bad -- 325 out of 850 -- depending on what that first number is. Gwen’s credit is pretty bad, which isn’t surprising considering she’s working at Camp Campbell, but I’m still proud of her for being either the second- or third-highest person at the camp.

None of the campers should have credit, so these numbers are just goofy, but I’m as shocked by Nikki’s “exceptional” credit as I am by Nurf’s “literally not on the chart by 298 numbers” rating. Assuming Dolph made at least the campers’ scores up, and we know he’s pretty good friends with Nikki, I assume he gave her a higher score because he likes her, Max’s is trash because their relationship is rocky at best, and Nurf’s is just petty and spiteful because he bullies Dolph, and I just love it.

(I assume Mr. Campbell’s credit is in negative numbers, and QM doesn’t exist on any official records.)

Counselors & Campbell

Campbell, I’m going to argue, makes sense.

This? Not so much.

I have no idea what Gwen’s talking about -- “I need her showing. We all agreed to it”???? -- and literally none of this makes sense in any understanding of characterization or anything, but my counterpoint would be:

Look how cute Gwen looks dressed up like David.

“Mumble, grumble, aliens!” and something about Mormons in David’s cheery voice adds 5 years to my life.

David’s floof is now beard.

David is wearing plaid.

QM. Just . . . QM.

Did I mention that Gwen looks so fucking good here? I swoon. So hot. Babe. Step on me, mommy.

Anyway. Campbell.

He’s not what you’d call . . . nurturing, by any means, so at first this weird dad!swap is totally out of left field. However, he has proven himself to be . . . well, not a great caretaker, but someone who does put in the effort when he has to, and is surprisingly good at dealing with the kiddos when forced.

He’s also proven himself to be remarkably introspective, starting back in Season 3. He does to an extent feel bad about what he’s done, and to varying extents wants to make amends for it. So when he starts talking about legacy, and what a man leaves behind --

-- I can’t say I’d be all that surprised if he stumbled upon Preston trying to be “cool” with sports camp and decided (probably with the help of whatever supernatural strangeness came over the other counselors) that he wants to have a better impact on this camp than a bunch of broken-down equipment, a pile of debts, and a “son” who’s disappointed in him.

Listen, what I’m trying to say is that I will die defending my Trash Grandpa and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. There’s good in him!!!! I CAN SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!

On a less “Campbell is my dad” note, as a rather stereotypical Manly Man(TM), he’d be best served helping some weedy little brat become more traditionally masculine. i’m saying Campbell was great at football in high school and is in part reliving his glory days, okay?

Nikki

Oh, come on. Nikki’s always shown an interest in science, and particularly in the mayhem it causes. When Neil is out of commission, and she sees that everyone else is doing major hobby swaps -- including Ered, who I believe she still sees as her idol -- why wouldn’t she want to join in on the fun in the most destructive way possible?

The show didn’t say she was a good scientist, after all.

Neil

Remember when I said I couldn’t defend Neil? WELL SURPRISE BITCHES, TURNS OUT I CAN!

(I didn’t realize it until halfway through writing this post, to be fair.)

But think about it: the boy does not respond well to his mind being freaked. We have observed this.

This is not a good reaction to an unsolvable logical problem.

I’m just saying, there’s not a huge difference between these pictures. Neil doesn’t do well when his brain is overloaded with things he doesn’t understand, and everyone around him turning into different people -- which is how it must look from their perspective, even if I can sit here and explain it in ways that make sense at least to me -- broke the poor boy’s brain.

He’s a very fragile ecosystem, our little Neil. You must protect him from thinking too many thinks and getting overheated.

So . . . yeah. This episode is rad, way more of it makes sense in terms of the characters’ motivations than people are giving it credit for, and the ones that don’t make a ton of sense are at least funny and clever enough to be overlooked, at least in this broad’s humble opinion.

#campcamp #camp camp roosterteeth #cc spoilers #no one is gonna read this #i feel like i used to be a bnf at some point #(when there was no competition)#but then i started writing mediocre fics and running my mouth about shit and then people got tired of my bullshit #which you know? fair #but i gotta let it out because i have FEELINGS #and i don't have the outlet of being an english major and writing 20-page papers about my feeling anymore

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thegoldandsugar-blog · 7 years

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BABY DADDIES.

Sixty days since December, A lot has changed from the furthest i can remember, Yes, Like Amber, My new daughter with the town's celebrity plumber, ( Now that's not the funny part so don't crack it yet, infact no comedy is intended here at all!) Sons and daughters, Offsprings of reckless nights and flash considerations, Granted life by a guilty conscience brewed from the ten accords back in my youth when "the God's child" still lived in me. "Who's my father?" ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴ TONY. The Church Deacon, Well, It wasn't an angel that brought forth the request or message about your birth, A child concieved of a holy spirit - man, it was no Bible story, You are a memory that lives to haunt my past and blurred my future even as much as i try to shake it off, An eclipse that shadowed my faith in God and sucked up hope drowning it with everything i ever dreamt of, "Respect Your Elders And You Shall Live Long " That was the bible son, the holy book that bound the faith of every Christian but blinded my very eyes from predicting the patterns of mischief and lifelong trauma. Had i had the chance to relive it, I'll die in the morning, Before mama's call to take my deceased father's Bible to that soulless creature! I'm sorry son, sometimes i didn't kiss you goodnight just to have a good sleep without nightmares! ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴ JAMES. Officer Richard James, They called him thr the African-White Man, beloved of the blacks in South Africa ! Kind and gentle, Took the duty to serve to his heart and held it close by, That name's still a sale at the county police, Gave you the same to solidify the resemblance for some child support but i forgot, The police are law enforcers so somehow they're Supreme to the law. Saved me from a month in those stinking caves with ancient graphiti they dare call correction facilities, Are they the same which the budget allocated millions for their renovation last year? Who knows? Anyway, A good man i could say, He could wish the doctrines about police conduct and general codes of humanity will share the same thought, Let alone anticorruption units and his wife! It was just a poor lady hawking cheap goods in rich man's land and a 'gentleman' extended a hand to help, Don't you think so? Somewhere they must have told you about man-eat-man society, We're true worshipers in that religion son, Mother was dying from cancer and your elder brother was still a toddler. I had to. ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴ SARAH. Now you, What was your father's name again? What did he even look like apart from the stubborn self i see in you? He should be some crack dealer or hired security at a local club, one of those playing that loud bullshit making me sing your little sister back to sleep thousands of times each night! Im sure you've been to one with your uptown high-end living friends you worship at school, Dreaming about Hollywood nights living like Paris Hilton in the State Of An Empire, Defaulting in school fee payments because you believe the money i clean up filthy homes for is best buying you lipsticks than knowledge, I wish i could burst out a laugh but sympathy is overwhelming my dear, Oh, now am being too hard on you? The reason you can't post good grades even when I tire all day to buy you a Disney pencil pouch! Then suddenly i should feel touched and apologize to you, "Honey I'm Sorry "," So so..." A psychologist is out of grip for my pockets but a tip or two you should really consider, Your mother isn't a role model, neither is the hype! ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴ JIM! Dear son, How's school going? I know i missed the format up there but a letter is still one if the message goes through. Your mid-term report was delivered a week ago and the grades are still amazing though that's no call for reluctance. You can still be better. Just like your father. Let's say wasn't a good listener and composed as troubles have shaped me to be in these times, A man sat at the table in a corner and asked for a cold beer from a worn out bar maid working extra hours to feed her three kids back home with a neighbor, Two weeks before she was fired for refusing to go under the sheets with her boss, This one time out of a couple times he made her do it with a threat on losing the job she so needed to keep her load rolling down the plank. I think that was Sarah's father, Now i recall the face of that dreaded monster with that strong Arabian accent, Yes! That was him! Anyway, that man at the bar lived to shelter a stranger with three hungry children for two long months, Eating and crying on his left arm as his right struggled to finish his book, "The Pigs" He called it, Pigs who ate the whole lot of fresh food in the farm to the remains left for low lifes, Pigs which tarmacked our lives with lies and false promises weeks before elections so they could run their heavy flashy mortocardes, Purchased from German dealers with "National projects'" money, running on tonnes of fuel catered for by the "government" over pricing the same on citizens, The same pigs that sold numerous copies of your father's hardwork and never paid him a dime before imprisoning him for insulting the "state powers" because he sued them, And in all this, this woman right here wasn't anywhere close because she'd chosen to leave long before, His stories were boring, he'd done enough for them, he was too good for her, He had a graduated British accent from Oxford that she didn't like it (or understood it-its a dropout disease ) Too many blank reasons son. Just too many to run away back to the past where no golden days had been seen. Still an innocent man, To his last breath behind bars built by demons fighting truth and justice throughout the systems , To the depths where he lays awaiting apocalypse, Took great care of his son! To his last insurance policy. Enough of today's writing. Always stand by the right pillars through your eyes so the world won't crumble and drag you down with it, Prepare and care to ask before acting, Success has less room for mistakes, The timezones too might be corrupted, chase time with all your stamina. Stay safe son, Your Truly. ✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴✴ Who else has a father question ? Young man! Please go play with the neighbor's children, It's a blessed society we live in, Loyal descendants of Adam and the woman*, Eve was once someone i called "mother" Long Long before Tony's father, When i was this little angel singing in the church, summoning the holy ghost to the dias with a voice Maya Angelou admired, 'You're Alpha and Omega...' and the angels seemed to fly yonder singing the praise with us, With brother John Nkubu, the ministry's most dignified deacon! He loved children! Mother's loved him, both for his great personality and PHYSIC! That was the type of my mother, The long praying holy women chosen by God through the lamb. The mother's that don't listen to their daughters' cries, neither believe a doctor's report on the same, Just because the author of this horror story is a director in their erotic movies and preacher of gospel he knows nothing of, It's called church people, Church! Go boy! Mama's stories are always sad. When you grow old you protect your little sister, She doesn't have to be a writer of such a story, People no longer read these anymore, Come on, all those fashion magazines with super model covers? All those comic books or alien superheroes and human bats? You'll even be crazier reading than listening to some new school jams about sex, drugs and money, What more moral lessons could you be asking for? Its a great world but the fact that some parts are tearing away doesn't mean that we throw away the cloth, The fabric still has some strength, You can sew it back together.

#poetry #betrayal #writing #system #creative #art

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