Tag Archives: symbolism

marble.

In Jordan Peele’s 2019 psychological thriller ‘US’, Adelaide Thomas stumbles upon a dilapidated hall of mirrors and encounters her doppelgänger hidden away in the shadows. Familiar on the face of it, staring back at her reflection whilst recognising that there is something slightly amiss is an unsettling feeling because it is not the monster thatContinue reading “marble.”

bear the cross.

As four-time Olympic champion, Mo Farah, crossed the line at his final London Marathon, he was visibly emotional at the prospect of finally hanging up his trainers after an illustrious career. He has dominated long-distance running like no other British athlete, having overcome a difficult upbringing in which he was illegally trafficked into the U.K.Continue reading “bear the cross.”

jaded.

In between bouts of seasonal flus that have felt more potent than in winters gone by, I gained a greater appreciation for existing with the privilege of relatively full health. The preservation and function of our mind and body is a central pillar of our lives that is too often dismissed as the Ulysses pactContinue reading “jaded.”

blue-eyed soul

In September 1978, Bobby Caldwell dropped his most famous and commercially successful single, ‘What You Won’t Do For Love’, a sensual, groovy R&B classic that has stood the test of time. I’ve been recently listening to his eponymous record and, much like many listeners both today and at the time the single was released, IContinue reading “blue-eyed soul”

jail tonight.

DONDA is here. After a number of delayed release dates and the typical circus theatrics that seem to accompany Kanye West at every step in recent times, the ecclesiastical, immersive project that he promised landed on streaming sites, honouring his late, great mother. Don’t get me wrong. The album is serially disjointed and has aContinue reading “jail tonight.”

embracing the absurd.

There has been a considerable drought in my writing, searching for what is wrong with it all, the reason for which has been a combination of busy schedules, shifting priorities and, above all, contentment. After being stuck on transmit and in fifth gear for much of the last two months, I wanted to experience beingContinue reading “embracing the absurd.”

the great puzzle.

Turning a year older has, while losing its superficial fanfare, allowed me to set aside time to realign myself. Goals and aspirations are relatively easy to establish and can be acted on during the routine of working life, but self-reflection tends to be that heavy fog you never quite want to peer through. I’ve foundContinue reading “the great puzzle.”

the ninth circle.

Visual descriptors of betrayal as a metaphor have often been derived out of the concept of passion, given that double crossing someone conjures up feelings of anger, resentment and cries of retribution. Realising that we have been wronged produces a surging injustice which is much more physical than other hormonal responses that we may experience.Continue reading “the ninth circle.”

moving train.

My initial reading through the broad strokes of Indian philosophy have concerned the art of refocusing perspective, which is more of a honed skill than an innate quality. This, of course, is tied closely with the practice of yoga, which is seen rather simplistically as a mode of relaxation or exercise in Western culture. ButContinue reading “moving train.”

on death.

One of the great human failings is our inability to handle grief. There are not many things I find more emotionally taxing than trying to process and reconcile the permanence of death, and this is a commonality between us all. It is strange that, despite its certainty, the concept of death doesn’t become any lessContinue reading “on death.”

what do they know?

In an age of abundance, where we are bombarded with information that leaks out of our pockets, it is no surprise that we are living in a period that has been dubbed by some as ‘The Age of Disinformation’. We see this most evidently in our politics, as actors existing in the extreme ends ofContinue reading “what do they know?”

santorini sunset.

24/08/2019 Appreciating the rare moments in which the majesty of the cosmos peeks behind the curtain of our monotonous exercises. There is so much to be grateful for, and yet I can’t help feeling suppressed at times. Mere escapism from routine is a distraction, and proves ineffective in re-aligning my perspective in times when IContinue reading “santorini sunset.”

single player.

It’s quite disheartening to realise that there’s a chance that all this hard work could amount to nothing, or that the door I’m desperate to burst through has closed shut before I’ve even reached for the handle. Coupled with the certainty that I am bound to make countless mistakes on the way, it seems theContinue reading “single player.”

visible.

Corporate presentation events have the potential to be rigid and awkward at the best of times, and I expected much of the same at the LGBT+ presentation I attended. It had the usual polite interactions with support staff in order to know how to navigate an office with over 30 floors. It had the nameContinue reading “visible.”

androcles and the lion.

There’s a small, remote village that resides on the outskirts of Rome. An air of tranquillity floats around the place. One night, the village is tormented by a terrible noise emanating from the hills across the valley. It is a roar of a lion, but one that pierces the air of tranquility all through theContinue reading “androcles and the lion.”

sober response to teenage angst.

For all the billing of parties being a foolproof source of enjoyment, there are some unsettling prerequisites that you are supposed to comply with. There’s a pressure to not just ‘be’, but to be interesting and not simply stand with your back against the wall, drifting away into obscurity. ‘Just being yourself’ doesn’t afford anyContinue reading “sober response to teenage angst.”

free spirit.

I hadn’t been to a gig/concert in a long time. Music was something I had recently relegated to Spotify playlists out of convenience, but when the chance to see Khalid in London came up, it satisfied what I had long been craving – listening to raw, transcendent melody live in the flesh. The ballads ‘Better’Continue reading “free spirit.”