Have you ever heard of the man
Who built his empire out of sand?
His sandcastles grew and towered high
His neighbors were jealous
They liked to spy
At last he had himself a throne
But alas he found himself alone
The girl who loved him went away
I can't stand the sand, she'd say
But he would move sand grain by grain
It was enough to drive her insane
He said to her: so be it, go
You can be part of my empire, you know
Or you can wander off into space
Turn away and feel disgraced
She didn't want to leave but she did
And behind her sunglasses hid
Splendiferous tears salty as the sea
She hid them and he could not see
How much it hurt to walk away
He turned his back--with no delay
She could have it all, he thought
I don't need that chick anyway
His towers stand high
He has his throne
He has his riches
But he's alone
He has bitches
But none like she
He misses her smile
She smiled sweetly
She was crazy, lots of quirks
When he thinks of her, he smirks
His smile is followed by hurt
It pains him to see
His empire built
But no wifey
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Poetry of April (by me!)
Full of you, full of yourself
I thought we sharedMore than screams and sweat
You say I look upset
You say it cheerfully
You send me home
On an empty belly
Full of you
And you too
Stand there-full of yourself
A nagging sensation
to get away or cling
I'm indecisive
Your smile stings
I just want to pout, and scowl
An eye roll every few minutes
It doesn't matter
Roll it away
Bottle it up
That's not quite enough
I'm sick of this
And so are you
But I wouldn't know
Because this whole time
You've sustained a smirk
a stunning show of complacency
It makes me look worse!
That's quite enough
I'm empty, so is my belly
I'm full of you and
You--full of yourself
And what the hell
They can tell
The way we look
We don't try to tell a story
But we do
Or maybe my guilt does
Or my hungry eyes
Or your smirk
Or your complacency
The whole world will know
I have an empty belly
They all can tell
how hungry you made me
Motivation
You're becoming much too old, for make believe
You're running out of tricks conveniently
Stashed up your sleeve
For us the world is too real
And whatever whimsicalities we used to feel
Have long been eradicated
It's a shame--our lives are so dictated
By time--punctuated by little tiny things
That always seem to come up
We spend our time fighting
To make everything work
Something always tumbles
And shatters at your feet
You always fumble and drop something
Life is high stakes
Something always breaks
But no matter what you do
Don't let the broken things
break you.
You're running out of tricks conveniently
Stashed up your sleeve
For us the world is too real
And whatever whimsicalities we used to feel
Have long been eradicated
It's a shame--our lives are so dictated
By time--punctuated by little tiny things
That always seem to come up
We spend our time fighting
To make everything work
Something always tumbles
And shatters at your feet
You always fumble and drop something
Life is high stakes
Something always breaks
But no matter what you do
Don't let the broken things
break you.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A New Dawn of Feudalism
As an American, I'm not sure exactly what we stand for or what we believe in. We used to preach democracy and liberty, while denying these rights to many. Free markets were somehow tied in to what it means to be democratic. Something I never understood. What takes priority, economics or the way in which our government works?
The Republicans have made it clear that economics is the focus and that government has no business interfering with the dealings of businesses, unless it works in the favor of an organization. Many Republicans also seem to feel that the government should not regulate certain things having to do with the everyday lives of Americans, like...say...health care.
Does the recent Republican rhetoric appeal to the average Joe? Personally, I do not think so. I feel the Republicans seek to serve the needs of the rich and it's getting scary.
My first example is my own king, Bloomberg. King Bloomberg has reigned over New York City since I was in the 8th grade. In 2002, King Bloomberg started off as a Republican mayor and later decided to become an independent. Honestly, the king of New York seems like a nice guy, but it makes me wonder where his loyalties truly lie...
In a recent New York Times article, Fernanda Santos writes that mayor Bloomberg seeks to take a new approach to cleaning up two failing schools in the Bronx. Instead of closing the schools, King Bloomberg's signature trademark, he plans on replacing half the teachers and the principal, a strategy called "a turnaround." To do things he would enlist the help of the leader of Green Dot America, which is a charter school network. Santos goes on to say that the schools would be run by the DOE but managed by Green Dot Public Schools, an organization run by Steve Barr, who also runs Green Dot. Mr. Barr has been known for "turning schools around."
It is all very strange that these extremely wealthy people have taken such a strong interest in education. What's even stranger is the dissolution of government run institutions. Perhaps they are not as efficient as they used to be, which provides the extremely wealthy with a chance to phase out these institutions and take over. It seems as though a new elite class is coming into power; one that seeks to make capitalism a form of government as opposed to an economic system that is secondary to democracy.
In New York we have a relatively likable king but in Florida, things are worse. Republican Rick Scott is a billionaire turned governor who has established himself as dictator of Florida. With a can do attitude, Mr. Scott has taken matters into his own hands without consulting the legislative body of his state. Lizette Alvarez and Gary Fineout report in a recent New York Times article that Mr. Scott sold two state owned planes without consulting senators and "rejected $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money to build a high speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando." He has also cut the education budget radically and cut taxes for the wealthy. Mr. Scott is a shady guy, who was the CEO of a large hospital chain that was involved in fraud. Now Mr. Scott is not taking no for an answer. He wants to do what he wants right now, without the consultation of other elected officials.
The world has been this way before. It seems as if we are being reverted back into the Dark Ages, when the Catholic Church drained its parishioners and owned, land wealth and knowledge. It was also a time when the Duke of so-and-so owned all the resources and the land which peasants were stuck to. It may be extreme but if government is weaker and the rich are getting richer as a result, doesn't this mean that we're experiencing a change in power? And what's worse is that they are changing things like education first, which makes me conclude that these people want to control what people learn.
You may call me a conspiracy theorist or an overzealous socialist of some sort, but I am no such thing. I do fear that our government is getting weaker and that the rich is becoming our new overlords. Personally, I'm in favor of a stronger government that would not let us all become their bitches. (Please pardon the curse word. I have been holding back.)
The Republicans have made it clear that economics is the focus and that government has no business interfering with the dealings of businesses, unless it works in the favor of an organization. Many Republicans also seem to feel that the government should not regulate certain things having to do with the everyday lives of Americans, like...say...health care.
Does the recent Republican rhetoric appeal to the average Joe? Personally, I do not think so. I feel the Republicans seek to serve the needs of the rich and it's getting scary.
My first example is my own king, Bloomberg. King Bloomberg has reigned over New York City since I was in the 8th grade. In 2002, King Bloomberg started off as a Republican mayor and later decided to become an independent. Honestly, the king of New York seems like a nice guy, but it makes me wonder where his loyalties truly lie...
In a recent New York Times article, Fernanda Santos writes that mayor Bloomberg seeks to take a new approach to cleaning up two failing schools in the Bronx. Instead of closing the schools, King Bloomberg's signature trademark, he plans on replacing half the teachers and the principal, a strategy called "a turnaround." To do things he would enlist the help of the leader of Green Dot America, which is a charter school network. Santos goes on to say that the schools would be run by the DOE but managed by Green Dot Public Schools, an organization run by Steve Barr, who also runs Green Dot. Mr. Barr has been known for "turning schools around."
It is all very strange that these extremely wealthy people have taken such a strong interest in education. What's even stranger is the dissolution of government run institutions. Perhaps they are not as efficient as they used to be, which provides the extremely wealthy with a chance to phase out these institutions and take over. It seems as though a new elite class is coming into power; one that seeks to make capitalism a form of government as opposed to an economic system that is secondary to democracy.
In New York we have a relatively likable king but in Florida, things are worse. Republican Rick Scott is a billionaire turned governor who has established himself as dictator of Florida. With a can do attitude, Mr. Scott has taken matters into his own hands without consulting the legislative body of his state. Lizette Alvarez and Gary Fineout report in a recent New York Times article that Mr. Scott sold two state owned planes without consulting senators and "rejected $2.4 billion in federal stimulus money to build a high speed rail line from Tampa to Orlando." He has also cut the education budget radically and cut taxes for the wealthy. Mr. Scott is a shady guy, who was the CEO of a large hospital chain that was involved in fraud. Now Mr. Scott is not taking no for an answer. He wants to do what he wants right now, without the consultation of other elected officials.
The world has been this way before. It seems as if we are being reverted back into the Dark Ages, when the Catholic Church drained its parishioners and owned, land wealth and knowledge. It was also a time when the Duke of so-and-so owned all the resources and the land which peasants were stuck to. It may be extreme but if government is weaker and the rich are getting richer as a result, doesn't this mean that we're experiencing a change in power? And what's worse is that they are changing things like education first, which makes me conclude that these people want to control what people learn.
You may call me a conspiracy theorist or an overzealous socialist of some sort, but I am no such thing. I do fear that our government is getting weaker and that the rich is becoming our new overlords. Personally, I'm in favor of a stronger government that would not let us all become their bitches. (Please pardon the curse word. I have been holding back.)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Hair
I have been thinking a lot about hair lately. It's really cold outside, and the hair on my head does little to keep me warm and I think I started thinking about hair today after I saw a content, furry dog, who did not seem to mind the cold. However, there are other reasons that make me think of hair, namely the fifth grade.
In the fifth grade I usually wore my hair in braids or twists. I don't have many pictures from this time but my mom often combed my hair in plaits or box braids. Occasionally, I also had cornrows which were uber-cool and usually done in intricate patterns. Sundays for me was the worst day of the week. On that day my mom would put my sister and I in the bathtub and wash our hair. Afterward, I would always call my sister Chaka Khan, because her hair always looked huge and poofy and crazy; then, without fail I would have my hair combed out first. I would shut my eyes and try to imagine playing Donkey Kong.
Sundays like the one described happened like clock-work during my childhood. In the fifth grade, things changed. I went to Junior High School and encountered girls who rolled up their uniform skirts to show more leg and had shiny, silky hair and shiny sweet smelling lip gloss. There was a girl in my Spanish class, Zima, who fit this profile and the boys were always talking to her. I failed that class because I was usually staring at Zima who sat in front of me and because I was sort of a slacker in the 5th grade. The boys in the class usually made fun of me and occasionally Zima would come to my defense but otherwise she rarely acknowledged me. I was so envious and enamored. I wanted boys to talk to me too and make jokes with me instead of about me. One boy in the class said I was halfway decent but insisted that I needed a relaxer. My hair looked to childish and the boy assured me that it was better to have a perm. "My mom has one," he said confidently. I knew he was right and followed his advice. I didn't want to look like such a kid. After all, I was in junior high.
I had these dreams about having straight hair and wearing red lipstick. I would always wake up disappointed to find my braids (even though I was only 10 and it was an appropriate look). I finally asked my mom for a perm and after some perseverance and persuasion she gave in. I went to school with my new straight hair. My art teacher Mr. Haggerty made a comment that went something like: "Who is that new beautiful girl?" And the other students noticed my long, silky hair, which was past my shoulders and stunning. Before the perm, my hair never lay flat, it just stuck up or out. The new me was a vast improvement or so I thought...
Being "beautiful" came with its consequences. One was an awful smelling garlic deep conditioner that my sister and my brother's girlfriend insisted was great for relaxed hair. I hated the way it made me tingle and I wanted to puke when I smelled it. Going to the Dominican hair salon once was also a bad experience. I had to sit on a phone book at the shampoo sink because I was so small and all I could remember was the discomfort my neck was in leaning my head back into the sink, while trying to keep my body upright to reach the sink. Then there was also the hot blow dryers, the rollers and the flat irons. Bottom line, this was not a fun way to spend a day for a kid. My hair became troublesome and I was too lazy to keep up with it. Also, one day I switched the brand of relaxer that I used, which is not advised. It turns out that my hair got too damaged and I had to cut most of it off. This also meant that I had to grow my hair out and for awhile the bottom near the roots was thick, while the ends were raggedy and straight-ish. My dreams were shattered after I went through a time consuming chemical process that got me nowhere. Boys still continued to pick on me and girls continued to make me envious. On top of that I was on probation in that grade, which meant I had enough failures to have something like detention during my lunch periods. I guess my head was in the wrong place but as an adult I realize now how much it doesn't matter. But, imprinted in the minds of many people is the belief that cascading, long and flowing hair is feminine and attractive but as a woman of predominately African descent I wasn't built that way and people should be OK with how I am. It is something so trivial and yet so controversial and strange to talk about. But my question sincerely is: why do black girls put themselves through so much to fit into an ideal of beauty that excludes them. Why want to be included into that category anyway? Don't get me wrong, hair is cool and people have a right to make their own choices but I can't help wondering why this practice is so widespread and why so many people aren't good enough the way they were made.
In the fifth grade I usually wore my hair in braids or twists. I don't have many pictures from this time but my mom often combed my hair in plaits or box braids. Occasionally, I also had cornrows which were uber-cool and usually done in intricate patterns. Sundays for me was the worst day of the week. On that day my mom would put my sister and I in the bathtub and wash our hair. Afterward, I would always call my sister Chaka Khan, because her hair always looked huge and poofy and crazy; then, without fail I would have my hair combed out first. I would shut my eyes and try to imagine playing Donkey Kong.
Sundays like the one described happened like clock-work during my childhood. In the fifth grade, things changed. I went to Junior High School and encountered girls who rolled up their uniform skirts to show more leg and had shiny, silky hair and shiny sweet smelling lip gloss. There was a girl in my Spanish class, Zima, who fit this profile and the boys were always talking to her. I failed that class because I was usually staring at Zima who sat in front of me and because I was sort of a slacker in the 5th grade. The boys in the class usually made fun of me and occasionally Zima would come to my defense but otherwise she rarely acknowledged me. I was so envious and enamored. I wanted boys to talk to me too and make jokes with me instead of about me. One boy in the class said I was halfway decent but insisted that I needed a relaxer. My hair looked to childish and the boy assured me that it was better to have a perm. "My mom has one," he said confidently. I knew he was right and followed his advice. I didn't want to look like such a kid. After all, I was in junior high.
I had these dreams about having straight hair and wearing red lipstick. I would always wake up disappointed to find my braids (even though I was only 10 and it was an appropriate look). I finally asked my mom for a perm and after some perseverance and persuasion she gave in. I went to school with my new straight hair. My art teacher Mr. Haggerty made a comment that went something like: "Who is that new beautiful girl?" And the other students noticed my long, silky hair, which was past my shoulders and stunning. Before the perm, my hair never lay flat, it just stuck up or out. The new me was a vast improvement or so I thought...
Being "beautiful" came with its consequences. One was an awful smelling garlic deep conditioner that my sister and my brother's girlfriend insisted was great for relaxed hair. I hated the way it made me tingle and I wanted to puke when I smelled it. Going to the Dominican hair salon once was also a bad experience. I had to sit on a phone book at the shampoo sink because I was so small and all I could remember was the discomfort my neck was in leaning my head back into the sink, while trying to keep my body upright to reach the sink. Then there was also the hot blow dryers, the rollers and the flat irons. Bottom line, this was not a fun way to spend a day for a kid. My hair became troublesome and I was too lazy to keep up with it. Also, one day I switched the brand of relaxer that I used, which is not advised. It turns out that my hair got too damaged and I had to cut most of it off. This also meant that I had to grow my hair out and for awhile the bottom near the roots was thick, while the ends were raggedy and straight-ish. My dreams were shattered after I went through a time consuming chemical process that got me nowhere. Boys still continued to pick on me and girls continued to make me envious. On top of that I was on probation in that grade, which meant I had enough failures to have something like detention during my lunch periods. I guess my head was in the wrong place but as an adult I realize now how much it doesn't matter. But, imprinted in the minds of many people is the belief that cascading, long and flowing hair is feminine and attractive but as a woman of predominately African descent I wasn't built that way and people should be OK with how I am. It is something so trivial and yet so controversial and strange to talk about. But my question sincerely is: why do black girls put themselves through so much to fit into an ideal of beauty that excludes them. Why want to be included into that category anyway? Don't get me wrong, hair is cool and people have a right to make their own choices but I can't help wondering why this practice is so widespread and why so many people aren't good enough the way they were made.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Invest in students and artists who care!
Greetings Family and Friends!
What is Hare's Eye?
Hare's Eye is a short story by a Russian writer, Dmitry Bakin. Currently, a group of Brooklyn College undergraduates and graduate students are adapting the short story into a short film.
Hare's Eye takes place in the military, but it does not have to do with war. It deals more with the internal thoughts or psyches of soldiers. The themes pertain to how they dream or feel about the world and military life.
We have already shot two days worth of footage! Our set was wonderful and built by a classmate, Hugh. I, Affea T. Henriques, was the casting director and I am the script supervisor. You'll notice my classmates in the pictures moving props, operating sound and video equipment. Usually classes do not produce large films, but we are very ambitious and we love learning about the different jobs in the film industry. Being casting director was really awesome! I looked through photo submissions and resumes until I found the right guys! They are really amazing actors and one performer, Andrew Ash, graduated from Yale with an M.A. in Drama. Our director, Flemming Laursen, is a talented MFA student who has experience in the Danish military. He cares passionately for this movie because currently many of his friends are in Afghanistan.
Bottom line--we want to make a fantastic, kick-butt movie! Help us! Depending on your donation amount, you can get a free copy of our movie or be invited to our release party. If you give us enough you will be listed in the credits as executive producer. Please donate at our kickstarter page:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1069727883/hares-eye
Thanks for reading and considering this investment!
Sincerely,
Affea T. Henriques
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Adaptation of Morning Breakfast
I really love directing movies and I had so much fun with this! It is based on the poem "Morning Breakfast" by Jacques Prevert. It was an awesome experience and a fun day! I would definitely like to make a movie again. For some reason I only have ideas for horrors and suspense. You'll notice that my movie is quite morbid! You can also watch a movie that I was in, directed by Youssef Lehnin. He adapted the same poem. All films and the poem can be found below:
Below is the poem it is based on:
Into the cup
He poured the milk
Into the cup of coffee
He added the sugar
To the coffee and milk
He stirred it
With a teaspoon
He drank the coffee
And put back the cup
Without speaking to me
He lit a cigarette
He blew some rings
With the smoke
He flicked the ashes
Into the ashtray
Without speaking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put his hat
On his head
He put on
His raincoat
Because it was raining
He went out
Into the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I
I took my head
In my hands
And I wept
Enjoy and please comment!
"Unfortunate" from Head Make Book on Vimeo.
Below is the poem it is based on:
Breakfast
He poured the coffeeInto the cup
He poured the milk
Into the cup of coffee
He added the sugar
To the coffee and milk
He stirred it
With a teaspoon
He drank the coffee
And put back the cup
Without speaking to me
He lit a cigarette
He blew some rings
With the smoke
He flicked the ashes
Into the ashtray
Without speaking to me
Without looking at me
He got up
He put his hat
On his head
He put on
His raincoat
Because it was raining
He went out
Into the rain
Without a word
Without looking at me
And I
I took my head
In my hands
And I wept
Enjoy and please comment!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
More Pics!
I went to Toledo and Escorial, two cities not far from Madrid. There are these amazing structures that were built centuries ago. Imagine the wealth the dead kings must have had! It was built in the 1500s.
There were a lot of ghosts! In El Monasterio del Escorial there are rooms full of coffins. El Monasterio del Escorial is a huge palace-like structure where Felipe II spent his winters. Complete with galleries, offices, bedrooms, salons, and a BasÃlica. It was creepy because the people were still rotting away inside a castle (you can smell the funk of 4000 years-seriously). The royal family was incestuous and pretty wicked. They were pretty strange people. (Obviously, they are all together inside their winter home and it has been centuries since they died.)
I wish I could show the coffins but they prohibit photos inside and a security guard was already pissed at me for crawling into a fireplace.
part of the monasterio
Me in Escorial
Toledo was cool, but it rained all day. Here are some photos....
City walls
A really old mosque that was converted into a church.
View of Toledo
This church took 200 years to build
Inside of the church
There was this weird hypnotic video about the priest who decided this church needed to be built...
There were a lot of ghosts! In El Monasterio del Escorial there are rooms full of coffins. El Monasterio del Escorial is a huge palace-like structure where Felipe II spent his winters. Complete with galleries, offices, bedrooms, salons, and a BasÃlica. It was creepy because the people were still rotting away inside a castle (you can smell the funk of 4000 years-seriously). The royal family was incestuous and pretty wicked. They were pretty strange people. (Obviously, they are all together inside their winter home and it has been centuries since they died.)
I wish I could show the coffins but they prohibit photos inside and a security guard was already pissed at me for crawling into a fireplace.
part of the monasterio
Me in Escorial
Toledo was cool, but it rained all day. Here are some photos....
City walls
A really old mosque that was converted into a church.
View of Toledo
This church took 200 years to build
Inside of the church
There was this weird hypnotic video about the priest who decided this church needed to be built...
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