A Night

Out of the stormy tears

in my frightened heart.

A breath upon my soul,

promises a shining new start.

Hold me like yours,

a child so close, so sure,

That there will be a day,

from the darkness that is so pure.

The ‘To Do’ list

Life is long and there is so much to see and be a part of. So I have decided to write a list of the 30 things I’d like to do most before I have to settle down and be a grown up. I hope this inspires you to write a list of your own:

1)      Eat a Cornetto.

2)      Drink Viper blood in a bar in Hong Kong.

3)      Drive Route 66.

4)      Base Jump.

5)      See Budapest.

6)      Eat a Philly Cheese Steak.

7)      Eat a Hot Dog in New York.

8)      See Florence.

9)      Visit the Haj Sofia.

10)   Meet an Eskimo.

11)   Sail the Med.

12)   See Vic falls and Great Zimbabwe.

13)   Trek Scotland and see the Northern lights.

14)   Fire an AK 47.

15)   Read “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoyevsky.

16)   Write a novel.

17)   Hug a million people.

18)   Party at a Chase and Status Gig.

19)   See the Black Keys in concert.

20)   Learn to read Music.

21)   Go back to Ethiopia.  

22)   Surf.

23)   Catch a river shark on the Zambezi River.

24)   Have a feature Published in the ‘New Yorker’.

25)   Be in a Shakespeare production.

26)   Set a copy of “Need for Speed: Underground” (for Xbox) on fire and scatter the ashes on Jim Morrison’s grave (either you haven’t played NfS or you don’t know who Jim Morrison is”).

27)   Read an inspiring piece to people on tube.

28)   Take a selfie with Marisa Tomei.

29)   Give away my most prized possession.

30)   Find out and acquire the thing Tina wants most.

If there is anyone of these you’d like to participate in by all means tell me in the comment section below, I'm quite determined to make this list happen.  

An Autumn

The autumnal colours break the boring grey, vibrant yellows, reds and flame oranges among the dying green. Finger like twigs, point to the coming of the icy blasts, to the north. We ride this spinning rock, what a trip, what a beautiful fall.

They amble along the concrete river while a breath dances between their feet, swirling lazily the leaves that cover the ground. Busy with self importance, the spectacle is lost on this unnatural breed, a veritable paradise to we who would only look. The summer dies a righteous death.

Breaking daylight singes the deep cloud; a slither of warm light touches the broad rim of a hat I bare, so I tip it to expose the flesh of my skull, pale, starved, it soaks nourishment from this scarce resource.

Sensational waves tingle in my mind, shadows vanish, clarity becomes. Worshippers would use this moment to speak of God, artists of inspiration, those that look, an event never to be seen again, like a fleeting glance of a crashing star or the very moment you fell in love, and what a beautiful time to be in love.

Broken Flowers

We are a bouquet of broken flowers.

The unwanted seeds, no one expected to grow,

Cast on stony soil.

A song written on the unread parchment.

The Music of a lost Generation, no one wanted to hear.

And yet here we are.

Standing barefoot in fields of shattered glass

With our heads held high.

In full bloom and full voice,

Too beautiful to be ignored.

The Ten Best Break-Up Lines Ever

10) You might not have noticed this, I've de-friended you on Facebook and changed my status to single, I suggest you do the same.

9) The position of girlfriend has been outsourced to India your services will no longer be required, consider this e-mail to be your severance package.

8) I know that I will regret this decision the minute you close the front door, so can you leave through the kitchen so my neighbours don’t have to see you crying.

7) I'm sorry dear but I found a cleaning lady and a prostitute to do what you do at half the cost.

6) I got good news and bad news, bad news is it’s over, good news is I never have to see you again.

5) I'm renting out your side of the bed.

4) Buy a cat B***h.

3) I feel you need to see other people too.

2) It’s not you, it’s me, I find you repulsive.

1) You have to make a choice; it’s either me or chocolate.

McCall’s Quilting

Niche market magazines, such as ‘McCall’s Quilting’, benefit from a dedicated (often obsessive) clientele, as well as revenue from advertisers specialising in related products. They're the crack dealers of the magazine industry.

Quilting is ingrained in American culture and remains a popular past time. Some families can trace their heritage by the patches on quilts handed down from generation to generation. Facts I recently learnt but not by reading the September/October issue of ‘McCall’s Quilting’.

Art Work:
The art work is not particularly innovative, though it must be said that a lot of hard work has been put into brighten up a somewhat dull situation. The soft colours give the magazine a warm welcoming appearance (much like a nursing home). The quilts themselves are very pretty and the cover gives good examples of the variety available inside.

Content:
This edition offers 18 patterns that I'm sure set the hearts of the quilting faithful a-flutter. It offers nothing for anyone casually seeking a new hobby which is, as far as I'm concerned, a trick missed. “Hexies are hot!” exclaims a cover tagline, “no their not” say I setting fire to my hair out of sheer boredom.

Conclusion:

This magazine should carry a warning accompanied by pictures of people in comas. Then again if you happen to be into sewing pieces of cloth together and (sarcastically) who wouldn't be, this publication is the one for you.

As for me well I cut mine up and made this instead. 

Esquire

A good periodical should be described as three things:

• Informative
• Entertaining
• Inspiring

Esquire UK promises this in two words and an ampersand: “Style & Substance”. A lofty motto if there ever was.

   

The now Art Director, David McKendrick, once came to me in a moment of loss of faith. He looked at the latest copy of the time and said, “Other people save lives and we produce this.” His tone was despondent and questioning in the way that great men often speak when their vision, on quests of the utmost importance, is blurred. The statement resonated with me and a few days later my answer to him was thus “You produce beauty without which, there would be no reason for life.”

In no doubt he has taken these words to heart. I am reading the September issue, subs edition, with Kate Moss on the cover and it is Beautiful.

Pretension is a fearful beast but Esquire UK steers clear by not taking itself too seriously and throwing a few chuckles into everything it does. It is essentially a men’s “style” magazine covering a wide range of topics and products that wet the pallet.

From Savile Row to H&M the issue impresses with its real life solutions to real life man problems. What to drive, where to eat, what to drink, where to travel and generally how to be impressive. Its Art work is startling, well thought-out and deeply detailed on every page.

The main feature is a tribute to their worthy cover model, accompanied by a collection of photography of outstanding pedigree. *Note: Curiously there is no interview with Kate; don’t let that put you off though.

Am I informed yes, am I entertained indeed, am I inspired well let’s just say there’s a Paul Smith coat/Thomas Pink shirt combination in my near future.

Esquire UK is a righteous publication, it soaks up culture, digests it and pours art onto its pages for all to enjoy.