A Poem I Wrote About A Friend

Re-Re

A passing encounter during the winter

Ethereal yet resonant.

Au printemps I made an inquiry out of curiosity,

And to my surprise you candidly extended

A part of your personality,

Allowing me insight into your intricate character

And from then on I considered you my friend.

October brought Humans Versus Zombies:

I was coerced into providing tactical information

Betraying you;

Out of regret I admitted to that maneuver

And upon being informed you accosted me –

I owned up to my mistake,

Leading to my talking to you more often –

Yet there I saw you from a fresher perspective.

A worksheet that stymied you

Prompting me to help you;

Both of us left later than the majority

Yet as we went to the next class,

I more fully appreciated your unique way of thinking,

Even though our conversation was just about Montreal and Germany.

An unexpected snowfall

Tossed everything into disarray

In a statement against finals week;

Notebooks placed haphazardly on the table I heard “how’s studying going?”

And was taken aback –

I was realized it was you and felt comforted,

As if you had that kind of power over the situation.

We exchanged ironic end-of-term goodbyes

And like a downpour dwindling to the slightest drizzle,

The intensity had reduced to a trace of itself.

Joy la lumière

Illuminating knowledge –

Awe-inspiring like a cherry blossom tree in bloom.

Unwitty title due to an affliction called winterbreakitis

"The Pecan Tree" by Deafheaven mixes a blistering black metal attack with a reverb that soothes the atmosphere; the result is ethereal but frantic.

"Cries on the Wind" by Anathema takes a metallic sound and blurs it with psychedelia, creating a strange but oddly compelling piece. The song seems to fill space, literally and figuratively.

"Rising Down" by the Roots is a stripped down hip hop song, built mainly off guitar, a percussive beat, and vocals. The style fits the lyrics well.

"Sleep Apnea" by Chevelle manipulates the traditional alternative metal sound to create a sense of anxiety that elevates the lyrics.

"Caroling" by Eluvium is a simplistic, winter-esque piano-based piece. The atmosphere is serene but cheerful.

Music: Le Deux

"Junta" by Cormorant is an intriguing and dynamic yet melodic progressive rock/metal song that blends many genre, including spoken word, rock, jazz, and metal.

"Lose My Breath" by Yuck is a lively piece that blurs a guitar-base sound in order to achieve an ethereal quality. It's also damn catchy.

"Synthetica" by Metric is a propulsive electronic rock song moving at a steady space.

thermooooo

"Shinsou no Reijou" from the Oreimo soundtrack is a nice neoclassical piece built off strings and piano.

"Tenshi wa Namida to Tsubasa wo Otosu" from the Welcome to the NHK is a chill instrumental, dominated by a very spacious texture. Chalk it up to a meandering guitar backed up by steady but slow percussion.

The "Prophecy Theme" by Brian Eno (for the film adaptation of Dune) is a very lush and layered array of synthesizers working in tandem to create an alien yet serene atmosphere.

"She is the Dark" by My Dying Bride captures an unrelenting claustrophobic atmosphere. It transforms musical heaviness into emotional heaviness.

"Light Inside Darkness" by Zeldaru is layered by synthesizers and piano, creating a sense of enigma and foreboding.A feeling of being in a large space is evoked, as if the listener were in an abandoned mansion or some horror cliche like that.

"The Pod" by Hum begins with a reversed guitar sound, creating a psychedelic disconnect that drives the song.

5 Centimeters Per Second

Today I got to visit Powell’s, a large bookstore in Portland (if you did not know). I had been excited for quite some time to go there so I could buy some books and kill some gift cards. Instead of taking my wheelchair, I chose to walk, which was not an insignificant choice. I had to envisage myself as strong enough to walk long enough to get everything I wanted; exploration suddenly became very daunting. For the past few months – 11 and a half by my count – I have been struggling with problems of strength. My legs are more incapable of supporting my weight as they have been in the past.

To most people who know me, “the past” is vague and means nothing. For years upon years I had so much trouble telling people that I have Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy, a neuromuscular disorder which pretty much means I have weaker muscles than the normal person. The winter term of my freshman year I went to a dance hosted by the Residence Hall Association of the campus. Over the course of my time there I steadily grew weaker until my legs felt stiff - the classical sign for me to sit down and take a rest – but still I asked my friend to dance. I endured and  veritably enjoyed the dance, even though I had come very close to exceeding my limits. Feeling so exhausted, I had to take a rest. The next day my friend made a joke about me being bad at dancing but she felt very guilty after I told her about my disability. I seem so normal upon first glance.
With this story in mind, one can see that I am not very strong physically, even though seeing me walk would suggest that nothing is wrong. Today I walked to a level that I could earlier. I still had to sit down quite often but I managed okay in the moment. To and fro I walked, exploring my surroundings. In particular, I decided that I had to find and purchase 5 Centimeters Per Second, a manga of a film very important to me. Ultimately I ended up obtaining And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, two Haruhi light novels, and the first volume of the Oreimo manga; my journey was gifted with physical findings that I could take back with me. I adventured through Powell’s, even though I was concerned about my flagging strength. Sitting down helps me alleviate the fatigue but it builds up much more easily for me than for other people.

I fancy myself strong of mind but I am weak of body.  I walked like a “normal” person while being aware that my strength fluctuates more than a normal person. For someone who now uses a scooter most of the time and a manual wheelchair when I’m with my family, I was pretty freaked out being there, even though I was having a lot of fun looking for things I wanted to buy. I drew from the strength of my mind and did not falter, hoping that in the end I could find everything I wanted. When it came time to leave, I panicked because I was at the back entrance when we had agreed to meet at the front entrance. I ended up, despite feeling weak and sore from so much walking. I went around the building all the way to the front entrance where the car was parked. Feeling anxious and beaten I sat down in the car. Finally, I could just rest and not worry about my seemingly borrowed strength that was disappearing quickly. My mom and sister were annoyed that I had walked all the way to the front entrance, but in the end I had made it.

Strength is such an abstract concept for me because I can easily become near-exhausted. I am strong enough to walk, but my maximum strength is still so little compared to other people. I take pride in my intellect and value it over my physical weakness. At the same time, seeing so many people walking around and checking out books without any problem is very isolating. I am glad, though, that I could truly adventure, a feeling I haven’t gotten in a long time.

Cantara

"The Temple", a theme from Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, mixes dark synthesizer swirl with Eastern instrumentation, creating a distinct yet ominous atmosphere. The piece characterizes the surroundings of one character, creating a sense of isolation.

"Cantara" by Dead Can Dance takes place with an acoustic instrument that abruptly jumps up in speed, supplemented by percussion and vocals. As time progresses the song evolves further, creating a very layered effect.

"Mad About You" by Hooverphonic is a very lush song: the vocals are supported by a smooth, orchestral texture. The style contains hints of jazz and hip hop, creating an effective fusion of genres.

"Mama, I'm Swollen" by Cursive carries a dark sentiment on a smooth rock texture before escalating into anger.

"Lights" from Ef: A Tale of Melodies is a serene piece reminiscent of a nocturne; piano and other acoustic instruments create a hushed atmosphere. 

Japanese Edition (of the Song Picks, I mean)

"Snowly Star" from Ef: A Tale of Memories is a warm piece that gradually builds to a graceful plateau before softly fading into the distance.

The Daily Lives of High School Boys ending theme is a very silly piano-and-vocal based piece. It's pretty fitting for a comedy show.

"Two Sugars" from the visual novel Lil Busters is reminiscent of an etude performed on piano: it is melodic but slow enough for individual shifts in melody to be noticeable.

"Anthurium" from the visual novel Rewrite is a very festive mostly orchestral piece. The range of dynamics employed is narrow but wide enough to carry one's interest for the full 2 minutes and 46 seconds.

The ending theme to Mawaru Penguindrum, performed by Coaltar of the Deepers is built on shoegaze machinations, creating a space-filling sound. "Dear Future" is carried by slightly psychedelic riffs, preventing the song from coming close to halting early.

"Prayer" by Mutyumu has an elegant feel, building serenely from an emphasis on vocals to a full fledged piece.