Maya: Emerge By Michael Lagoki

Over the past year or so I have been very blessed to meet some of the most creative and talented people I know through a non-profit organization called ArtLoveMagic. The band I play bass in (Rin Tin Tin) was approached at a Zounds Sounds show by Justin Nygren (a founder of ALM). He gave us his card and told us that he was interested in booking us to play shows. We had no idea at the time that we would become very close with the people of ArtLoveMagic.

Rin Tin Tin has played a zillion of ArtLoveMagic's Art and Coffee shows. These open mic nights are held at Saxby's Coffee in Farmer's Branch and serve as a showcase for poets, musicians, painters, and damn near every kind of art you can think of. At one of our first Art and Coffees, we watched another founder, Michael Lagoki, recite an incredibly moving poem that spoke to us in an astonishing way. His poem is titled Maya: Emerge and describes man's desire to do good combating the compulsion to be selfish. His poem illustrates the aspect of our very human nature to put ourselves first when others should be the most important.


^Live scribing

I truly admire Michael Lagoki, here is
Maya: Emerge
This world is a Maya.
It's a metaphor for self.
True connection feels like heaven- isolation feels like hell.
We've always known it was illusion, yet still it hit the truth.
So we've been waiting and debating, we've been organizing proof. We've been analyzing roots cause we've been strategizing moves. We've been gathering and cataloging hints and lies and clues.
See it's easy to get lost when you're trying to put a puzzle together, even when you know it's a game.
Because how do you do a puzzle when the pieces keep changing? ...when the size and the shapes and the colors and the names and even the picture on the BOX are all in constant shift, and they're breathing in and out and they're moving around like this, and you thought you made progress but you find yourself back where you thought you had started, still craving what you lacked, and you scream
"I've been trying, I've been doing right. I've been reading holy books, sayin' prayers every night. I've been walking the faith. I've been giving to the poor. I have been begging God to open the door."
But you know the truth is you've been both. You've been the sacred and the profane. Yeah, you were honoring the name when you weren't taking it in vain. And you were giving to the poor when it didn't occur to you to hoard. And you were lifting up your gifts when you weren't demanding more.
But hey, that's what life is, it's a paradox of sorts.
You are a vibration in the body of God, moving back and moving forth.
So why don't you ease up a bit? Stop providing so much stress.
You didn't come forth here to judge yourself, you came here to express, to think and feel and bless, to open up your chest, to use the language of your soul to birth magnificence. The wise ones will rejoice. We are at a time of choice.
We need to feel your voice.
Step forward and be heard. Reclaim the gift of word.
Creativity, vitality, through poetry: emerge."
-Michael Lagocki



If you would like to hear Michael recite his poem, go to the music section of ArtLoveMagic.com
http://artlovemagic.com/homebase/radio_02.htm