Crystal Cheatham — Indie from the start

I once thought that I would give up music and writing because I wrote what I felt and not what was popular.

Tuesday night I went to see Anis, my favorite poet perform. I love the man and for so many good reasons too. Anis is like a bright shining light in a world where it’s the norm to be dim and hazy. I guess he’s my word hero. I love words. I bask in their ability to change lives. Today there are so many artists who are machine made; carbon copied wannabes whose ideas are printed from the same Pop press. It’s hard to have heroes when originality isn’t a requirement for fame and fortune but standing on a pedastal is. When Anis is on stage it’s not like that at all. His demeanor makes me feel included in his word play. Maybe that’s just it. I want to feel like I can stand shoulder to shoulder with my heroes and not have to stare up their noses.

Anis is cool like that though. His success as a poet makes me feel like I can do it too; like if I put the world of my imagination out there I too could add  substance to peoples lives. I hate glam and glitz. It’s all a show to me. Anis comes with none of those attachemnts. When you look at the man there is not a single thing super duper about him. He’s short even, and kind of balding. But just listen to him. He doesn’t sound like a tiny man. And when you look on the back of his thin book he’s got accolades from the highest of creditors, all confirming his greatness. “Anis Mojganis is the champion of childlike wonder” -Taylor Mali (four time Poetry Slam champion). “Anis Mojgani’s “Anvil” is a book of poetic truth. I read it and it echoes. Shut up so I can hear more” -David Gordon Green (creator of Pineapple Express). Oye! We’re all enamoured by him. And what has he done but bring the simple truth to the table.

We as an American society can’t keep pretending like Pop Culture can sustain us. It’s like we will go along with anything, no matter how stupid it sounds or makes us look. We are all like needy little moles. Our senses have gone dull and we are hungry for light and guidance. Where we are used to sharp sensations of truth and falsehood, Pop Culture has gone and served us a lukewarm mass of grey mush. Nothing is distinguishable and everything sort of slops together, the good the bad and the mediocre. But when truth like Anis’s is so ripe for the picking, we will flock to hear the words to let the truth trickle down our ears like hot oil, burning and tingling and making the truth it affirms golden and not gray.

Anis has been my light to keep writing and singing. Knowing his passion for words convinces me that staying true to myself is worth every empty crowd I’ll ever perform in front of. Because like he demonstrated, its not about the crowd, it’s about holding out for authenticity in a society that sometimes could care less.