On the Bright Side of Life

C'est la nuit

2007-10-29T19:35:00.000Z

Le matin est là, je rentre chez nous,
Les rayons du soleil, quand moi je m'éteins,
C'est comme chaque fois, fatigue et dégoût,
Et la lumière m'apaise enfin,
C'est toujours pareil, aucun souvenir,
La même impression, cette honte de soi,
Oh toujours pareil, dormir à mourir,
Et plus jamais, mais à chaque fois,

C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'éloigne de toi,
C'est la nuit bien plus forte que moi,
C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'entraîne et me noie,
La nuit c'est l'autre face de moi,

Je voudrais tellement, jurer te promettre,
D'être ce que je suis, quand le jour est là,
Un père, un amant, mais je cesse de l'être,
Quand l'ombre descend, j'oublie ma foi,
Et je la sens qui vient, tout près me narguer,
Sans la lumière, toutes mes forces me fuient,
Tes larmes et tes mains, ne pourront m'aider,
Et je deviens, mon pire ennemi,

C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'éloigne de toi,
C'est la nuit bien plus forte que moi,
C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'entraîne et me noie,
La nuit c'est l'autre face de moi,
C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'éloigne de toi,
La nuit qui se moque bien de moi,

C'est la nuit (x4) qui m'entraine et me noie,
Ma face noire, un autre que moi,
C'est la nuit (x4), qui me prend chaque fois,
La nuit, y se moque bien de moi,
C'est la nuit (x4), qui m'impose sa loi,
Qui nous vole à nous, me vole à toi,

C'est la vie, c'est l'envie, c'est la vie, c'est la nuit, qui m'arrache à tes bras,
La nuit qui m'attire, tandis pourquoi?
C'est la nuit, c'est la vie, c'est la nuit, c'est l'envie, qui ne me lâche pas,
La nuit qui m'entraîne oh retiens-moi.

Ecouter

I Wish

2007-05-19T04:05:00.000Z

I waited for her outside
She came
She was beautiful
We went out to meet some friends
We had a blast
There was a sparkle
She did not dare
I wish I could
I wish she could
I like her
I took her back home
We said good night
I went home
And wrote this piece
That was the end of that
I wish I could
I wish she could

El Morro

Everything has an End

2007-05-14T02:46:00.000Z

- Long time no see…I guess you have been busy
- You know the usual stuff…
- No…it’s different this time
- What do you mean?
- You are not the same you as before…you have changed
- We all change…
- I see how it is
- It’s not like anything
- Why are you doing this to me? What did I do?
- Where do you want me to start?
- I didn’t do anything
- If you say so…
- …
- …
- You know very well that you are the one I love
- I don’t know that…it does not show…and it does not matter
- You mean like you don’t care
- I do care…you have to make a choice
- You know my situation
- I think it’s either you are making excuses or that you are really Mother Theresa
- Stop the sarcasm
- It’s better than the Mexican drama you have been playing with me lately
- You became mean
- I became REAL
- You became an ASSWHOLE
- I am not going to lower myself to this level of discussion
- So you think you are better than me
- I think that you need to take a reality check and assess your behavior…you are not who you think you are!
- You know what…we better leave it at this…it might turn ugly
- You are right…Everything has an End after all
- I just never thought It would end like this with you
- Me neither…

Stolen lives

2007-04-05T11:47:00.000Z

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies,
in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are
cold and are not clothed. The world in arms is not spending money alone. It is
spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of
its children.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Even the butterflies

2007-02-09T10:03:00.000Z

Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico

El Morro

Alanis Morissette's That i would be Good performed by a band from Argentina

2007-02-07T00:10:00.001Z

that I would be good even if I did nothing

that I would be good even if I got the thumbs down

that I would be good if I got and stayed sick

that I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

that I would be fine even if I went bankrupt

that I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth

that I would be great if I was no longer queen

that I would be grand if I was not all knowing

that I would be loved even when I numb myself

that I would be good even when I am overwhelmed

that I would be loved even when I was fuming

that I would be good even if I was clingy

that I would be good even if I lost sanity

that I would be good

whether with or without you

El Morro

Deux heures de train

2007-01-30T19:37:00.000Z

En deux heures de train
je repasse le film de ma vie
Deux minutes par année en moyenne
Une demi-heure pour l'enfance
une autre pour la prison
L'amour, les livres, l'errance
se partagent le reste
La main de ma compagne
fond peu à peu dans la mienne
et sa tête sur mon épaule
est aussi légère qu'une colombe
A notre arrivée
j'aurai la cinquantaine
et il me restera à vivre
une heure environ

Abellatif Laabi

J'aime la littérature

2007-01-15T16:32:00.000Z

Ceci est une déclaration d’amour. À la littérature, mon pays bien-aimé. C’est le refuge de la subjectivité, l’antre de la liberté. Je m’y suis toujours senti chez moi. Etranger et pourtant chez moi. Ces jours-ci, en particulier, la littérature me sauve. Deux livres, deux inspirations salvatrices.
J’ai d’abord élu domicile chez Alaa Al Assouani, le très fin auteur de l’Immeuble Yacoubian. Dans son nouveau roman, il tisse à partir du général Safouat Chaker, un tortionnaire pas comme les autres, l’histoire secrète d’une Egypte cruelle. Le général, protagoniste de l’histoire, avait le don de faire avouer les détenus politiques, sans leur donner un seul coup de fouet, mais en dénudant leurs épouses, en plein interrogatoire. Une fois leur intimité violée, ils deviennent volubiles. Plus ils parlent, plus le général escalade l’échelle sociale et politique. Plus les femmes se mettent à nu, plus les gradés s’en mettent plein les poches, plus les militants se font petits. Ainsi, donc, se résume en une formule, dont seule la littérature a le secret, l’équation égyptienne. De Belgique, Françoise Lalande, elle, sonde les sentiments inavouables d’une famille ordinaire, la tribu Keil. Les remords d’une mère, engloutie par le sens du devoir, qui n’a pas su se rebeller contre un mari indifférent et colérique. La méchanceté d’un fils, beau et filou à la fois. Les querelles des deux sœurs, l’une séductrice, l’autre frigide. Le sort de l’ensemble, attaché à la vie mais conscient qu’elle n’est pas si généreuse que ça. Le temps d’un livre, on découvre comment l’amour dans une famille se perd, écrasé par un silence complice et une haine non assumée.
Ces deux romans parlent des deux entités qui peuvent écraser, dominer, déformer ou corrompre l’individu : l’Etat et la famille. Ne serait-ce que pour la beauté du malaise qu’elle provoque, j’aime la littérature.

Par Driss Ksikess

Sade - By your side

2007-01-13T15:12:00.000Z

Sade - By Your Side
Uploaded by sayit

you think i'd leave your side baby
you know me better than that
you think i'd leave you down when you're down on your knees
i wouldn't do that
i'll tell you you're right when you want
and if only you could see into me
ha ah ah ah ah ah

oh when you're cold
i'll be there
hold you tight to me

when you're on the outside baby and you can`t get in
i will show you you're so much better than you know
when you're lost and you're
alone and you cant get back again
i will find you darling and i will bring you home
and if you want to cry
i am here to dry your eyes
and in no time
you'll be fine

you think i'd leave your side baby
you know me better than that
you think id leave you down when you're down on your knees
i wouldn't do that
i'll tell you you're right when you want
and if only you could see into me
ha ah ah ah ah ah

oh when you're cold
i'll be there
hold you tight to me
when you're low
i'll be there
by your side baby

oh when you're cold
i'll be there
hold you tight to me
oh when you're low
i'll be there
by your side baby

El Morro

Omaima Khalil

2007-01-04T22:10:00.001Z

Phone Log

2007-01-02T23:34:00.000Z

- I wanted to ask you a question
- Yes, what is it?
- Do you really love me? You don’t have to answer
- You want the truth?
- Yes please
- Yes I do but my pride is above all things
- I asked you because I love you too
- And now?
- And now what?
- What should we do?
- I don’t know, it depends on you
- I want you for me alone
- So does him…
- It’s your choice
- I don’t think I deserve you! I have done so many bad things in the past. You deserve better!
- You have told me about it your past and yet I still love you. Your past is your past and I won’t judge you on that.
- …
- So?
- Do you really love? How about her?
- I told you that I will tell the truth and the truth only. Her? I think you know that I can’t and don’t love her anymore
- I think it would be better if we forget about all of this. I love you a lot but it’s useless.
- Why would you say such a thing? For once in your lifetime think about yourself...and about me

In Person

2006-12-14T01:29:00.000Z

- Did you take the book with you?
- I think I forgot, but I have something to show you. It’s a book about surrealism
- Cool! It looks like a good read.
- Yeah it is I am sure you will get a kick out of reading it
- Do you by any chance like to read history?
- Yeah I do. But I usually prefer reading anything from the renaissance era
- Makes sense. Everything we live in now; we owe to the great thinkers of that time
- Yes we do, and I also realize that we need our own revolution
- That’s for sure…I am optimistic that it’s going to be sooner than later
- Why are you this sure?
- Well here is the thing. When building a strong personality a man has to go through two phases. In the first one, he just assimilates things without questioning. The second part is the most crucial one. Every man at a certain point has what is called his phase of Decartian doubt. At that point, a man looks backwards at what he assimilated. He starts questioning everything. If what’s behind is on a strong base, it’s all to his advantage and he can keep on walking straight ahead without fear of the future. Otherwise, his questioning becomes more and more persistent without ever getting a straight answer that would free him to walk ahead.
- Interesting, I can’t say that I don’t agree, at least partially, but what does it have to do with an eminent revolution in Morocco?
- Well, I feel like in Morocco right now everybody is starting to question everything. We are, as a society in our Decartian doubt phase. The great thing is that I think that the culture that serves as our base is very rich and on very strong bases. That’s why I am very optimistic about the future of Morocco.
- It makes sense. However, I believe that in order for a society to perform a considerable revolution, it has to be led by leaders who are going to be the voices of the change and leaders of the mass. We lack these kinds of leaders in Morocco.
- You are right. However our discussion is a very good sign of something cooking up. Don’t you think?
- Yes I agree that we think more and eventually one of us, as a society, is going to step up to the front lines to lead us all.
- In order for this person to step up, it has to get out of the society and take a good look at it.
- You mean go abroad?
- Not necessarily abroad. I am talking about getting a better look at the society from an inner prospective.
- Can you be more specific?
- I like to imagine society as this big drop of water that when it comes into contact with anything it swallows it inside. I think of myself as this droplet of water inside the big giant drop. In order to get out of the drop, it is going to take a lot of effort. But once you are out of the drop, the view is spectacular. You can then realize that it’s just a drop among others.
- I see, but the thing is how can you get out?
- The genius is the person who through all the complexities of life thinks the simplest thoughts that no one dares to think of. Yet these thoughts appear very complex to others. So to get out, you have to think as simple as you can.
- Let’s assume what you say is right. To think simple, you have to think logically. At the same time our logic is not very logical since factors such as emotions are part of our decision making.
- Yes and that’s the whole issue.
- I see
- It was a great chat, shall we go eat now
- I am very much sure that I am hungry

Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms

2006-12-12T22:58:00.000Z

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arm

Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

El Morro

In Person

2006-12-12T21:02:00.000Z

- What are you thinking about?

- you

- What do you mean?

- I mean that I think about you

- In what way?

- I don’t know…since I’ve been here you’ve always been there for me

- I know

- I want to tell you something

- If it’s wine talking than don’t tell me now

- I love you

- You are drunk again

- I am really serious

- …

- I would kiss you if there weren’t people with us

- Why do you care about people if you really love me?

- I don’t want to hurt your ex who is looking at us right now

- Don’t worry about her

- No she is a friend

- Whatever you want

- …

El Morro

To a Friend

2006-12-04T09:58:00.000Z

I ask but one thing of you, only one,
That always you will be my dream of you;
That never shall I wake to find untrue
All this I have believed and rested on,
Forever vanished, like a vision gone
Out into the night. Alas, how few
There are who strike in us a chord we knew
Existed, but so seldom heard its tone
We tremble at the half-forgotten sound.
The world is full of rude awakenings
And heaven-born castles shattered to the ground,
Yet still our human longing vainly clings
To a belief in beauty through all wrongs.
O stay your hand, and leave my heart its songs!

by Amy Lowell

Passion

2006-11-27T19:17:00.000Z

Passion has no age

El Morro

Revolution

2006-11-22T11:11:00.000Z

We are the fanatics of liberty
We are the peace lovers
We are the demolishers of taboos
We are the new generation
We are the revolution

They try to subdue us
They try to break us
The try to exclude us
They try to shut us
They try to imprison us

We don’t give up
We speak up
We talk back
We live up
We fight back

They give up
They free us
They listen to us
They submit to us
They are over

It’s our time now
It’s justice restored
It’s equality
It’s freedom
It’s peace

…while it lasts

El Morro

In Person

2006-11-16T18:19:00.000Z

- I need to talk to you about something

- What is it?

- You know why I don’t call you anymore and why I will stop calling you?

- What? You don’t want to talk to me anymore

- No it’s more complicated than that

- What is it then

- ….

- Come on talk! you are acting like my little brother here

- Well...i can’t spend more time with you anymore

- You don’t want to be my friend anymore

- I wish I felt like you were my friend

- But I am your friend!

- No you are not my friend…I feel like you are a little more than that

- Like your sister you mean?

- No more than a friend in a different way

- Oh…

- Yeah

- …

- I don’t want to hurt you or cause you problems I prefer leaving you alone for now

- I understand

- I am sorry, it’s just beyond me, i shouldn't have ...

- Let’s go out tomorrow

- What you mean out?

- For one last time or actually let’s do it tonight

- I don’t think you understand what I mean.

- …

- I just don’t want to hurt you or hurt myself

- I understand

- I am going to leave right now

- Ok take care of yourself

- Bye

El Morro

A Prague

2006-11-14T17:14:00.000Z

Tu es dans le jardin d’une auberge aux environs de Prague
Tu te sens tout heureux une rose est sur la table
Et tu observes au lieu d’écrire ton conte en prose
La cétoine qui dort dans le cœur de la rose

Apollinaire,
Alcools.

Phone Log

2006-11-05T19:29:00.000Z

- hello

- What are you doing?

- AH it’s you...Nothing...you?

- I want to talk to you

- About what?

- Can I see you

- I am busy

- I thought you were doing nothing

- Well I can’t see you

- Why not?

- You know what you did

- Yes, and I apologize

- No need to, it’s too late

- …

- Hello?

- Yes I heard you, you said it’s too late

- Yes

- You don’t seem to regret anything

- I do, but life goes on

- Who is he?

- Who is who?

- I am not a child

- Nobody you know

- What’s his name

- I don’t want to talk about it right now

- Where did you meet him?

- Listen I have to go now. Bye

- Call me

El Morro

Parfois

2006-10-28T18:20:00.000Z

Parfois, j’ai envie de disparaître
De ne plus apparaître
Puis je réapparais

Parfois, je maudis les cieux
Mes amis, ma famille et les dieux
Puis je me repentis

Parfois, je discute
Je parle et j’argumente
Puis je me tais

Parfois, mon silence est parole
Mes paroles silence
Puis j’écris

Parfois, je me dis que la vie est éphémère
Et que j’y crois dur comme fer
Puis je me soucis

Parfois, je t’aime, je t’adore
Je te déteste et je te hais
Puis je t’aime

Parfois, j'en parle...

El Morro

I Love You by Omar Faruk

2006-10-28T00:30:00.000Z

La langue de ma mère

2006-10-27T22:07:00.001Z

Je n'ai pas vu ma mère depuis vingt ans
Elle s'est laissée mourir de faim
On raconte qu'elle enlevait chaque matin
son foulard de tête
et frappait sept fois le sol
en maudissant le ciel et le Tyran
J'étais dans la caverne
là où le forçat lit dans les ombres
et peint sur les parois le bestiaire de l'avenir
Je n'ai pas vu ma mère depuis vingt ans
Elle m'a laissé un service à café chinois
dont les tasses se cassent une à une
sans que je les regrette tant elles sont laides
Mais je n'en aime que plus le café
Aujourd'hui, quand je suis seul
j'emprunte la voix de ma mère
ou plutôt c'est elle qui parle dans ma bouche
avec ses jurons, ses grossièretés et ses imprécations
le chapelet introuvable de ses diminutifs
toute l'espèce menacée de ses mots
Je n'ai pas vu ma mère depuis vingt ans
mais je suis le dernier homme
à parler encore sa langue

Abdellatif Laâbi

Extrait du Périple de Baldassare

2006-10-27T21:36:00.000Z

"Hier, au plus fort de la tempête, Marta était venue se blottir contre moi. Sa tête sur ma poitrine et sa hanche collée a la mienne. La peur était devenu une complice, une amie. Et le brouillard un aubergiste complaisant. Nous nous sommes tenus, nous nous sommes désirés nous avons unis nos lèvres, et les gens rôdaient autour de nous sans nous voir."

Amin Maalouf, Le Périple de Baldassare

Butterflying

2006-10-27T18:15:00.000Z

Butterflying is a verb that doesn’t exist in English but it defines so many things in portuguese… borboleteando v. borboletear - flap the wings like a butterfly; fantasise, imagine, daydream; wander, rove, meander, roam. So... let’s borboletear!

Photography taken in Nusa Dua
Bali – Indonesia