Touched With Fire

...I have a term paper to submit this week. I've been reading and reading and not writing it at all.

It's about this man's work -

http://www.myspace.com/saulwilliams

"Whereas, breakbeats have been the missing link connecting the diasporic
Community to it's drum woven past
Whereas the quantised drum has allowed the whirling mathematicians to
Calculate the ever changing distance between rock and stardom.
Whereas the velocity of the spinning vinyl, cross-faded, spun backwards, and
Re-released at the same given moment of recorded history, yet at a
Different moment in time's continuum has allowed history to catch up with
The present.

We do hereby declare reality unkempt by the changing standards of dialogue.
Statements, such as, "keep it real", especially when punctuating or
Anticipating modes of ultra-violence inflicted psychologically or physically
Or depicting an unchanging rule of events will hence forth be seen as
Retro-active and not representative of the individually determined is."

Saul Williams : Coded Language, Amethyst Rock Star (2001)

I am overwhelmed. I don't know how to begin, so after this post I'll start with random paragraphs that will ultimately tie up with what I want to say. I know it won't be enough. But I hope it will be adequate.

I was looking at his poetry, and inevitably this caught my eye and then stayed on my mind (for two very different reasons):

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/saul-williams/gypsy-girl.html

"C'mon let's see if it fits. Two little boys with a magic marker marked her and it won't come out. "They put it in me!" "No he didn't, what are you talking about? It's not permanent. It'll come out when you wash it." Damn maybe it was permanent. I can't forget. And I hope she doesn't remember. Maybe magic marked her."

It's beautiful when he reads it out.

I have five-hour-power cuts, missing kitten woes, and friends in faraway places to smile at. God-of-Small-Things burstiness to write about.

And hopefully, hopefully -- I can do justice to Saul Williams.