Music & Writing in Ottawa, IL

I had an excellent time at Jeremiah Joe’s Friday night. I did my whole acoustic set list live. I’d never done a solo performance before. It was invigorating.

There’s nothing quite like being on stage, observed by several different people, sweating beneath stage lights, hearing your voice and your guitar echo across the ambient room. I’m planning on playing at Open Mic Night at Tracy’s Rowhouse in Ottawa, Illinois on Wednesday night at 8. Instead of a set I’ll probably on do a few songs, but it’ll still be fun. You have to do free gigs before you work your way up to paying ones too, so this is good for my resume.

I played on Saturday around Washington Park in Ottawa, accepting donations from passersby. You don’t make much doing that, but it’s better than just playing around my house for nothing and no one. It’s a thrill entertaining people. It’s a thrill communicating a message to another through song and writing. Being unemployed, my music and my books are all I have to go on at the moment. Luckily, I’m still with the parents so I don’t have to worry about getting evicted, unless things turns sour in the economy again. Who knows, maybe everyone could wind up in the street then? At least I’d have a guitar so I could play for dollars so that I can eat off the dollar menu at Taco Bell.

My newest creation, Introspect & Empathy is finished and on sale from the Book Patch. Hopefully I can get it in the local book store soon too.

To the Dark Ones among Us (Poem)

To the Dark Ones Among Us by J.L. Pendall (from the upcoming book)

What drives men to become monsters?
And can some monsters become men?
There is a force that can transform you
You’ll hardly even notice
That you’ve become something different
Is it that you can’t feel anyone else?
So insecure that you need to dominate
Just to feel fulfilled?

Does anguish fascinate you
Because you can’t feel the agony?
Are you lonely locked away in yourself?
Or merely despise those who’ve wronged you

Are you afraid of how others may see you?
Are you a caged mind thrashing against iron bars?
There is a part of you that feels imprisoned

It despises the monster that you’ve become
It is the innocent infant that you once were
Still crying in the crib

Just remember at one time you were helpless
And you’re helpless in the struggle against time

 

In Light of Certain Madness, now only $4.00 for a 6 x 9 65 page paperback. Or you can download a preview for free at https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5L3jdxSenSDYmI0MWMyZGQtNTkyNS00MGQ4LTllNjUtZmU4YzIxODRmNDhl&hl=en_US

Poems from the collection “The Industry”

Prisoners

In a world washed in gray
The drones make their way
Down all the familiar paths
That they walk everyday

Towering over identical houses
A machine toils belching out ashes
The machine has taken everyone’s eyes
Barcodes rest on the lids like bruises

Emotionless and cold
Are the machine and its slaves

None have ever been saved
From the world washed in gray

 

Download a preivew of In Light of Certain Madness

http://www.freebookspot.nl/Comments.aspx?Element_ID=160562

There are a few poems missing and very little formatting but I figured I’d give you something to sink your teeth in before you choose to buy.

You can find the paperback version of the book by clicking on the button below. It’s only $5.00.

My Memoir (Poem from next book)

Poem from the upcoming book Introspect & Empathy by J.L. Pendall, which is me.

My Memoir

Routines, routines
All throughout our days
No wonder, no wonder
No wonder we’re insane

Life is always
Too much of this
And not enough of that
Where is the balance?

It’s like living on a pendulum
Powerless to fight the motion
Powerless against my emotions

I don’t even know how I feel
I don’t even know what’s real

I’m so used to hearing my thoughts
That I forget others can’t
If they could would they even
Recognize this man?

Routines, routines
If you let them they’ll replace you
When you’re caught up
It’s easy to forget you

This poem was about, of course, routines and monotony and how they drive us all insane in one way or another. Just take a step back from yourself now and then and analyze the shape of things. If you’re unhappy, is it because the routines you’re in are making you unhappy? Maybe a change would be nice. I recently quit my job by the way. Couldn’t hand it anymore. Now I’m doing this.