This poem ‘Fallen Angel’ is inspired by the movie ‘City of Angels’ and the theme song of the movie by the Goo Goo Dolls ‘Iris’.

Fallen Angel
What is your name? Where is your sweet charm?
Or the calm space around you? Have you lost your wings?
Have you dipped your wings in the sweet river of human vanity?
Long are the nights, weary are the days, without you
And I find myself needing your touch…

Have you found your bearing?
Or is the earth too slippery for your foothold?
Do you find yourself in regret? Or are you in love?
With earthly wonders around you, does it fill your senses?
And the life you have embraced
Have you felt pain like I have?
Or is your destiny to grace our lonely planet for a few mortal moments
And leave me in eternal desire for you…

How does it feel to be a part of the life we lead?
Do you know what love is? And who do you love?
Have you felt its warmth, feel the coldness of its wrath?
How does it feel to know that you are only human?
Or are you living to exist, or is it the other way around?
Are you able to read between the lines, the subtle nuances of people?

Do I fit into the scheme of things; am I in your thoughts?
Questions seek answers, and I remain forever in the quest of you
Spread your wings and take flight, Make your way to me
And find strength in my arms, find love in the knowledge that I will never leave you
Or let you down, and be your reason to live, love and grow
Or are you only in my dreams…

Fallen Angel… Where are you?

Coming from a staunch ‘Quaker’ Christian family, where faith, works and righteousness as a whole has been given so much importance in my upbringing, I have never seen people’s faith being challenged by the contents of Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’. It hasn’t shaken mine! Are you surprised…?

The controversy of the book is in the fact that it holds precepts of the good ole’ religion by the scruff of its neck and shakes its contents so meticulously by suggesting another ‘way of life’ and an alternative account of history of Christianity, that at first, you start doubting the very foundation of Christianity, Jesus, himself. The impact of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ on Christians, Catholics & Protestants alike, has been if anything, controversial, which begs the question, is it right to question your faith?

A great man once said, “Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one of them.” Well, what’s fun for me, maybe someone else’s hell… but I digress…

The Da Vinci Code, by itself, presents a totally different take on the 33 years in the life of the ‘Man of Galilee’, his relationship with Mary Magdalene and the events that followed to his crucifixion and thereafter.

To the seemingly unflinching Christian, the concept of Jesus being married can’t be anything but blasphemy … Jesus was God… but then the Bible also says…Jesus was man… and he was tempted which brings me to think, if Jesus was Man, why could he not be capable of marriage, or have children, just like any other man? And why should David’s bloodline stop at Jesus’ death? The answers to these questions that we otherwise know seem to pale to common reason…

And that’s where the breakdown begins and more doubts begin to surface…

Was it true that the church tried to kill Jesus’ bloodline? Are they hiding the truth from all of us today? What was written in the Dead Sea Scrolls & the Gospel of Barabbas? Is our version of the Bible today nothing but a diluted version of the actual truth? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Does the Priory of Sion still exist? Was the sacred feminine a threat to the male dominated Church?

And so on and so forth…

The pages of history have always been written by winners…no one has questioned or questions them if it’s the complete truth. Humans have always known to exaggerate in varying degrees from the ridiculous to the white little lies that we use everyday to manipulate people or to just get by our own misdemeanors. And then you ask yourself, Are the facts all that important or is it what you base you faith on?

And yet, for just for one moment, if we separate ourselves from facts and figures, just like Robert Langdon, who bowed his head in front of the portrait of Virgin Mary at the Louvre Museum and accepted what he chose to believe in despite the facts (not being able to find the Holy Grail etc.).

That is the path we must take… because if you don’t BELIEVE in something, you’ll fall for ANYTHING…

Star People
Counting your money rill your soul turns green
Star people
Counting the cost of your desire to be seen

I do not count myself among you
I may be living in a dream
It’s just there seem so many of you
Can’t help but hope
There’s a difference between….you and me

The first few lines from the song ‘Star People’ by George Michael from the album critically acclaimed ‘Older’.

George Michael began his career as a part of the popular 80s duo called Wham, and then moved on to a solo career. He made ‘Faith’ and became an overnight sensation.

I, first, saw George Michael in the guise of a poster in the bedroom of a fawning fan. [By the way, Jon Bon Jovi’s poster only rivals this one, in my opinion.]

I think pop music is all about catchy tunes along with accompanying lyrics with an easy flow. But George Michael wanted more. He wasn’t satisfied with being one of the ‘greats’ in pop.

And then tragedy struck, when his deal with Sony music went downhill… as he struggled for creative freedom and decided to break free from his contract. He lost the case against and went into a long withdrawn silence from performing, the public and his first love, music.

As the saying goes, the higher you rise, the harder the fall. But as always men with stolidity always rise to conquer again which is reflective of the second part of George Michael’s career.

He first released ‘Older’, after a long imposed sabbatical, and in my opinion is miles away from the pop sounds that he so gladly made famous in his younger years towards a more subtle, sober and tasteful art form, Jazz.

And ever since, his music from there on has always remained on my Ipod as natural favorites.

So what if he isn’t straight, macho and all those things that make male musicians appealing…well, George Michael lets his music speak for itself… and I think that’s really the way to go!

Well, in today’s world who doesn’t know Apple Computers? And Steven Paul Jobs. If you don’t, can you crawl out from that rock you live under?

I think we all can safely assume and say that the company, Apple is Steve Jobs and vice versa.

I consider the Mac Book Air, a fantastic product for a lot of reasons.

For starters, consider its punch line, ‘Thinnovation’. Gives you the complete picture in a nutshell…doesn’t it?

Well… ‘thin’ is in… isn’t it?

So, it’s in vogue, alright!

See, I’m not here to give you the complete specs of the MacBook Air. You can find them at the Apple website.

But my interest lies in a couple of things that makes it different and how it consistently stays in line with Apple’s philosophy.

For starters, it is the world’s thinnest computer notebook. A picture is worth a thousand words:

One thing which I liked when I watched the MacWorld Expo 2008, when he introduced the product, was that the Mac Book Air’s thickest side was still thinner than the thinnest side of any computer notebook ever made. Another first for Apple computers.

Another aspect, if you dismantle the entire Macbook Air, it is environmentally friendly. Yet another first for Apple Computers.

And I appreciate that, because, Steve Jobs does what he does best: Push the limits innovatively with taste!

Why I’m so hooked to Apple and its range of products is that time and time again, you see innovation combined with aesthetics at its best, dispelling the ‘nerdy’ image that Bill Gates ushered in with Microsoft.

And all that Steve is saying: I am an ‘Apple’… would you care to take a bite?

Dream Pop. People don’t much know about this genre of pop. Much less who Delerium is. Ask Sarah McLaughlin.

I began listening to the Canadian band, Delerium, about a year ago. A band that first started as a side-project, now has flourished into a full-fledged band with an assortment of musicians, vocalists and a whole of audio effects very tastefully packaged together.

Whether you listen to the Gregorian chants in ‘Silence’ or the African tribal sounds in ‘Myth’, Delirium’s music, seeks to take you into another world, which is part-fantasia and part-spiritual.

Their career spanning about 13 albums, has produced, in my opinion, ground-breaking music that I have ever listened to, of which, Chimera, Karma & Poem are my favorites.

An interesting aspect of Delerium is that they constantly look for ‘fresh voices’. In the selection process, they look for voices that adequately convey a sense of ‘dreaminess’ in their recording. Most vocalists write their own lyrics and then proceed to put music to lyrics, like it’s their own baby, so to speak.

They consistently travel and perform throughout the world and that is another feature that makes this band stand out, the fact that their ‘live’ performances rival that of theirs in the studio.

Get your hands on one of their CDs and you’ll get your money’s worth. Without a doubt. At the least, you’ll wear the CD, if not look for more.