A gift..........

This is quite timely. On Boxing day (the day when people traditionally unwrapped their presents), I've got a gift for you. In fact, I've got two.

Firstly, my favourite group have just released an E.P called 'Books' (They go by the name of Abimaro and the Free, ladies and gentlemen). You can get the download (for free) on http://abimaroandthefree.bandcamp.com

Secondly, I wanted to share a poem from the archive. It's called Grace and my subject matter matches it's title. Hope you enjoy. Have a great Christmas season.
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I've been saved by grace through faith

I said I've been saved by grace through faith

That means in simplicity

God has delivered me

Through favour he's set me free

Basically there's belief

In my heart Christ rose from the dead

And my life's dictated by Him

Placing a gift in me

Life eternal 

Eternally In his Peace

Not through the things I did

But through what he did for me

I remember when I used to sit and deliberate

Things that were basic

But didn't fit my inner state

When they tried to say

That I'm saved through his sacrifice 

And not through the things I do

But Faith in the blood of Christ

That was hard to stomach bruv

And I lost my lunch

Hearing though I've preached to hundreds on the bus

It's not enough

To earn a little of his love.....just a little blessing

Though I've been working my socks off

It's equal peggins

With a murderer, thief and a liar

Cause God says we're saved when

We meet the Messiah

And it's not through your doing fam

Not through your doing, cuz

If I speak Gospel truth I've gotta pursue this

Grace is a free gift

Love for you's why he did it

Not so you'd be tangled in rules

But Lost up in his Spirit

God in wisdom made Paul write Galatians

And Colossians 2

You lose the truth then it's a loss to you

How did you start in the Spirit in perfection

Now the works of the law

Make you work for acceptance?

And sometimes you leave thinking

I should be a better Christian

Not living In Love

But in Satan's deceptions

Of false guilt, false shame

That you have to force to do it

But my God he loves you

And he's the one who'll walk you through it

Legality kills liberty

And through Man made rules

We've all been imprisoned see

Peeps can get mad at me

Saying that my Gospel's not true

But Paul said it best when he warned us

See No one captures you

According to man's traditions

See no one takes you captive

Walking in a man's tradition

So you can work in your own strength to get better 

But I let God work in me

You catch the difference?

Cus I can never gain love

Through my own efforts

I can never gain life

Through a lie

And those who rely

On their own efforts are cursed

I live by Grace and on Christ I rely

Inspiration at it's finest.....

Seems like I haven't wrote a blog in a while, but time for an update...........I thought the best title for this blog would be 'Inspiration at it's finest' because as you've probably guessed, I've been inspired!! 

Fresh from the latest 'Word up' session at The Drum Arts Centre in Birmingham, I was challenged to draw more of my poetry out of life experiences, not being scared to touch on issues which are raw and sensitive. Now with me, receiving criticism, no matter how constructive isn't an easy thing, but it was exactly what I needed to hear in order to gather fresh ammunition, from a deeper place. 

The fact is we're inspired every hour, by things we see, conversations we have and situations we face. My friend told me this week 'We are all different books in the library of life'. Sometimes it just takes a small glimpse into the pages of another person's 'book' to receive courage to scribble your own out with more honesty.

In keeping with that theme, I'd like to share with you a poem I heard yesterday by a lady who goes by the name of 'Janette....Ikz', a spoken word artist from a Los Angeles collective named 'P4CM'. Hopefully, after watching you'll be inspired! Enjoy....... 

 

Roots and rhymes...

Greetings people. After my last blog, I'm in a somewhat calmer mood. Maybe it's all this poetry going on....

Another year, another Black History month brought to a close....well nearly. It's so strange but I never know it's Black History month til somewhere near the end. This year was no different, but I did (at the least) catch one or two spoken word shows before it ended, learn a bit more about the life of Dr Martin Luther King and contemplate where Black people are now compared with where we were then. At times I get so philosophical, you know!!

Just wanted to share a poem that I shared at an event called 'Message to the messengers: A tribute to Gil Scott Heron' on Thursday. Whatever the colour of your skin, I hope it speaks to you.
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Did you ever get that feeling you were being watched?

Mentally depleted feeling like you need a reefer,

Just to ease your heart?

He's with us is the cry that we all equally,

Believe in but,

Deeper in we're trying to decipher it.

Egyptian scholars they believed in sarcophaguses,

Book of the dead said life could be promised 'em,

So they worshipped Amun-Ra, 'God of the Sun',

But even though their God he was one,

He was lots of things.
Went he went down he would struggle with the darkness,

Fact that he rose showed the hardest had won,

So in the view of a man encapsuled in that hot weather,

God and Seraphims took the mask of the sun.

And the elements were glorified,

Pharoahs they were mummified,

The Creator's form looked like,

Whatever they adored in life,

Whatever they endorsed and whatever was unknown in power,

Soon was on their walls as a reverential source empowered.
The Greek Epicureans and philosophers,

Worshipped their stone portraits and acknowledged 'em,

Things that we do now show that we follow 'em,

As we hollerin on our own areopagus,

That our belonging is in things we created,

As the Black man following a king that portrays him,

So I aint surprised,

That the stigma of ancient,

Comes in the modern day things that we says revised,
Some even claim it's light with the thought,

'I could never follow any White man's God'

As the main retort,

And I admit the Lord isn't as those pictures taught,

And that it was that culture sculpting God in their image bro......

But our sin is trying to make a God that portrays us fam,

When the Creat-ah, isn't made from hands

The one I follow as the centerpin,

Made some light and he polished some with melanin,

Prophecy rests in his hands, he's the King of Kings

Lion of the tribe of Judah is his name.

And the visions plain, back then the Father let it go,

Now he's callin' all men to repent and change.
And yeah he's coming with a judge to deliver shame,

But life to those who wanna go deeper in,

Who trust his hidden name....

He can do that,

As one they delivered to the grave,

Yet he lives again.

Messiah wants to know you, you in?

Yahoshua, Jesus, know him and live,

Messiah wants to know you, you in?

Yahoshua, Jesus, know him and live.

A touch of reality...

Hello again, been a little break but I just wanted to share a little experience I had yesterday.....

I frequent a little show which they like to call 'Artistic Souls', held in the heart of Birmingham each month. Hosted by well known Birmingham personality Andre 'Soul' Hesson, you find a place where spoken word talent and underground poets sit back, relax and share their inspirations. I was truly inspired when I left the show last night. There were two pieces which really brought home what it means to be real. A poet named Deci4Life started the onslaught with a piece about a 15 year old, who was raped, an act which he described in great detail. This was coupled with a call for the 'examples' (olders) in the community to step up in their roles. During a piece by a young Brum poet by the name of Kesha C, I was silenced. She spoke with such an honesty during her poem directed 'to a mother' that I was thinking 'what do I actually have to bring to the table'.

These guys spoke about life in such a real way that I dared not bring something that was just a poem, lacking the heart, passion, intensity and REALITY that the preceding pieces had. I felt challenged to my core with one question on my lips. How can I as a Christian be someone with such life changing power on the inside, yet be so afraid of my heart, my feelings, emotions and my testimony. My question was directed to both me and those who share my profession.  

Why won't we write poems addressing the turmoil of a mother or father walking out on us, and through it show the healing brought to our lives, by us choosing to forgive?  
And why don't we speak of the pain associated with abortion, if its something we've experienced showing how God's love and forgiveness got us through?

When will we become real and not live in pretence? True and not deceptive?

Light without living with hidden darkness?

The Dub poet, Kokumo who went on after me said (and I paraphrase)

'I want you to shout 'Yes man' or give you signs of approval with a voice of agreement. None of the clapping which you've been doing tonight. That kinda clapping ah church dat fah. No offense to the young poet who just brought some concious lyrics.....'

Since when was the church associated with passionless praise, and a clapping because it's a necessary....

Why are we seen to the world as 'too unreal' for the average 'living breathing human' to get to grips with?

Jesus was real, and he still is....Something has to change....

Where I write......

Some write all their life experiences in a diary. I did.....but diary's are often personal, for your eyes only until they often end up falling into the wrong hands.......

Some write all their life experiences in a book. I would......but autobiographies are sometimes...somewhat...biased.

Some write all their life experiences in a blog. I do........with some, but I still think theres a better way.

I write my life experiences in my lyric book.

There I am free to comment on all the things I like (and don't like) about others, myself and society.

There I can transfer a message which is directly from my heart with no need for airbrushing.

There I can be honest with myself and with God.

There I can be....me.

Here is a little spoken word from my lyric book which I titled 'The Walk'.....

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I went from lukewarm to looking like soldiers,

Though I don't look any older, I've grown up,

The moaning stopped, I know what's up,

Cus I've been through the fold of the bro's that watch,

Tryna imitate those that up with a slight fame,

Amaze most with flows but know that inside pain,

Swallows me up like ricegrains,

My mindframe was alive

But was cutting me slow like migraines.

Now I ain't the guy that they saw in the slums,

As a bad man I'm also a son,

And my daddy don't,

Know I'm a thug whilst he's worshipping God,

Or that I'm holding in the sock of my pumps,

He think's I'm studying,

My role model's we're the pushers of drugs,

And the life of Snoop Dogg I was looking to touch,

Had the braids with the walk and the clutch,

Like A pimp sir,

But deep in my heart, you see I weren't sincere.

Open me, you'd see a kid here, reaching for truth,

Weeping inside while I'm deeply confused,

Took weed with a hit of the booze knowing it's laced to kill,

I should be dead but God's grace is amazing still,

I disobeyed thinking it's a fluke,

Little guy still tryna get recognition from the heads,

On the ends, the respect is power,

So every hour I would rep with cowards.

Now they say Jamaica will change ya,

But i was rearranged by the hands of my saviour,

The clay broke

But God had me sent there for a purpose,

Not herbs but, 

Words of a Pastor I got in a service,

I wern't gon' go

Save ridiculous feelings telling me to walk the wrong way home,

So.....I walked it and hit a convention,

Put there for my salvation,

I had my own struggle.

Walk in the church or go home to my own hustle,

My own protection system or would I step in to listen,

I did he flipped the script and now I found direction in him,

My role model changed like a coke bottle frame,

I've been structured so I won't be caught up in fame,

Cus it's a vapour I'm more on where I'm gonna stay,

Christ follower, Bible basher the common names,

But I've been saved by the God who took the cross of pain.

Who for the lost to save gave up his life,

While other people's role models give them baby advice,

Talk rhymes where there aimin to die,

My role model gives me life I'll reclaim in the sky,

So I don't watch now,

No watchtower gonna save me my life,

Only his word gives flames to ignite,

Embers of worthlessness,

We earth put to achieve I believe it,

But the only br'er I wanna be like is Jesus.

Do You Trust Me.................

Whats good people. Thought about what to do my first official blog on, then I thought what's on my heart. I mean if I'm getting into this blogging scene (and with a name like 'Makings of a man'), its best for me to be authentic, honest and transparent.....so here goes...

I volunteer in a drop in 2 out of 7 days in a week and often come in contact with people that life hasn't dealt the greatest hand. Addictions, Homelessness and life issues in general are a common theme in the 'Jesus Centre' and after talking with a woman on Monday, I was told to 'testify' next time I get the chance to go into work. Now I don't know about you, but when I hear the term testify I think, black church, old school deacons, pastor and congregation and a plumpish woman at the front in her Sunday best sharing what God's done for her in the last week at the altar.

Unfortunately I had no pulpit.....and those who know me know I'm not too much on the plumpish side. No congregation, just a few people going about their everyday lives in a drop in centre....and  just one word on my heart.....Trust. Like everyone I think I've been hurt once or twice, and it's impacted heavily on how much I've let people in since and trust people in general. But God's been changing my heart and healing me in that area by showing me someone who I can depend on to never change....him.  

So...this is what I shared with those in the 'Jesus Time' on the day. I can only speak what I know......check out this song by Taylor Lane, an artist I've been following for about 2 years now. I think she touches on the subject of 'dependence' in a unique and quite beautiful way.....Enjoy.