unscrambled #20 – “passage”
Month: February 2021
The Poetry Snapshot: Through the Window
Every day I fly to the tree with the twisting branches
and gaze at her through the window.
The lady with the tired eyes and colorful silk saris
stained by sweat and spilt food
as she cooks all day.
I notice the tiny kitchen,
brimmed with pots and pans
and no room to breathe,
tighten around her through the window.
The lattice panels bend into parallel prison bars
that she stays confined to.
Without knowing her voice,
I’ve learned her story through the window.
Without knowing her name,
I sing for her through the window.
And sometimes, she glances up.
She looks at me,
through the window.
Maybe looking for a distraction,
maybe looking for a companion.
But those moments pass by quickly
and she continues to cook all day.
Study Hal: Week 33 – Repetition
Happy Groundhog Day, everybody! Totally unrelated, but… Does anyone else feel like everyday is the same? Hal has settled into something of a routine, which has led to something of a slump. I’ve got to break him out of it, and soon. Maybe we could watch some good classic comedy movies! Any suggestions?
Though the days blend together, Hal and I are trying to keep track of the little things that make us happy through the day, like fun ringtones, good headphones, and coffee. What good things keep your days from blurring together completely?
If this is your first time here, welcome! Hal is a senior at U-M, but he’s studying completely remotely for the year. Come back on Tuesdays to see new videos, or pop over to the Study Hal tag to see his archived adventures.
The Artist’s Panel: Vintage
Jay Campbell is a third year student at Stamps. He transferred to Stamps from a community college in Austin, Texas, after working as a sign designer for roughly a decade. In going back to school, Jay hoped to explore a world beyond sign design. Because Stamps is a multidisciplinary institution that encourages it’s students to explore a wide variety of mediums and ideas, it was a great place for Jay to expand his practice. Currently, Jay is studying illustration, brand identity design, and graphic design. He is also doing freelance work on top of his schooling. To follow Jay’s pursuit for new horizons and to see his incredible work, you can find him on Instagram at @jayallencampbell!
Some Songs Don’t Come from Diaries
Here’s the deal, guys. People think you have to have some deep emotional traumatic experience to write a good song. And sure, lots of angsty ballads are born from tear-stained diary pages, but not all songs have to be that complex. In fact, I find that sometimes the best songwriting exercises are writing about things that have no real significance whatsoever.
For example, here’s a prompt to get you started.
Write a chorus of a song incorporating numbers 1 through 10. You don’t have to use all the numbers, but write as many of them into your chorus as possible.
Here’s my attempt:
You’re the only one
I can call at half past ten
and I can hold onto
through all the could’ve and should’ve beens
But you left at a quarter to 5
baby, what were you yelling for?
Didn’t break the walls round my heart didn’t tear me apart
didn’t realize what this was
until I walked out my door your car not there anymore
you gave up on us
you gave up on us
Notice not all the numbers are in numerical form. But using the words “onto” and “for” give the illusion that I am continuing on with the numbers theme.
An example of this in popular culture would be “New Rules” by Dua Lipa. The chorus goes:
“One: Don’t pick up the phone
You know he’s only callin’ ’cause he’s drunk and alone
Two: Don’t let him in
You have to kick him out again
Three: Don’t be his friend
You know you’re gonna wake up in his bed in the mornin’
And if you’re under him, you ain’t gettin’ over him”
This attempt at using numbers to tie together a chorus is much more structured than my attempt. It’s in list format, and the numbers are all ‘numerical’ and aren’t slipped in through the usage of other like-sounding words.
Here’s one more try by me to create a different sounding chorus using numbers 1-10 as an inspiration:
Lately
I see
All the things
I couldn’t see before
You walked out my door
Baby
trust me
when I say
going my own way
i’ve never felt so insecure
don’t wanna try anymore
take me back
come back
quickly
This one is different because the numbers themselves don’t appear in the lyrics. Instead they influence the number of words in each line. It goes 1-2-3-4-5 / 1-2-3-4-5 / 4-3-2-1. There was no inspiration behind this chorus whatsoever besides thinking of words that would fit this numerical pattern.
Other ideas to base choruses on?
- Colors!
- Seasons!
- Night/Day/Morning/Evening
- One particular emotion
- Months
- etc.
If you get stuck and hit writers’ block while songwriting, simply pick a category and use it to influence a chorus or two. It may not be the best song you’ve ever written, but it’ll usually be enough to get ideas flowing once again!
©SKETCHES BY MAKO: 1吃亏1
Parables from Youth Pastor Manson: Of Concordian Grapes, “Concordia”, he said "I do concur" "Who has done this to you? The child who was once there?" We’re left with only the potions “Our pasture, our problem” He said, holding my hand In rosary beads Rosy cheeks, I spring up Under weeping willows And acquiescent glades “A spiritual bath is an awakening” I mix my vodka with pomegranate Drink to our Father, It’s what we do weekends In search for something else To Mother Mary, A dozen cranberries scrawled In flesh and tombstone May we rest forever
