I’ve been feeling really tired and overwhelmed lately. I need some time alone to rest and regain my strength. My mind is heavy, and I’m physically and emotionally exhausted. I believe that after a few days or weeks, I will feel better and come back with new poems. Right now, my thoughts aren’t clear because so much is happening in my life. But I will try to stand on my own again. I’ve realized that attachments can sometimes hurt more than help. Whether it’s a partner, a close friend, or someone you love deeply, these attachments can trap you and make it hard to see the way out. I want to leave the negativity behind and stop giving energy to those who hurt me or make me feel bad. Sometimes, it’s better to say goodbye without explanation, just to protect my peace. I might leave quietly and not say anything, but I will always wish them well, as we say, “fi amanillah”—leaving them in God's care. It’s difficult because I’ve become attached to that person, but I know I need to let go for my own happiness and peace. I don’t usually talk about what’s going on in my life or how I deal with it, but this time, I can’t keep it inside. It’s too much to handle alone. I’m tired of pretending I’m okay when I’m not. That doesn’t mean I will be negative—I just want to give myself some time and space to heal. If you have any questions or advice, I’m open to hearing them. I plan to return in a few days or weeks with new poems, to bring back the energy I lost. I’ve realized that relationships shouldn’t make me feel guilty or shrink myself. Sometimes, people manipulate us to make us feel like we’ve done wrong, but I know I didn’t. I hope you understand what I’m going through. I didn’t mean for this to be so long, but I needed to share. For now, I’m signing off to take care of myself. Be happy, be healthy, and don’t shrink yourself just to fit in. Your feelings matter, and you have the right to express them. Thank you for understanding and reading.

This is another February song. Love it! Snips of Sugar ] [She Waits] [Intro] They say the female of the species is more deadly than the male And you’ve got your own tales to tell Here’s my story, sad but true About a man I once knew [Verse 1] At first she was sugar and spice and everything nice Soft in her smile, never needed advice Honey on her tongue, yeah she spoke real sweet Barefoot angel dancing in the heat But there was a shadow in the way she’d stare Like she knew a secret she just didn’t share A little too calm when the room got loud A little too lost when she drew a crowd [Pre-Chorus] You thought you found heaven in her eyes Didn’t see the storm behind the skies [Chorus] They say there’s a difference In the way the hunters play One will come in howling One will make you beg to stay She don’t hunt… she just waits Some kinds of love don’t chase You won’t hear a sound when it breaks She don’t hunt… she just waits You can run but it’s too late You were marked before the first taste Ain’t no mercy in her grace She don’t hunt… she just waits [Verse 2] I was all snips and snails and puppy dog tales Raised on the dust and the half-told tales Hands a little rough, heart worn thin Didn’t know the kind of mess I was walkin’ in I took her smile like it meant somethin’ true Like I was the only one she ever let through But I was just another name in her book Another lost soul she already took [Pre-Chorus] You thought you could handle the flame Now you don’t even know your name [Chorus] They say there’s a difference In the way the hunters play One will come in howling One will make you beg to stay She don’t hunt… she just waits Some kinds of love don’t chase You won’t hear a sound when it breaks She don’t hunt… she just waits You can run but it’s too late You were marked before the first taste Ain’t no mercy in her grace She don’t hunt… she just waits [Bridge] She was the hunter, I was the prey I didn’t know it until it was too late I fell in a trap like fire to a match

Just an anxiety attack? No, it feels like a storm, a raging tempest inside, thoughts collide like thunder, lightning strikes through the fog, my mind a blank canvas, yet it spills with colors of chaos, a whisper soft yet insistent, pushing through the din, yet failing to quiet the clamor. I sit, anchored, yet adrift in a sea of spirals, my breath lost in the swell, the air thick, like treacle caught in my throat, my hands shake— a symphony of nerves, jittering percussion on my skin, I grip the edges of the chair, as if it might ground me, anchor me in this tempest. The voice within, odd and persistent, a continuous drone, it mocks and helps, an endless loop, repeating a refrain, to stop overthinking, yet all it does is amplify the hurt, turn the volume up on every doubt, every fear, like a cruel passage in my own story. What is this unraveling? Will I rise again, like the phoenix, or will I sink, like stones tossed into the depths? Oh God, hear me, I am tired— not just weary, but bone-deep exhausted, my spirit frayed like old fabric, threatening to tear, to break apart. I beg you for mercy, to take this soul, this restless mind, to free me from shackles of thought, from this prison of self-doubt, this carousel of worry, spinning faster— no joy in the ride, only fear, a dizzying descent into shadows. Will I ever find solace, in the quiet of the night, among the stars that flicker, like distant dreams? Can I gather enough strength to silence the incessant noise, to breathe unshackled, to feel the warmth of sunlight, instead of the chill of dread? I reach for the calm, though it feels like grasping smoke, vanishing as I touch it, yet still, I hope, hope for a day, when stillness will cradle me, like a tender embrace, when I can sit without trembling, without the weight of a thousand thoughts. Who am I within this storm? A survivor, a wanderer, seeking a lighthouse, some beacon, to guide me back to the shore, where the waves lap softly, and the wind whispers dreams,

Sometimes we default to writing from our own point of view in our poetry and songwriting. Now imagine if every novelist only wrote about themselves………………. Books are filled with heroes, villains, lovers, strangers, ghosts, dreamers, and unreliable characters and narrators. The author isn't necessarily any of those people—they're simply stepping into a different perspective. As Songwriters we can do the same. So today let’s learn to write from a different perspective. TRY WRITING FROM: - An ex-lover's point of view - The villain's perspective - Your future self - Your younger self - A parent, child, or friend - An object (a photograph,, a house, a wedding ring) - A fictional character - Even someone you disagree with WHY IT WORKS Writing from another perspective creates emotional distance. Sometimes it's easier to tell the truth when you're not talking directly about yourself. It also helps us discover stories, emotions, and lyrics we might never find from our own viewpoint. CONNECT IT TO THE MUSIC Once you have your lyrics, refer back to Songwtiting Alchemy #1 and revisit the chord progression exercise. Think of the chord progression as the emotional road beneath the song. Now Ask yourself: Does this narrator fit the feeling of the chords?Where does the harmony create tension, release, longing, or confidence? How does the perspective change the meaning of the progression? Which lyric lines feel strongest over specific chord changes? Sometimes the same progression can tell a completely different story when sung by a different narrator. Reflect on this as you refine your piece. Let the chord progression guide the emotional direction while the lyrics reveal who is speaking and why. THE TECHNIQUE Once you've chosen a perspective, don't write about that character, object, or person. Instead, become them. Step inside their experience and write from the inside out. A useful way to do this is through Pat Pattison's object writing approach. (Quoting this book below)

Is this the day of my transformation? Maybe if I say it out loud... I woke up in the middle of the night Once again things didn't seem right Surrounding me, the darkness grew cold I heard myself whisper, "You're getting old" The same old, tired, worn-out refrain Where you're so stuck you wanna change your name Change your mind - stop the dread End the spirals through the same old head Something in the darkness flickers true But you're held captive in the same old you. "How could I let this go on so long?" I watch life happen through the same old song On repeat for years on end Thinking one day I can be my own friend But thinking gets me nowhere fast It's action that will make it last Is it fear? Lack of discipline? I've brainstormed it over and over again Wise mind tells me what I need to hear But emotionally there's familiar fear I can write 'til my hands turn blue But words alone won't make it true A game plan to follow, not to complicate Need to keep it simple for it's far too late Wasted time and energy Is it a waste if now I see? This deja vu - been here before And now I see the same old door I get close, then run away Back to safety - back to play Back to no accomplishment I don't go far in this cement So now I can go back to sleep Dream of promises I won't keep When I wake up I'll move ahead If I can just get out of bed I'll fret and stew and think some more While looking at that same old door Maybe this time with intention I'll become my intervention Good night. Sweet dreams💘