NOBODY CAN SAY NO (TO MICHELLE WILLIAMS... OR CAN THEY?)

They say that the greatest things come in threes:

• The Three Fates

• B.L.T. sandwiches

• Robert Downey's 3 year prison sentence for skipping a drug test (but of course, Mr Stark charmed his way out of that one or blasted them with his iron suit of death)

• Ed, Edd n Eddy

• Harry, Ron, Hermione

• 3 Wise Men

• Me, Myself & I* 

And finally, and perhaps most importantly:

Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle.

'Michelle who?' -  I hear some of you ask.

Williams. Michelle Williams!

Still, I'm seeing some baffled looks and hesitant nods, as you pretend to know who the hell I'm talking about.

No, I'm not talking about this one:

THIS one:

Michelle Williams, need I say that name again?*

Well, shame on you, if you didn't know that I am referring to third member of notorious, noughties, r&b girlband Destiny's Child. I emphasize the third here because sadly, that is exactly how Michelle has been portrayed throughout her career.

Michelle is the less renowned member of the trio, and this has been picked up on by the internet...

'First the worst, second the best, third -'

'- I'm the Michelle of the group, aren't I?' 

'Yeh'.

I too have been guilty of this farce: branding the singer as the 'Internet Explorer of the group'; and my mother and I naming our Sat Nav Michelle because it was crap and always lead us down the wrong roads... but I do it all in jest.

Before I go on, I must stress that I personally am a huge fan of Miss Williams, and in the true spirit of democracy, I've always loved her just as much as Beyoncé and Kelly. I especially love her verse in soul-sista anthem of the decade 'Girl' - a song about sisterhood:

'We Ain't Never Seen You Down Like This

What You Mean You Don't Need Us To Help?
We Known Each Other Too Well'

*chest-bumps nearby female for empowerment*

Nevertheless, despite having at least one fan, it is true that Michelle has always been pushed to the side, ostracized and overshadowed by this cruel world in which we live. But she must have mad someone helllaaaa mad in her past life though, because someone's out to get her!

Who's behind this witchcraft?!

I guess we all slip up now and again...

However, an admirable quality in Michelle is that she never gives up! This diva has released 4 albums, acted in Broadway, starred in a few films AND contested in Strictly Come Dancing back in 2010. This girl's a real SURVIVOR*.

In fact, it is her new single 'Say Yes' that I'm building up to here. The song really shows off her sweet vocals, confidence as a solo artist and just PROVES that just because you're not Beyoncé it doesn't mean you can't succeed in life (indeed, Michelle you have taught us an important life lesson).

The song has a real African-soul kick to it, and is just the uplifting beat to make you feel alive and LOSE YOUR BREATH* as your soul sings 'WHEN JESUS SAY YES NOBODY CAN SAY NOOOOOO'. I cannot get it out of my head!

Did I also mention that in the song, Michelle teams up with Beyoncé and Kelly again - making it their first hit since the band's split in 2005? It's great to see such iconic artists reunite on this track, just like back in the good old days of wearing khaki pants and cowboy hats. They're still flawless!

And the best part of it all is that it's still very much Michelle's solo work, and FINALLY, she has the limelight that she truly deserves.

This song is about faith, and after hearing this song, I feel like I've been converted, (seriously - she's just THAT convincing) and with Michelle Williams as the chaplain and with Destiny's Child in the gospel choir, this is one church I can't wait to join!

Michelle, YOU can handle this!*

Check out 'Say Yes' by Michelle Williams down below and let me know what you think about it!

*note: pardon the uncontrollable use of Destiny's Child/Beyoncé puns, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do I'm not even sorry).

- DJ

Spring

...The pale flecks of early morning Sun and floating dandelions that come in through the window leave trails of last night dancing on your skin. You lie there, looking intently into my eyes - unblinking, pensive, still - as if contemplating your own life or death.
           So close to me, that I can breathe in the cool air you exhale - we are one: born again as a new being, Love's Little Lamb. So close, yet the past still lingers on our lips, through our shivering bones. From the moment when you kissed the tip of my nose, soft, like a petal falling on my skin, from a cherry-blossom tree in the Springtime garden, I had never tasted a fruit so sweet.
          But only one day without you and I feel its coarse acidity burning through my heart.

         Spring time's upon us
        Spring time's here
        Time to grow our Love
        It's that time of year

The Sun has gone behind the clouds, my heart weeps blood. Still - I hear your whispers in the wind, faintly howling against the happy little tune of endearing Love.


 Image via: http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2011/135/d/f/dandelion_seeds_by_jollyoldgeezer-d3gdzd7.jpg

Copyright © JRFB 2013

Socks On (One Night Stand Sonnet)

Ever gone out in public with a hoody and sunglasses in a frantic effort to conceal your identity because of fear of bumping into that one person you never ever want to see again? - the person you had a one night stand with? (hey, we've all been there..) Here is a short sonnet to relay the amusing, but painfully heart-wrenching moment when you see them again, and again and again...

 This may or may not have been taken from personal experience... All I can tell you is this: Sod's Law is real. REAL I tell you!

Walking to the shop to buy some bread,
Aimlessly I browse for something else -
Then I catch your eye, wishing I am dead.
A spectre from the past, echoing my movements through the shelves,
Adamantly shrugs through my broken soul.
I cannot breathe, your gaze so sour and sweet,
Wide and wild eyed, like a demon doe.
All I can do is ignore you and tweet:
'It's the third time today - for surely I'm cursed!'
- The cellophane bag slips from my wet palm -
My voice of Regret thinks this choice to have been worst,
Foolishly thinking: 'it's just one night, what's the harm?'
But Oh! how I could not have been more wrong -
For who knew what horrors could occur with socks on!

Copyright © JRFB 2014

GAY PEOPLE HAVE MAGICAL POWERS: THEY CAN CONTROL THE WEATHER

 ‘…that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.’ (Genesis 5:32-10:1, New International Version)

Dear David Silvester,

Hi. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. But what I do know is that you have the most bizarre idea of how the natural world fundamentally works. I am of course referring to the weather. It has come to my knowledge that you have reason to believe that the recent series of flooding in the UK are the result of the nation legalising Gay Marriage.

Oh, how insightful you are!

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure that Jesus’ dad already sent a flood thousands of years ago because Noah and his pals simply weren't ’doing life right’ (source: not The Bible). If my primary school R.E. education was accurate, back in the days before the modern phenomenon of twerking, there was no big booming cloud that shrieked:

'WHAT?! YOU’RE TRYING TO GIVE EACH OTHER EQUAL RIGHTS? I HOPE YOU CAN SWIM BITCHEZ BECAUSE I AM GOING TO DROWN ALL DA HUMANZ’

How queer!

Everyone knows that God flooded the world because his laptop software crashed and he had to re-boot his hard-drive system*…

Mr Silvester, what are you doing? What are you saying? You simply cannot pin the disastrous results from a natural change in the Earth’s climate (‘Global Warming’, I think it’s called) on… Love. I mean, of course people constantly write about the power of this potent force, but let me tell you, in the words of Lindsay:

‘Wrong, you’re so wrong’.

How can you possibly blame a splash of rain on same-sex marriage? Did you never watch The Day After Tomorrow?!  I can only think that the motive behind your controversial, insane and highly incorrect statement is that you, sir, are a misinformed moron (or that you don’t own a DVD player).

Call me hypocritical, but by acclaiming such a ridiculous statement, you have insulted pretty much the entire cast of Glee and THE HUMAN RACE IN GENERAL. You are stripping people of their rights and their lives. Who are you to point the finger about what causes the weather? Do you were sensible shoes and grey suit-pants and stand in front of a green screen, telling people whether they should take an umbrella to work or not tomorrow? No. Is it your job to conjure up random reasons for temperamental weather that Great Britain is shamelessly renowned for? No. 'Do you even go here?' Still, no.

Therefore, here is my suggestion: why don’t you take your homophobic, misinformed, disgusting ideologies and shove them up your unjust and I suppose wrinkled ass—

Perhaps there is another reason. I have looked into this, and recent studies show that the real cause for floods and extreme weather is not people of the same-sex loving one another; it is not the work of Miley Cyrus’ forked tongue; it is not the witch-craft of the feminists of Leeds University. It is the ignorance, negativity and bigotry of this world that accumulates in narrow-minded politicians like you! Such idiotic views make me sick to the stomach and quite frankly, it is because of people like you that so many have been and still are repressed, depressed, silenced and worst of all, denied of their true identities and abilities to express themselves for who they are: human.

Do you honestly think that God cares about whether a man loves another man, or a woman loves another woman? This is 2014 – 

Honestly, Mr Silvester, sometimes I wonder if you even considered the logistics of the situation on Noah’s ark. He gathered two by two of every animal… Unless he had extremely keen gaydar that was finely tuned for the sexual preferences of animals, how did he know if he had picked up two straight animals and if they were of different genders? The man was over 600 years old, how was he to know?* And now, before I go on, I hear you smirk:

‘A homosexual animal? How absurd and utterly impossible.’

Well, allow me to shock you as you sip your Earl Grey from that china antique – the sexually liberal dolphin, dominating lion and daring dragonfly species are all known for being ‘a little bit gay’ and so there is no way of knowing if this sort of hanky-panky did or did not occur on the ark. I’m not insinuating that Noah’s ark was some sort of animal sex-den, but this insight has opened a few doors…

Regardless, gay animals, humans, bendy rulers, Sarah Jessica Parker's mole, ARE PEOPLE TOO and are not to blame for the changing weather cycles. I know that it’s easy to shift the blame when you’re running late for work on a Monday morning, you've spilt coffee down your new slacks and now the bloody rain is pelting it down, but it is NEVER OK to make such ridiculous accusations.

Please re-evaluate your life and remember this: it is literally impossible for the LGBT community to be held responsible for the UK’s flooding – their emblem is a colourful rainbow representing the celebratory calm after the harsh, gruelling storm of injustice. We are fighting hard for equality and you are setting us back. The only accusation of same-sex marriage I hope to see is of abnormal sunny spells in Britain, as I’m sure it is written in the Bible somewhere that Love can only cause eternal sunshine...

The storm clouds of hate are clearing. We’re nearly there. The future is bright.

Sincerely,

King Lion AKA Jaguar the Lion.

*disclaimer: Some information here may or may not be true. I am trying to be comical, not insulting. I apologise if I offend anyone unintentionally in this post.



Copyright © JRFB 2013

Photosynthesis

(sun, water, air - will cultivate any monstrosity from above)

The Sun shined - the Air stirred - the Rain poured.
You smiled, I smiled, we blossomed: Love.
But the winds of Time blew your petals -
Away from me.
Your coarse hands planted a seed in my soul -
It bobbed, red and swelling in the endless streams of my blood
Reflecting the ethereal memories of your Light,
Like a bulging eye directly through my skin.

Anchored stiffly, deeply in my chest,
It grew sideways - lodged like a stone in my heart.
Watered by the greyest tears from my darkest eyes
It split its skin when limbs appeared
Jolting my Heartstrings -
Jabbing my inner wires -
As it curled round the coils of my brain.

There, that demon took full form -
With prickling petals,
And blades for thorns,
Which cut my choking lungs  
- There my funeral had blossomed -
Shrouded by flowers of death.

My psyche had been usurped
And my soul, corrupted - 
Dictating me to believe 
That you were mine.
That you loved me.
That this cancer deep in my heart was 
Love.

When your soul brushed passed mine
Just the other day
As the Sun was setting -
Suddenly the light turned black;
My raw heart bled;
My weak skull split;
My keen eyes failed;

And my soul lay twisted in the ground
As your roots crawled out -
And the Sun was slowing down
When my broken eyes found you then
I had died inside -
Only to discover that (from the time that the Sun had risen)
I was already dead -


Copyright © JRFB 2013

I loved you today

I loved you today -

unlike yesterday

when your senselessness

clawed at my heart.

I loved you today -

not like the other days

for you showed me that you

cared.

I loved you today -

because although I could not see

you, I felt your heart

beat in time with mine.

I loved you today -

and I will until

the rays of tomorrow

pierce this fragile light 

as weightless as the winds of time-

and again, my heart, stifled, 

is choked,

chained

by your Love

Tonight.

Copyright © JRFB 2013

Miss Scorpio

She loves and loves but is not loved. For she is barren of the fertile fields to grow a child. All she wanted was to be allowed to love. But we always strive to do what is forbidden. And here it is: the rotten fruit of impoverished love.

The sky was black as charcoal pits, dusted with speckled stars

Ashen grey surrounds the land

Smothered with burning flowers.

The time when clouds shrivel away

When the Sun makes her bed

At the end of the day –

The Moon himself appears with Hope,

Of meeting his Love

Who sets the distant pole -

Where their love can never be found

For distance - darkness forbid it

And they are not Fated to be bound.

The time when Light-time creatures stop;

And Night-time villains stir

And children drift, still in their beds, like sweet little corpses.

Now a twisted dark shadow creeps from her hollow home,

Uncurling her limbs, unfolding her bones,

Like spindly branches against the yellow Moon’s glow.

She gasps a worn breath –

For she is alone.

Miss Scorpio is always alone – even past death –

From the moment she burst forth from the fiery pits below

Forming a woman in thin, black dress with lace like a spider’s webs,

She was alone.

But oh, how she despises having nobody to care

Nobody to hold, nobody to tend to,

Leaving her an empty phantom, wretched, torn, bare.

Every day is hell, every second, misery;

Yet it is all made lighter by the Moon

Who shines over her fears and wishes, eagerly.

He is her ambient Hope.

The Light deep beneath her blackened spirit.

That can never escape the prison where she chokes.

The Moon too is lost in despair,

But shines brightly each dark night

In false Hope and care.

Miss Scorpio plucks a star from the glistening skies

Where stars shine like jewels, mockingly with their togetherness.

She smothers its brightness; in her frail arms it lies;

Momentarily, the brimstone in her core rekindles,

There is a quiescent crispness in the air

As she smiles, skips, glows like a candle

Not caring for her life that burns away

With each hour that passes,

For she has found something to love! Just for one day -

Until that star quickly fades, from white to orange, to dull brown

Then to black, like the two charred, bottomless holes in her sockets.

The heat cools, her trembling arms release the star, her face twists into a frown

Hot tears streak down her dirt-speckled cheek

Scarring her dark and beautiful features

With deep channels, now trickling red down to her feet.

Says she: ‘This pain is slight,

‘Compared with the jolt that forever thumps my core’.

Now, the black ball of dimpled rock takes flight

Down from her body, frozen, scored, wild

Leaving her numb Soul barren, untouched,

Having held that dimming star, cradled like a child.

But Hope is the fuel for any fire.

Miss Scorpio – Nature's Widow –

Never did her efforts to love expire:

Miss Scorpio once walked in the Midnight Meadow

Stopped, picked a flower from the dark fields of green,

Shaking it with joy, as the wind sped her on with each blow

And she ran through the grove

With this new Heart’s desire towards the rays of tomorrow.

For it is so beautiful to have something to love –

But soon, the nodding flower’s petals

Dropped out one by one, escaping her desperate clutches in the cold breeze

Leaving a grey stalk, bent like soft metal

Flying this way and that as they fell

In wispy circles, through dark clouds

Flying to another part of hell.

Miss Scorpio’s Soul bleeds

As her red tears slowly streak down her dark dress

Down like a deadly bullet surpassing time itself, as it speeds

Through a hard granite chest

Containing the Treasures of Life,

Repelled, ricocheted, is forced down to a grim death.

*

*

*

Miss Scorpio is still waiting for Life to start

For a fraction of joy, for a sign from above, –

As her dark Soul will never rest until it possesses a Heart.

 

Copyright © JRFB 2013