Contemplation on the Odu Irosun Iwori

I was born free

until life built walls

that surrounded me

I was born unencumbered

until the world burdened me

with the weight of its’ mistakes

I was born unchained

until religions tied me down 

with righteousness

I was born enlightened

until words tied my tongue

and language obscured the truth

I was born alive

until society handed me a clock

with which to countdown my days

I was born

into a society

that boxed me in

from the moment

I was born

until 

I realized I could

cut a window

build a door

and 

live in

or out

of my box

Contemplation on the Odu Osa Odi ( Osa Idi )

A love bought
is not love
just as the
sound of a
songbird can not
be called a
thing of beauty
by a man
with no hearing
Only time can
prove a love
that is true
and though love
can be simple
it's often painted
in a thousand
shades of grey
Sometimes easy, sometimes
hard, only one
truth remains unspoken
Love is work

Contemplation on the Odu Ogbe Ofun

Who am I
but a reflection of my past
today
seemingly free
I am merely a slave to yesterday
and tomorrow
masters unseen
dictating my path
puppeteer
of life
God is
not a being
not a thing
not anything
but everything
God is
that which happens
in between the notes

Contemplation on the Odu Ogbe Ika

I tripped on a bucket today
walking past your house
I stopped to put it back
but couldn’t avoid the puddle of water
created by my carelessness
I’d made a mess of things
and didn’t know how to clean up
so I gingerly stepped around it
to put the bucket back
only to see looking up at me
my reflection
rippling in the wind
I’d caused this
I didn’t mean to
but I had
I left a note
to say I’m sorry
and turned away
hoping that I’d put things back
as best I could
The sun shone down
evaporating the water
until all that was left
was a salty film
on the sidewalk
the lone memory
of my mistake
the dried tears
of yesterdays folly
and an apology
that next time
I’ll be more careful

-- Marcos Sanchez --  Listening to Nils Frahm Tristane https://soundcloud.com/sonic-pieces/nils-frahm-tristana  I felt compelled to write this contemplation:

Contemplation on the Odu Oworin Irosun on new years eve 2013

I can’t tell you much
the enormity of the universe
often puts me in my place
but I can tell you this
the only thing that is certain
is that nothing is certain
that doesn’t mean it’s not probable
only that it’s not guaranteed
life is a gift that comes with no return receipt
and a manual that more often than not is missing pages
we assemble ourselves as best we can
adding memories like scavenged parts
trying to build the life we want
with only half the parts required
even those who appear to have more than needed
end up unfulfilled
missing those few critical pieces
to make them whole
live
love
laugh
adapt
you may not have the perfect machine
but you’d be surprised what you can make
if you take the pieces you’ve got
and reassemble them into something useful
you may even end up with
something better than you could have ever expected
-- Marcos Sanchez --

Contemplation on the Odu Oyeku Ogbe

Beware the system and its subtle ways

for one day you might wake up and realize

you have become dependent on it

enslaved by its rules

fattened on the milk of its breast

defending it like an addict

having forgotten that once 

you dreamed of life outside the box

wake from your slumber

and make your dream reality

Contemplation on the Odu Ogbe Oyeku

It’s not just the notes played

but also the moments of silence

that make greatness.

Learning to play

regardless of capability

does not make one an artist

the art is in knowing

when to play

when to hesitate

and when to stop

-- Marcos Sanchez --

Inspired by Jose James "bird of space" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xTrNLXAAK8