Nuts & Bolts

The Jewel of Israel.
Monday, March 29, 2010

O maid, unrelenting and cold as thou art,
My bosom is proud as thine own.

Seward

Like de Bois-Guilbert, I am tamed by the brown eyes of Rebecca. In her presence my tongue is dulled, and my sword heavy. And I will choose to fight no longer, save for her, and her alone - for this day I tell all: the Jewess holds my heart, and what sweeter place is there for me?

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 12:42 AM 0 comment(s)  

A Fistful of Colours.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

"Fools", said I, "You do not know,
Silence like a cancer grows."
"Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like raindrops fell,
And echoed in the wells of silence.

Sounds of Silence, by Simon and Garfunkel

We spend our days talking, yet we say little to nothing. Like balloons in the sky these words float on by, a fistful of colours to please the wandering eye.

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 11:26 PM 0 comment(s)  

The Spider's Reach.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Say not my art is fraud: all live by seeming.
The beggar begs with it, and the gay courtier
Gains land and title, rank and rule, by seeming;
The clergy scorn it not; and the bold soldier
Will eke with it his service. All admit it,
All practise it; and he who is content
With showing what he is shall have small credit
In church, or camp, or state. So wags the world.

Old Play

Wise words. If you understand it, would you admit the truth of these few lines, of yourself? Or are you one of many who choose to ignore the truth when it stares you in the face?

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 2:02 PM 1 comment(s)  

When We Were Kings.
Monday, March 15, 2010

Muhammad Ali, he was like a sleeping elephant. You can do whatever you want around a sleeping elephant; whatever you want. But when he wakes up, he tramples everything.
- Malik Bowens

When I was a lot younger, I was a big fan of boxing. The ring, the lights, the audience, the champions themselves - it was all so fascinating. Having lived with my grandparents for a few years when I was young, it became normal for me to sit beside my grandfather as the latest boxing match played on the telly. Once the fight was over, my grandfather, my father, and my uncles, would tell me stories about how George Foreman punched a charging bull, cracking its skull; how Sugar Ray Robinson danced with crocodiles; and how Rocky Marciano fought off a dozen giants. They were stories meant to fuel a young boy's imagination, and for that alone I used to walk around thinking that these men were - above all - Gods on Earth.

I don't know why I stopped watching boxing, to be honest. It was a good sport, an entertaining sport.

Last week I sat down to watch a boxing movie/documentary, titled "When We Were Kings". It documented the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, in Zaire, Africa. I loved it - not because of the boxing match itself (of which footage was minimal), but because of every moment documented before it. Muhammad Ali was amazing to watch - his confidence, his strength, his resolve and determination. Simply amazing. I sat in awe, wondering how anyone could be so exciting, so sure of themselves. So sure of what they wanted out of every living moment - or at the very least, portray themselves as such.

The documentary is full of Ali's own commentary - really entertaining stuff. Here's my favourite:-

It is befitting that I leave the game just like I came in, beating a big bad monster who knocks out everybody and no one can whup him. So when little Cassius Clay from Louisville, Kentucky, came up to stop Sonny Liston. The man who annihilated Floyd Patterson twice. HE WAS GONNA KILL ME! But he hit harder than George. His reach is longer than George's. He's a better boxer than George. And I'm better now than I was when you saw that 22-years old undeveloped kid running from Sonny Liston. I'm experienced now, professional. Jaws been broke, been knocked down a couple of times, I'm bad! Been chopping trees. I done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator. That's right. I have wrestled with an alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. That's bad! Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick! Bad, fast! Fast! Fast! Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch and was in the bed before the room was dark.

Amazing stuff. Hahaha. I strongly recommend watching this documentary if you have some interest in boxing, or if you simply think Muhammad Ali is awesome.

Oh, FYI - the soundtrack gets two thumbs up from me. James Brown, B.B. King, and loads more - if you're a fan of the blues, of funk, it's safe to say you're gonna have difficulty keeping your feet from tapping.

Ding ding ding!

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 6:26 PM 0 comment(s)  

Among Strangers.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Fond wretch! and what canst thou relate,
But deeds of sorrow, shame, and sin?
Thy deeds are proved - thou know'st thy fate;
But come, thy tale! begin - begin.

But I have griefs of other kind,
Troubles and sorrows more severe;
Give me to ease my tortured mind,
Lend to my woes a patient ear;
And let me, if I may not find
A friend to help, find one to hear.

Crabbe's Hall of Justice

I am afraid. I never would have dreamt that fate would deal such a horrible hand to anyone I so love. And will he recover? Is this just temporary? I am afraid, God above me, I am afraid. I have been told, "prepare yourself" - but that I cannot do, not now, not yet.

I pray, I pray - for my love for him, for his love for me - I pray it goes, like a breeze. Heaven hear my prayer: let him remember! For it is too cruel to leave him to forget.

Heaven hear my prayer.

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 11:32 PM 2 comment(s)  

Bird of Paradise.
Friday, March 5, 2010

Oh when the Sunshine beckons to ya,
and your wings begin to unfold;
The thoughts you bring and the songs you sing,
are gonna keep me from the cold.

Hello everyone. It's certainly been a while.

Given a certain level of thought byAdam Dewind at 4:41 PM 0 comment(s)