Saturday, June 28, 2014

This Is For A Certain Right Wing Propagandist


This Is For A Certain Right Wing Propagandist

You’ve got an automatic awesome response system
Queued up and ready for use at a moment’s notice
It comes in handy when you only follow what’s trending
Sleeping on life compared to the real world is much easier
Answering questions like a double talking beauty contestant
Little thought or sincerity required just open up and spew
Your gaping mouth delivers your vapid hate filled verbiage
Placing blame to your left with violent angry rhetoric
The plan must work your name is repeated ad nauseam
You know it’s just a practiced practical grab for attention
Now I’m bored with speaking about you without speaking your name
If I ignore your obvious irritating act will you do me a favor
Dry up and disappear let the wind blow away the dust
Of what remains of your pathetic offensive existence
Now that would be worth talking about....uh wait a minute.....

I found a music podcast that was comprised of various styles that I normally wouldn't listen to. But together they seemed to work rather well, at least for a while. As I listened I got the idea for this one. At first it seemed to be about a group of like minded people and it wasn't until I was about two thirds of the way into it that I realized it was about one particular person who has been in the news recently for some ridiculously incendiary comments, as is her norm. I won't mention her name, it's been said enough. She bugs me but I know it's all an act designed to draw attention by being as outlandish as she can be. The world is a poorer place for having her in it.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Friday, June 27, 2014

My Father Had A Wandering Eye

My father had a wandering eye which luckily (for him) matched his feet. The man moved around and apparently could do some talking with women. He seemingly always had a women to take care of him. If he got rid of one it was a sure bet that another would soon take her place. More than likely she had already been sized up and prepped for his future wooing, like I said the man had a way of talking to the ladies.

He also had the unfortunate talent of being a habitual liar. This became clear when time after time he would tell me something that always proved to be untrue. Usually over some small, inconsequential matter. For instance, he would ask if one of my sisters had gotten his birthday card and of course they hadn’t, because it had never been sent. Or he would state that he had sent a gift for my nephew at Christmas and when it didn’t show up he’d use his standard line of “I’ll have to get a trace put on it.”

You can only hear those lines so many times before you catch on and it gets old. Maybe that’s why he kept changing his women so much. To my knowledge he was married at least seven times and there is a good sized chunk of time unaccounted for. We had stopped communicating for a time due to the fact that he had changed his telephone number after cashing some checks from the military that were mine. You see, I’m named after him and since we share the same name it was rather easy for him. What’s a little thing like being the only person to stand by him to come before money, right?

It wasn’t until I was away in the first Gulf War that I decided to make an effort to reconcile and so I got my mother to call my aunt (his twin sister) to see if he wanted to talk. Of course he did but it ended up stalling out once again after I had driven several hours to see him and my half-siblings. I only ended up meeting one of them, the twin boys (yup, he was a twin that had twins) never showed up. Maybe they learned a thing or two from him.

Because he was such a habitual liar it was hard to tell truth from fiction where he was concerned but there was a time or two where I thought he really had let his guard down and let me have a peek inside of the man. Once was about his time in Vietnam and the other was about things that had happened to him in the family when he was young. But hell, what do I know? Like I keep saying, the man could talk and spin a lie like no other.

We’re not sure if my grandfather was really my grandfather. There was something going on and old man Bennett swore the twins weren’t his and he kicked my grandma out of the house and divorced her. Grandpa took her in and gave the children his name. At least that’s how the story goes and most of the interested parties have passed on so we’ll probably never know the truth. He’s still grandpa to me though, no matter what. Maybe that had something to do with why Dad was the way he was.

Now I’m a father and the way I feel about it is that it’s my job is to ensure that my son never turns out like the grandfather that he’s never known. You see, I had my son a bit late in life. I was forty-two years old when he was born and my father’s death preceded that birth by about seven and a half years. It sounds a bit harsh to say but I think my son is better off never knowing his grandfather. Never having to be disappointed as to why he infrequently sees him or calls him or by the lies he tells about cards and gifts, none of which were ever asked for.

It is a harsh assessment but also a fair one. You reap what you sow after all. I guess we’ll see what kind of a job I’ve done in a few decades.


Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

I Guess I Don't Count In Your Eyes

Another new one that came to me yesterday. I guess it's true about me that I get things out when I'm upset. I just can't stand the idea that just because I don't agree with you then you have the right to rip into me and act is if I don't count (hence the title, pretty slick huh?). Just because we have differing views it doesn't invalidate what you believe, it's just different. except in the case of those two yayhoos on the Internet that provided the stimulus for this one. They were self righteous, smug, self-important bastards, not that I'm holding a grudge or anything.

I Guess I Don't Count

State your opinions out loud
There for all to hear
They respond with vigor
Condescension in the air
I am white so I am right
Lean to the right with me
Let me cover the facts
Smothered in confusion
Double talk a hint of hate
It’s a recipe that succeeds
Don’t dare to contradict
Your belief and theories
Based on retreaded verbiage
It all means nothing

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Had To Write About Answers

This isn't about a family member or close friend but it is about a particular person. You can get from it what you will but it came to me yesterday and I guess it's a continuation of my recent spurt of creativity. I'll keep going as long is this stuff keeps coming to me.

Answers

You come to me for answers
I talk you’re not listening
Tell me you need my help
And then cut me off
What’s the point to this
You’re just wasting my time
I wish I could cut you out
Let your cancer burn away
One less problem child
One less worry for me
I keep running out of time
Your distractions only pile on
Wish I could scream out loud
Use your brain and go away
Life would be much easier
But I need this

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Ten For Tuesday Episode 062



There's not a lot to say. This episode is late and so I didn't talk a great deal, as a matter of fact I only talked once during the show and that was to give out the name of the bands and the songs. So there you have it and here's the music:

Radioactivity - Sickness
The Ergs - Pray For Rain
The Observers - Lead Pill
Rudi - I Spy
Hunchback - Inside/Out
Lazlo Bane ft. Colin Hay - Overkill
California X - Spider X
The Hold Steady - Spinners
Afghan Whigs - Turn On The Water
The Pursuit Of Happiness - Cigarette Dangles

Ten For Tuesday is a podcast dedicated to playing the music I couldn't find anywhere else. The music I like varies from style to style, genre to genre and era to era. You will hear punk, ska, rock, Americana, metal, country, rockabilly and more from all over the world. It doesn't matter if it's a major label or indie as long as I like it then it gets played. The motto is Less Talk More Music which means you won't hear me waxing poetic for fifteen minutes between songs. At TFT its all about the music...and me of course.
Email: tenfortuesday@gmail.com Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com
Old Episodes can be found by going to www.archive.org and searching for Ten For Tuesday.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Friday, June 20, 2014

The Power Behind

Okay so here's the other one that I wrote today (technically yesterday as it's after midnight). Guess it's pretty clear how I feel about the direction of this country huh? I call it like I see it.
    
 
       The Power Behind


Take away peoples basic rights

Your party cheers you on

True blue and loyal American

The blind leading the blind

Listen to the talking heads

Spouting the opposite view

Puppet strings pulled everything’s

Done behind the scenes

No need to think or find out truth

Just believe the ventriloquist

while you lock in your goose step

Trampling those that made you rich

The power behind the power

They know what’s best today


Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

The Faster Eye

Wow, I forgot about this one for a minute and I only wrote it last night. Shows where my brain is or in this case isn't. Basically it's just some new lyrics/poetry, whichever you prefer. I've been thinking about recording some of this and putting it out as a podcast episode but of course time is the big problem. never seems to be enough of it.

The Faster Eye

The faster I try and shovel this shit
More comes in to replace
It’s just getting to be too much
Struggling to keep my head above
Wonder what it feels like down under
Lose it all feel the weight come off
See what’s most important to
Me I think less stress less problems

Slacking on the corporate image
Never wanted to be that man
Anyway can’t reconcile the mirror
Don’t much like who I am
Life hasn’t gone where I thought
Bitter lessons learned come undone
Slowly silently panicked from this   
Imagine who I could become

I don’t wanna go through another
Different day same old thing
Repetitive mental overlord screaming
About time to get something done
Intestinal cowardice holds me in place
Fear of the unknown success
Better to sit mouth hung open
Staring takes so much less effort

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Creative Burst Thursday

So I've had a bit of a creative burst today. I'm not complaining mind you, just stating a fact. Before I wrote this one I wrote another piece but it's very personal and I think it's best to keep it to myself for now. Plus there's something more coming and even another after that if I can get the time to work on it. Going to see Alejandro Escovedo and Betty Soo last week must have triggered something in me. I'm a writing fool so I'll take it while I can.


Reader Mind


I’ve been a reader ever since I can remember

Always walking with a book in my hand

Unless of course it was a magazine

Head down but alert to my surroundings

There’s something about the printed form

That draws me in and seals me off from the world

The smell of a bookstore or a library

When you first go in the door

I can and have spent hours looking through the racks

What can I say my preferred vice has a hold on me

Now of course it’s all available electronically

Access to hundreds of books on a thin little tablet

Ready to use at a moment’s notice

Never a fear about finding something interesting

But also never the thrill of waiting for something to arrive

The truth is that I am a slave to technology

In my family boys do love their toys so

What’s a youngish old guy to do

Move forward with the future or stay in the past

I’ll keep both forms and use them as needed

But if I have to make a choice………..you know where I stand


Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Ten For Tuesday Episode 061



Another day another ten great songs for the podcast. Okay so this episode is late. I've been having problems with some adware freezing up my laptop and have been trying to get it fixed. I thought that when I got home from work I'd just put the file on my flash drive and use our home computer but there was one little problem with that scenario....my wife was using it and she didn't look to be finishing any time soon.

Ah well, life is life. So, having said all that, this episode is a little all over the place. There's some new metal/rock stuff, some old ska and new-wavish rock as well as Americana and more. It's really all just good music no matter how you slice it. Plus Alejandro Escovedo is playing in Tulsa on June 11th so I had to have him represented on here. After the show I'll put up some pics. That's about all I've got to say about it. The music stands for itself no matter how much jabbering I do. Enjoy.

Alley Cats - Nothing Means Nothing Anymore
Fishbone - Lyin' Ass Bitch
Aterciopelados - Bandera
Alejandro Escovedo - Put You Down
Will Hoge - Favorite Waste Of Time
Son Volt - Drown
Bottle Rockets - Radar Gun
Judas Priest - March Of The Damned
Tesla - So Divine
Night Ranger - High Road


 Ten For Tuesday is a podcast dedicated to playing the music I couldn't find anywhere else. The music I like varies from style to style, genre to genre and era to era. You will hear punk, ska, rock, Americana, metal, country, rockabilly and more from all over the world. It doesn't matter if it's a major label or indie as long as I like it then it gets played. The motto is Less Talk More Music which means you won't hear me waxing poetic for fifteen minutes between songs. At TFT its all about the music...and me of course.

Email: tenfortuesday@gmail.com Twitter: @notmovingpics
Blog: www.notmovingpictures.blogspot.com

Old Episodes can be found by going to www.archive.org and searching for Ten For Tuesday.

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.

Friday, June 6, 2014

Call It A Poem If You Must But Maybe It's Lyrics Instead

I found myself listening to a lot of music last night and a certain song used the very much overused (in my opinion) phrase by Shakespeare "the winter of our discontent." Usually when I hear this I like to turn it on it's ear and make something new or different about it. I guess I mean just to use it in a different way instead of parroting it like everybody else. Anyway, I wrote the first line and let it sit for a while. Before long something else popped into my mind and gradually the first verse came out. I continued to let it sit and then changed the direction somewhat in the second verse. Overall it came out a little at a time and then I gave it even more time before going back and making a few small changes. Then it was done. Today I read it again and for now have decided against any further changes until I decide if I want to turn it into lyrics or not. We shall see.

My discontented winter’s been going for six years now
Never too late to try something new but
My dampening mood never seems to allow it
Stuck in a swirling whirl of emotions conflicted
Why must I always be the one to come undone
Faltering at the moment of intended glory
All eyes turn to verify I’m not the one
Dismissed before I’ve even started to finish last

If I take a trip south of my normal pattern
Expand my conscious decision and try the new
Dig outside of the box following your footsteps
Mind you not to copy or praise just to discover
Investigate the terrifying landscape of my mind
Make sense of the pieces that never fall into place
Possible gains fighting against seething indecision
What if potential winnings pale in comparison

Then what do I do

Written and Published by Don Leach. May not be used without permission from the author.