Let me tell you what society will tell you:
Increases your chances of getting a job,
Provides you an opportunity to be successful,
Be a lot less stressful,
Education is the key.

Now let me tell you something your parents will tell you:
Make me proud,
Increases your chances of getting a job,
Provides you an opportunity to be successful,
Your life will be a lot less stressful,
Education is the key.

Now let's look at the statistics,
Steve Jobs - net worth seven billion R.I.P,
Richard Branson - net worth four point two billion,
Oprah Winfrey - two point seven billion,
Mark Zuckerberg, Henry Ford, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates
Now here comes the Coup de grâce,
Looking at these individuals, what's your conclusion?
Neither of them in being successful,
Ever graduated from a higher learning institution.

Now some of you may be like,
Money is only the medium by which we measure worldly success,
And some of you even have the nerve to say
"I don't do it for the money."
So what you studying for?
To work for a charity?
Need more clarity?

Let's look at the statistics:
Jesus,
Muhammed,
Socrates,
Malcolm X,
Mother Teresa,
Spielberg,
Shakespeare,
Beethoven,
Jesse Owens,
Muhammad Ali,
Sean Carter,
Michael Jeffrey Jordan,
Michael Joseph Jackson.
Were either of these people unsuccessful... or... uneducated?

All I'm saying is that,
If there was a family tree hard work and education would be related,
But school would probably be a distant cousin,
Because if education is the key,
School is the lock,
Because it rarely ever develops your mind to the point where it can perceive red as green and continue to go when someone else said stop.
Because as long as you follow the rules and pass exams your cool,
But are you aware that examiners have a checklist,
And if your answer is something outside the box then the automatic response is a cross,
And then they claim that school expands your horizons and your visions,
Well tell that to Malcolm X who dropped out of school and is world renowned for what he learn in a prison.

Proverbs 17:16
It does a fool no good to spend money on an education,
Why?
Because he has no common sense.
George Bush. Need I say more?
Education is about inspiring one's mind,
Not just filling their head,
And take this from me because I'm an 'Educated' man myself,
Who only came to this realization after countless nights in the library,
With a can of red bull keeping me awake till morning,
Another can in the morning,
Falling asleep between piles of books that probably equates to the same amount I spent on my rent,
Memorize equations, facts and dates,
Write down to the letter,
Half of which I would never remember,
And half of which I would forget straight after the exam,
Before the start of the next semester,
Asking anyone if they had notes for the last lecture.
I often found myself running to class,
Just so I could find a spot on which I could rest my head and just sleep without making a scene,
Ironic because that's the only time I ever spent in university chasing my dreams.
And then after nights with a dead-mind,
I'd den find myself in a queue of half-awake students, zombies,
Waiting to hand in an assignment,
Maybe that's why they call it a deadline.
And then after three years of mental suppression,
And frustration,
My "Proud Mother" didn't even turn up to my graduation.

Now, I'm not saying that school is evil and there's nothing to gain,
All I'm saying is: understand your morals and re-assess your aims,
If you want a job working for someone else then help yourself,
But then that would be a contradiction because you wouldn't really be helping yourself,
You'd be helping somebody else,
There's a saying that is: if you don't build your dreams, someone else will hire you to help build theirs.

Redefine how you view education,
Understand it's true meaning,
Education is not just about regurgitating facts from a book,
Or someone else's opinion on a subject to pass an exam,
Look at it.
Picasso was educated at creating art,
Shakespeare was educated in the art of all that was written,
Colonel Harland Sanders was educated in the art of creating Ken Tucky Fried Chicken.

I once saw David Beckham take a free kick,
I watched as the side of his Adidas-sponsored boot hit the patent leather of the ball at an angle,
Which caused it to travel towards the skies as though it was destined for the heavens,
And then as it reached the peek of it's momentum,
As though it changed it's mind,
It switched directions.
I watched as the goalkeeper froze,
As though reciting to himself the laws of physics,
And as though his brain was negotiating with his eyes,
That was indeed witnessing the spectacle that was the leather swan that was swooping towards it,
And then reacted,
Though only a fraction of a millisecond too late,
And before the net of the goal,
Embraced the Fifa-Sponsored ball as though it was the prodigal son returning home,
And the country, that I live in, Erupted into cheers,
I looked at the play and thought,
****,
Looking at David Beckham,
There's more than one way in this world to be,

An educated man.

Peace.

goalkeeper

The goalkeeper stands tall between goal posts that
some times seem far away, but he is the hero
the man they have to get past to score.
I was once a goalkeeper, they put me there mainly
because no one else wanted the job.
I will show them alone I decide whether to jump
left or right, today I will be successful, nimble and
elastic, stoic in the face of the horde.
The goalkeeper stands tall, yet feels small goalposts
are too far apart it is beginning to rain, and he wants
to go home,

The goalkeeper has to be pretty tall
in order to capture and save the ball
He is bigger than the post
well in fact he is taller than most
which is no exaggeration at all.

we play with a retired professional but
none of the other kids mind—
his alcoholism has gotten the better of his muscle
memory and god doesn’t he look bad

the ball is an old piece of garbage made from
a kind of industry plastic
half-flayed alive by loving kicks
that expose the moldy gray rubber inner-
sphere like some soft eyeball

and, behind one of the goals, the
boy who plays goalkeeper only on Wednesdays
lounges like a pimply Greek sculpture—
unable to move as an epileptic fit lazily
puppeteers his body while the players pass the ball into his gut
and I step aside, too—
my stomach aches so badly for the crispy joy
of cold cereal I can’t play—

some days are like that—shed of their seriousness
because it’s more fun to play without a defense
even though we’re always losing **** it I just scored
a goal!

Johnny Warren after life all-stars v the Saturn stringers




Johnny warren got together an after life soccer team with players like Don Bradman, as well as 2Pac, and even Christopher Reeve, also Elvis Presley, and Paul Berenyi, and Brett Eggins, we're all fired up to give Saturn a total soccer makeover, Johnny Warren alan picked Scott McDonald as well as Billy Thorpe and Tony Campbell and Saturn was a team who had some very good names as well, who are John FKennedy, Robert Kennedy as well as Martin Luther King, Walter Burley Griffin who has lived on Saturn since 1980, earth time, and never wanting to go , because Saturn has really nice homes where he can be a good athlete, also Jack Dyer and Tony Grieg and Chris Mainwaring made up the numbers.
So the game started and Johnny Warren started the play, passing it to Christopher Reeve, who is trying to bring Superman in with a really beautiful kick up the centre which is blocked by Martin Luther king, who passes it to burley Griffin who stops to look down on earth, to hear what a stupid professor is trying to say he'd like, and used his powers with a kick which made the goal, to put Saturn in the lead 1-0, the kick off came and Johnny Warren gave a big kick up which was intercepted by Jack Dyer, who dribbled it up the field, trying to stop the interception, by the other players, and then after that he passed it to Martin Luther king, who began to dribble it down a few more times, and nearly got a goal, but he missed,and the ball was intercepted by 2Pac, who ran right to the other side and kicked it in the goal, and it was counted, and that made the score 1-1, and 2Pac very happy and went to the crowd, and said, me and Johnny W, go back a long way, in afterlife sports.
The kick off happened as Martin Luther king kicked the ball over to John F Kennedy, who dribbled it further down the field, and dodged so many of Johnny Warren all star players, and finally passed it and the Johnny Warren Allstars intercepted it and John F Kennedy tried to block 2Pac the whole way, and he did and then John F Kennedy passed it to brother Robert and Robert ran down to the other side, dribbling the ball as he goes, but Billy Thorpe, intercepted it and ran down to the other side, with the ball and passed the ball to Johnny Warren who missed from right in front, and suddenly Walter Burley Griffin got the ball and dribbled it down to the other end, and yes, he kicked but it was saved very nicely by the Johnny Warren All stars goalkeeper, yes, this game was looking very good, you see these are only 1 half games,,because Johnny Warren wanted it that way, as Paul Berenyi ran it to the half way line and passed it to Brett Eggins who ran it down and as soon as he got to the goal line, he passed it to Johnny Warren who snuck it in to 2Pac who scored the Johnny Warren all stars second, and that made the score 2-1, with 2 minutes to go in the match, and the reason why there is no half time, because the players are the undead, and they don't need to break cause they can no longer be killed,
And Martin Luther king ran it down and flicked it across to John F Kennedy who passed it to Johnny Warren who was so excited he booted the ball all the way to the other side, and 2Pac knocked it in, to make the score 3-1, yes and this was really exciting for Johnny Warren and then Margaret Thatcher came into the field and Paul Berenyi booted the ball so hard, It hit Margaret thatcher right in the noggin,,and despite trying very hard to hurt her, she can't be hurt, but people can try to hurt her if they want to, and then Margaret Thatcher, left, saying I want that Paul Berenyi in Mercury, and then Martin Luther King scores a goal and at the end of the match, the score was, 3-2 to Johnny Warren all stars, and Johnny Warren sat down and had a talk with Paul Berenyi, and Paul said it's the after life coach, she can't be hurt, but Johnny, said I know, but we need to be nice to one another, or you Paul Berenyi will be locked in Mercury for all eternity, and Paul said he'll behave, and was let off with a warning.

The game is played on a pitch,
or a field if you will.
With eleven players to each side;
some with extra special skill.
There is kicking and passing,
and sliding and tackling.
Three officials call the game
and some players tryout acting.
Shots saved by the goalkeeper
or blocked by a defender.
A corner kick sails in;
leading to a game winning header.
The crowd, so excited,
they shout out and chant.
Losing is a myth,
we know our club can't
A glory some know as soccer;
it's football around the globe.
Who will win the world cup,
and head home with the precious gold?

i


roger the goalkeeper
me and jennifer
strange triangle
we were..

we would get her stripped
to the vest..
and he run off and
play football..

******* had a dimple..
but i never gave her
a packet of crisps ..
my heart in bits..

ii

lily just dashed in
spread her sweet loving
made some delicate sign
drowned and was reborn
screamed the place down..
she says she forgot the thing
what was it ah..the wine..

Mr McParland;
our Primary 4 teacher lived in Newry,
Northern Ireland.
Not a City in those days,
but a dangerous border town.
He had wiry hair like a blonde Afro.

Pat Jennings;
world class goalkeeper for his country,
was also born in Newry.
Our man claimed to know him,
and went to school with the green giant.
We believed without reproach.

Yours truly;
age 6 & 7, in the years of the Hunger Strikes,
born in Belfast.
I was enthralled because Pat was of another
world to kids reared in our divided times.
A symbol of hope on an island of doubt.

There were eight or ten of them little boys, it was difficult to count them, for they kept swinging madly on their roller skates on the court hardly the size of a basketball court, sweeping along in a bunch after the ball with their sticks poised and stretching out tense for the strike, dispersing and twisting in wild patterns and then going after the ball yet again, straining forward for speed, navigating smoothly, dangerously, sticks clacking, shoulders pushing, shooting off the course and with maneuvers of the feet and the knees and the hips and the flailing hands recovering balance, laughing, and now from all corners converging on the far goal post to attack and defend, the goalkeeper strung bristling as a cat confronting an attacking pack, and as the whole court touched a beat to the imploding moment, there was this lady shouting from the sidelines, shoot, Rahul, shoot, shoot!

It's been a long, long time
Since I went to school
Therefore, my memory of those days
Is hazier than a cloud of fog
However, whatever I do remember
I remember vividly, as though it were only yesterday

Such as, committing the biggest faux pas of my school years
When I was in the fourth standard
By wearing a t-shirt and jeans one fine day
While everyone else was dressed in uniform

Disturbing the whole class by talking about cricket
And thus getting a nice scolding from the principal
When I was in the fifth standard
Crying in front of the whole class
Later during the same year
Exam tension getting the better of me

Enacting the role of a princess in a cartoon show
While on the way home
During the seventh standard

Failing in quite a few subjects
At the beginning of the eighth standard
After switching from CBSE to ICSE
Being forced into a trekking adventure
Thanks to the annual cross-country races

Scoring an own goal as a goalkeeper
During the ninth standard
Failing in a record number of subjects
During the same year
Thanks to my obsession with cricket

And last but not the least
Making amends for my past failures
By clearing the tenth boards with flying colours

I can go on and on
But I think that's quite enough for today

Imagine the worst soccer team in the world.
Now go deeper
and try to picture every single player.

I bet you think they're all ******, talentless ******, right?

WROOONG!

They are the most talented and witty players
on the crippled face of this earth,
each of them with 2 or 3 MVP titles in their pocket.

They are so good as individuals
that make a terrible team.

and, on top of that,
you get to be the goalkeeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWGE9Gi0bB0

Solid leather ball
heavy when wet
muddy pitches
unlke today's perfect grass
I played goalkeeper
got knocked out a few times
when charged
Not allowed now
Considered barbaric

Life
I, a constant wave
Am a hearth

Love
Stars encircling us clearly
Beautiful
I struggle to see things
As they really are

Child
Hands from all sides
Offer me eyes
I learn my own

People
Elemental wholes
A fractional tug
So I clutch the strings
They’re like trees

Freedom
Beyond here
Goalkeeper isn’t in sight
But they might be
Soon

Living*
Breaths, waves

My first memory of him is when he was playing football, and I got hit by the ball. I got a severe injury on my forehead. He felt guilty and came to apologise. I said nothing.
Later that day, he sent me a request on facebook. I accepted it and threw cutting words upon him, called him a loser and what not.
I said 'Boys are monsters.' He used to think that girls are two faced *******. He told me this and I cried, I don't really know why.
We both used to make fun of each other, but I never unfriended him.

Once I told him that I am ill and he said, he doesn't care. I cried, I don't really know why.

As days passed, he started annoying me more.
One day I was walking with my little sister in the park and he was practising for his football tournament. Suddenly a wild cat came and started chasing me. I was screaming and asking for help, but he kept playing. I was saved by a guy that was not him and I cried, I don't really know why.

Came December, it was my 18th birthday. My friends threw a surprise party for me. My parents gave me a lot of presents. He didn't wish me a happy birthday. I cried, even though I don't know why.
He became friends with one of my classmates. She told this to me. When I got back home, I cried. I don't really know why.
A year passed on. It was now time for him to leave for Manchester for his training to become a goalkeeper. I pretended that I am very happy over the fact that he is leaving. I went to the airport with my friends. I kept talking to him. When it was finally time for him to fly, we agreed to go our separate ways. We both cried, we both know why!
Those tears we shed, spoke volumes.
He finally went. His training was 2.5 years long. We used to talk everyday, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for hours. Life was good and weird at the same time. I waited patiently for him to come back, though, my heart yearned to meet him.
Finally, his training got completed. I thought, that's it. I thought, my wait is over, but how untrue it was. 3 weeks passed, and it seemed as if he doesn't have a plan to come back. A part of me died everyday waiting for him. Whenever I used to ask him when is he coming back, he always responded with 'soon'. Soon seemed like forever. I got furious, and asked him 'Would you come back when I wouldn't be there any longer?' After that I threw away my phone. It broke into pieces, but I didn't feel sorry for it, because my heart was in a much more miserable condition.
He flew to Pakistan the very next day and came to my place as soon as he landed.
I had locked myself in my room. Someone knocked, and I said 'I am alive, that's all you need to know. Now leave me alone'. I didn't know it was him. He said, should I go back then?
That voice. That voice was very familiar. I couldn't believe it was him. For five minutes, I stood still. I didn't open the door because I feared it might not be true.
Finally, I came out. Lucky stars, that was not a dream. He came back. He came back for me, for us. I was so happy that I cried.

Then I told him how my life turned upside down after he left. I used to look myself in the mirror, but didn't recognise the face staring back at me. My laugh used to fill an entire room, but then I drained my energy to act like I am amused. Those three years I spent without him were terrible.
He said, we'll live together forever and forever is a lot bigger than three years. I looked at him and asked 'forever?'. He said, 'forever'.
We both cried, we both know why!

Today we got a phone call from our 7 year old son Ayyan's school, and they told us that he hit a girl with a football.
We both laughed, we both know why! :p

THE DON'S MIND.

Play with words like an toy,
Shoot with words like gun,
Stabbe with words like knife,
Rise like sun in the morning,
Bright like a moon at night,
Be your own light,
Stay focus like an soldier,
Be strong like waves,
Bounce your words like basketball,
Hit your words like a tennis,
Kick you words like ,
Keep your words like goalkeeper,
Never lose shape of your word,
Stay strong with your work

THE DON

Kicked Around

The football game was over the players had gone
to the changing rooms, the winning side talked eagerly
repeating themselves endlessly while the losing side
was subdued silently blaming the goalkeeper.
The football itself the one they all chased was left on
the field and it was raining, it had been kicked so much
it was rather breathless and now it was getting cold,
it bitterly thought I'm round without me they couldn't
play proper soccer but would have to use a rugby ball.
The lonely ball hoped a boy would come pick it up and
take it home to his room; his mother would shout telling
him to clean it he promised to do so but didn't.
The boy must be a studious type enjoys doing homework
and the ball is tired of the sporting life.

Soccer:
With every pant the clouds coming out of his mouth continue to get bigger and bigger,by each breath the determination he has as he runs up to smash that ball letting all of his anger and worries out just to see the goalkeeper dive with worryness as he sees the ball glide into the back of the net you hear the crisp sound of the net make contact with the ball and in the back families jump up and down with pride, cheering and screaming #18 #18 as he runs up to celebrate with his team thoughts run through his mind looking towards the sidelines he sees scouts impressed with his performance,writing his name down to be drafted with a deep breath of relief all the hard work has been paid off that his dreams can and will become true that he has finally made it his mom happily screaming wont have to wake up at 5 am to work and come home to make dinner everyday now because # 18 has finally made it life is hard but with dedication and motivation anything can become possible

Let me tell you now, I’ve never picked up a bass guitar in my life
the guy stood stage side, cool as hell, his looks as sharp as a knife
surveying the crowd, picking the best, which girl is coming back to his room
town to town, gig to gig, thanks for the ride, I won’t be back anytime soon

An aura of disdain, a secret never to be told under that cowboy hat of his
reeling through the catalogue, hit after hit, hiding has no place in showbiz
A breed to contend, so lets never offend that man who has a different point of view
we could all have been a plumber or a copper, but the line-up for this role is a very short queue

Comparisons are strange and never the same, from deep sea diver to football goalkeeper
hey, a job’s a job no matter what you do, even home brewer to a honey making beekeeper
So what if you’re an oddball, the world needs its variety
from 6 strings to 4, its hardly a chore, he gave up on the piano and its keys
because that’s the way it is and the life I now live
simple, sometimes exuberant but always content,

That’s it,

Bass player me

JJB

The football dream

Jesus, the famous trainer for Benefica
football club came to me in a dream
said: I didn't stop drinking beer he
Would not endorse me to be the club's
next goalkeeper.
After a week not drinking sitting on
my training bike in my den, Jesus
Appeared again: said I was too old
for a goalkeeper, thought to play
in the midfield would suit me better.

'''Muriuki, murerwa , Evans, Benjamin,dennis,bundi,ken,kinyua,festus,mwendas',simon all present
Year is 2004😅
All of us were shirtless showing nonexistent abs
Ronaldinho was our mentor
Our ball tailor was bundi; 😂😂 of course was made of polythene and sisal
I was the goalkeeper
Once caught grains of millet one by one -myth they created to make our opponents fear me😂😂'''

In my dreams
They skim across the turf,
Like white swans,
Weaving patterns with the ball of brown leather.
Mackay with chest puffed out, strong and hard
Blanchflower threading the ball through enemy lines
To the Welsh wizard, Jones
Who turns on a sixpence,
Leaving the defender flat on his back.
The ball floats into the box
The crowd lurches forward as one,
Willing the burly Smith to plant it into the net.
It groans as the ball is punched away by a desperate goalkeeper,
It spins high into the sky
And for a moment,
It is lost in the glare of the floodlights
But one man keeps his eye firmly on the ball
The tall, noble Norman leaps into the air
And we hear the thud as he heads the ball back
From whence it came,
Thousands cheer and then weep with wonder
As the Ghost, White, appears from nowhere
To cosset it with his right and flick it with his left
Into the path of Greaves who turns to acknowledge the roar
Even before it crosses the line.
He runs to the centre circle,
His hand outstretched, to thank
The mighty centre half
Who stands like a sentry at the castle gate
All in white – white shirt, white shorts, white socks –
Apart from the cockerel sewn in blue onto his heaving chest,
Which encases the throbbing heart
That now beats no more
Except,
In my dreams.