Half-Assed Ego Odyssey Book II: Struggles for Eurydice, and so Lives Orpheus

Fallen upon the banks of the river Styx,
A market casts a gloom.
Therein dwell the haunting merchants:
Generations born of tortured players,
Drifting bards, unvalued painters,
Restless loves.

They are of an irregular breed--
These dead.

Unlearned of solipsism, these merchants
Offer their crafts in broad palm,
Crafting with the other.
Oblivious to that they are murdered and unburied,
They have been led down to naiveté by Obsession.

This hell is encircled by
Quietly pressed disjunctions.
None however, have bridged the gap
None until the one dead,
The bodiless and floating Orpheus.
Amorphous within the shadows of flame and black foam,
His head gasped and sung in the solitude shared by
The harmony of drones that beared the same cruel fate.

But the dedicated head was stubborn.
With the might of Aeolus,
And the gift of patience from Cronus,
The dedicated head propelled itself beyond Charon's strict ore.
Now ashore, Eurydice's eternal love buried its scalp deep within the hot ash,
And buffeted fiery passion,
Hope, pain, distrust, rebellion, and blind love up
Through the corridors, the labyrinths,
Erupting through Gaea's crust, screaming through the murk of caves,
Soaring and screeching through death's cousin, sleep,
The dead of the night,
It awoke and gave rise to Apollo,
Who was rested beside a golden lyre.

Realized by the divine beauty of
Orpheus's manifestation,
The roaring sun god summoned the muses:

"Of what cruel intent did you conspire to
inspire my son into a futile eternity?
He does not desire fame or wealth!
He is bounded to love and to a thick head!
He has been slain!
It came to this, then, muses? You have deceived Apollo?"

Said Calliope:

"Apollo, the decree which you have
Invented has been tainted by Morpheus. The intent
Is not of ours, nor is it cruel.
The boy owned a swelling heart.
In it, he carried the uncommon pestilence of the true artisan,
The hidden peoples.
A disease that entangled his organs with relentless mania,
Saturated his cavity with a flourishing love,
The effluence of cinder rained in his lungs as
He sung.
Our son, and the merchants of the river Styx,
Are doomed to be the most dead
As, after all, they are the most alive."

So me and Tek were taking pictures of people around San Francisco one Saturday, and we came across this man blowing his horn on Market street. I gave him some change and took some pictures of him. It didn't seem like he minded. Actually, I think he enjoyed it; he waved at us a couple of times.

It was pretty late at night, so there weren't many people around to listen. But being a "music guru" and all, I can tell you that that man knew what he was doing; his phrases were so fresh. I mean, this man was so sick; he could have had his own contract.

So what was he doing in the middle of the night, playing his saxophone on Market Street? I don't know, I have a feeling that he didn't really need that money. Maybe he just loves doing it.

If you're an artist or if you just appreciate art, seeing the love for it can be a humbling experience. I mean here I am, taking a beginning art class, and I think I'm pretty good. Strangers have come up to me just to say "that's fucking awesome, man," and it feels great. But I have realized after seeing and hearing and being thankful for the countless and unrecognized talents, I have a long, long way to go. And I feel bad that most of the world won't get to know these people and tell them that their stuff is "fucking awesome" too. Most of us appreciators probably don't know that these people exist, but as all y'alls as my witnesses, I'm going to try and change that with counterface. Conformity has been warned!

Meanwhile, indulge in these (there's many more out there):

Pitchforkmedia - This is the best online independent music magazine I have found. Lots and lots of good reviews on lots and lots of great artists.

sputnik7 - Videos to go along with the reviews. It also has tons of full length anime and indie films. Good stuff.

heavy - Sort of like sputnik 7. Has lots of cool design, film, music videos. Great flash work.

Tektonic Tachyon - Now comes the slew of personal websites this entry was supposed to be originally about. There's a lot of talent out there. Tek is one half of the Serious Ninjas. Need I say more? One of the illest poet/writers I know.

Made From Scratch - This is by far, my favorite personal website. Man! The web design, the drawings, the music, the writing... Just check it out. I'm at a loss for words.

daysuit - Daysuit can paint and write, check it out.

almost cool - Massive personal website. You got your diary, your photogallery, your review section... stop wasting time here, you won't have any to spare when you're there.

Kafka's Koffee - he used to have a lot more sketches, but you can check out his recent work in the art and comics sections.

dollhouse - She's only 18, but she's mastered, graphite, ink, vector drawing, and web design. What the hell did her parents feed her? I want some.

Mittenstein - He's just a great writer and philosopher. I am thoroughly impressed.

Meli - Also a great writer. She got me into this whole online diary thing.

Chellecam - There's really nothing much here except a hot babe. Tek wanted me to put her up j/k. She's a great web designer and photographer.

jenny hyun - Girl can sing... for real! Asian Pride!

The struggles of an artist have to be ignored, or interpreted as blessings. The only temptations an artist can give in to, are the ones that can improve her art.

-eureka

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