Lone Wolf

 

He never hesitated…
he just put himself down

 

For the joy of others…
he wore that toxic gown

 

He became the riot shield
when his companions got shelled

 

They just never knew the burdens
his simple heart held

 

He fed his soul
with the laughter of others

 

He tore himself to pieces,
just to build up his brothers

 

Teaching hard lessons
the only way he knew how

 

Never let his guard down,
nor ever,

did he bow

 

Commanded respect,

Straight-up soldier

 

He acted on instincts

Never needed closure

 

Choosing a path of sternness,
a path of dedication

 

Opting for the hope of tomorrow,
instead of today’s gratification

 

Abiding by the code,
a life structured by discipline

 

There’s surely something profound
beneath those eyes of cinnamon

 

Believing in the youth,
believing in the future

 

Left no stone unturned,
left nothing to conjecture

 

He made peace with the idea
of being hated

 

To unite a pack of wolves…
a new bond he created

 

His aspirations devoid of

being part of “the pack”

 

Or even summoning those wolves

to have his back

He is indeed content

watching them smiling from a distance

 

And you will never find him grieving

due to the plight of his existence

 

Coz nothing brings people closer
than one who is mutually despised

 

Who could ever fathom,
this crazy plan he devised?

 

You surely won’t see his wisdom…
at least not anytime soon

 

So await his death…
for only then shall you swoon

 

Sure it was love…
but in its ugliest form

 

When we think back we will realise…
“He was actually warm!!!”

 

And when he passes on,
Don’t dare fabricate a story…

 

of your endless endeavours
to bring him to glory

 

Rather remain silent,
don’t dare attempt to lie…

 

about your never-ending efforts
to cut him a piece of the pie

 

And when we contemplate,
I hope we don’t regret it

 

I wonder why we all have to die before we get it?

SETTLING DISPUTES – THE PERUVIAN WAY

via MAN UP, STOP BEING SUCH A COWARD !

I know many of you were bewildered by the suggestions in my last post. I don’t advocate violence, but look at it this way – would you rather have a dispute nipped in the bud immediately or have a dispute drag on for centuries? You would all probably opt for the former. The thing is- if you can’t approach a man directly to talk things out face-to-face and come up with an amicable solution, why not face off in the ring? Why have a family feud or a game of vengeance that may result in the loss of life? Why lower yourself to a level where you speak ill of people or attempt to taint their reputation?

Talking things out doesn’t always yield the results we hope for, leaving many with a sour taste in the mouth. The consequence of this is that it influences their behaviour, affecting the way they act towards a particular person. Why hold onto grudges? Why allow those feelings to consume you? It’s always better to forgive and move on with your life, but when that fails to materialise, what then? Forgiveness is always the key to having peace in your life but not all people were created the same, and not all people think alike. Fighting will hurt you physically, but with time, you WILL heal. The damage you can do with your mouth is way worse and hurts people in unimaginable ways – with its effects lingering long after being uttered. On top of that, it may even end up hurting those whom you have no intention of harming (“the ripple effect”).

People tend to consider boxing or fighting as being savage and brutal. They tend to associate it with the ways of  “uncivilized”, “uncultured” people. Why though? Are you honestly telling me that there hasn’t been a time in your life where you were required to fight?  How do you know that you will never be in a situation where fighting will be the only choice you have? to defend yourself, your family or your family’s honour? Being a person who has always been a great admirer of boxing and the art of fighting, I consider this sort of narrow-minded thinking to be an insult to a truly great sport. It is artistry in motion, it is methodical, tactical and an art form based on intelligence. In all its brutality – there’s gracefulness, the fluidity of movement, respect, and a true test of resilience and strength. The above approach to dispute resolution may sound ignorant and one which lacks any practical application, but let us look at the way things are done in Peru.

Young gun putting this towering competitor to sleep in the middle of the arena. “Night night!”

When people think about Christmas, they think about Santa Claus, the Gingerbread Man, stockings being hung above the fireplace and the traditional Christmas tree that gets decorated by the family. Haha, not in Peru my friend! Each year on the 25th of December, communities gather and beat the living daylights out of each other to settle old grudges or tension that built up over the year. These celebrations are, of course, shadowed by dancing, music, bright coloured clothing and the support of family. On the day of Takanakuy, entire Towns/communities gather in sporting arenas to watch fellow members of the community slug it out. People of all ages partake in the festivities including women, children and even the elderly. Don’t judge a book by its cover, some of these old folks pack a mean punch – what did you expect from someone who lived a hard life of struggle and pain? They’re hard as nails yo. One thing I’ve noticed is that no matter how a person ages, their power is always there. They may lose stamina and speed, but give these folks half a chance and they’ll hand you a first-class ticket to Dreamland. If you don’t believe me, ask any boxer who faced George Foreman after he decided to come out of retirement to challenge on the professional stage– getting hit by this behemoth was like getting hit by a ten-ton truck! He returned to boxing at the ripe age of 40, against all odds, to reclaim the heavyweight title; battling athletes half his age. He was 46 years of age when he was crowned heavyweight Champion for the second time in his career, becoming the oldest man to hold the title; defeating Michael Moorer (aged 26) by knockout.

Peruvian Dames coming out swinging

Anyway, back to the event known as Takanakuy –

Loosely translated, Takanakuy in Quechua (the local language of the region) means, “when the blood is boiling”. This word doesn’t necessarily reflect the true nature of this day of celebration. The event is mainly about family, togetherness, love and having a great time. Sure, there is aggression and flying kicks but the procession is controlled & principles, fair. As far as striking is concerned, anything goes. You may punch, kick, elbow, knee & headbutt an opponent. Although biting, attacking a person when they are on the ground and pulling hair is forbidden. The winner is selected based upon a knockout or intervention by the official, who carries a whip with him for crowd control (“Get yo ass outta here!!!”😏 ). If there is disagreement from the side of the loser regarding the decision of the match official, he/she is entitled to appeal the decision. Another fight is held soon thereafter to cast aside all doubt. Listen to this – It is tradition and mandatory for each fight to end and begin with either a hug or a handshake. How’s that for sportsmanship?

At the end of it all, everybody goes home happy having released all that built-up tension. Things mellow down, they talk, they dance and spend the rest of the day with their loved ones.

**Click the link on the top to view the initial post upon which this one is based. Let me know in the comments if you found this post informative or to add your perspective. I love seeing things from all angles. Stay safe, stay happy & keep spreading the love. Peace**

Respect for the elderly

In a world of democracy, equality & freedom you would expect a certain level of respect for all beings. They say we are all created equal, but that isn’t the way we necessarily treat each other. We hear it all the time, “Respect is earned”. Well, I don’t agree with statement at all. I strongly believe that each person should be given respect until such time that their actions & behaviour warrants otherwise. Besides, being respectful and courteous says more about YOU as a person than the people you engage with.

Today we flout our civility & progressiveness, feeling as if we are beyond our tarnished histories of savagery and brutality. Though, with certain values it seems as though we are regressing. As time went on we have become arrogant, self-absorbed & condescending to a level where we don’t have any regard for the seniors. The old among us are not shown the same level of respect that they would have been shown of, lets say, a hundred years ago. I wonder why that is. It is particularly disheartening since it is the old among us that can teach us the greatest lessons, they can teach us valuable life lessons coupled with wisdom which can only be learnt by life experiences. Their roles in our lives are greatly undermined – we ignore them, not give them their due respect and view them as members of society whose roles are redundant. We fail to realise that they are the backbones of families, the pegs that keep families together and link us to our past. Sadly, we only feel the impact of their absence once they are no longer with us & unfortunately , by then, it is too late to do right by them. I feel that having old parents/grandparents is a gift from the almighty whereby an opportunity is given to you to gain his pleasure. How ,you ask? Simple, by serving them when they need you & giving them unparalleled respect & love until the end of their days. What would be a better farewell than that? There’s not much that the elderly ask of us – they just want to be heard, loved & respected.

BLACKLISTED

Nowhere for you to go, not a morsel to spare.

You tried to heal your sick self, but does anybody care?

Sometimes people hear but don’t listen.

And you just gotta make do with the scraps that you’re given.

Everyone would prefer a quiet little bird, that barely makes a sound.
I guess that’s basically the same as you not being around.

I believe that every man should have his say…..
Coz even a broken clock is right at least twice a day.

Best believe that there’s one that’s always been there.
To listen to you when you’re sick & your soul is in despair.

Maybe we all lost souls looking to make a change.

Clean our dirty hearts and our lives rearrange.

I know you hear me…Even when I don’t say a word.
I just wanna be free …More free than that soaring bird.

Until I meet you, I know I’m never alone.
And that we’ll only truly be happy when we come back home.

Self realisation. Who are we? How did we get here? And who made us so perfect?

Below is an interesting poetic piece I came across which is both thought provoking and true. It is these very questions that we all have as human beings, an innate urge to find out what our true purpose is. The truth is everywhere around us, if only we can open our eyes and see. Though, to be cured from this blindness we suffer from, our hearts and minds need to be opened first.

“You see, what a life, what a life!

The first period of our life is ignorance

So, I guess we have an excuse to live day by day with no purpose

But surely with age comes intelligence

So, we should reach a stage where we find reason for our existence

As youth, the world was a playground, we’re just tryna have fun

As adults, the world turns to trade and pounds, we’re just tryna earn funds

Victims of our environment, enemies of our government filled with hate and no hope

And those in the states- they can’t cope when those across the road have got loads

The only thing in common is the goals, happiness, everyone just wants to be happy

Living this lifestyle of luxury

But does materials equal success? is she getting the peace from these new shoes and a dress?

And does he really feel complete with a new car and a Rolex?

Or are we searching for happiness in the wrong places?

Instead of looking at hearts were looking at faces

Victims of ignorance, slaves of our desires

We wanna end this world with a smile on our face but don’t live the life that’s required

Are we people of different standards, classes or nations? or are we humble, equal people, children of Adam?

Do you shake the owner of the restaurants hand with the same hand you shake the hand of the man that’s attending the toilets?

Or do you look down on those below you because they got less?

We’re hopeless if we don’t start thinking outside the box

And the one who created this world really deserves a lot

You see we praise the mind that invented the aeroplane

But we forget about the mind that invented the mind

And in time we shall know the truth

And we praise the people that stood for something, that fought for freedom …we love those people

Well if we love those people, why do we still live like animals?

Working all week so we can party on the weekend, working all winter so we can party all summer?

The cycle goes round and round and round but the clocks ticking down and down and down

One can only go round the same roundabout for so long

There comes a stage where you have to choose your exit and find your way home

You see we’re attracted to the wrong things and we cry about the trouble it brings

The more people you make happy the happier you will be

If that’s the case why do we only care about we? “