"These poems are stories from my life, journals; and I think that it is a miracle that folk actually listen to them. I pray that hope would resonate from those words. I very much appreciate those of you that have stopped by, and I hope that you are having beautiful days out there in that crazy world."
"Levi is just one of those special people with a unique gift for stirring things up. I know he stirred me up the first time I witnessed him on a stage. What got to me most was his genuine passion and gleaming transparency. Love me some Levi the Poet!"
- Chad Johnson - Come&Live! founder/X-Tooth and Nail A&R
"This recording of street-level poetry is loud and furiously mixed with emotion and the occasional sound effect, but it's the subject matter that slaps you in the face. When he delivers his post-suicide goodbye in 'When I Go To Meet God,' it's easy to feel the pain his loved ones would've felt if he had done it, just like his doubtful lines ring of authenticity."
- Doug Van Pelt - HM Magazine (2010)
"Out of control! Spoken word with an experimental approach and very powerfully written. Chaotic, raw, controversial, and energetic - Levi the Poet is a fresh taste of creativity and you would be doing yourself more than just one favor by checking him out."
- Laurel Erickson - HM Magazine (2008)
"Extremely passionate about writing since the 5th grade, Macallister's brand of poetry is the definition of wearing your heart on your sleeve. His stage is his confessional and while sometimes he is inclined towards inducing an uncomfortably honest experience, it's impossible not to love this guy."
- Jameson Ketchum - Hopecore Magazine
screaming
yelling
whispering
Read more: http://www.myspace.com/levithepoet#ixzz0yUdENiy1
Keep Forgiving
Levi the Poet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When all is not what you thought it was
When the lynch mob pulls back the curtain
To reveal all that is ferocious and majestical
Well we are each of us small men to varying degrees
Projecting the great and powerful Oz with
Booming voices so much louder than we are confident
If you grow to hate what you loved
Well I don′t want to be a pendulum
Swinging from one ivory tower to another
Not everyone is competition
I pray for you on the days that I pray for my enemies
(The same days that I pray for myself)
Life tends to beat the binaries out of you
It's healthy when you and I become
We, but we have got to keep forgiving
If you write for everybody,
You write for no one, so I write for my friends
I′ve watched all of them grope for understanding like a pipe dream
Heard every word that they haven't said through eyes watering
Wondering if God really hates them as much as they
Think that he does in the deafening, inarticulable silence
Their lips are all sealed the same,
Not because they have nothing to say
But because none of them know how to say it
And neither do I
Maybe you can relate
Keep forgiving
That goes for yourself as much as anyone
Keep forgiving
When pledged allegiances poison the body
And civil war breaks out between limbs and you tuck your children
Into bed at night,
Remembering the way that you
Treated their mother as somehow less than
Though you are the product of woman,
Without the power to multiply and you would
Not be here without her, and neither would they
Perspective, perspective
And the last shall be first and she'll deserve every trophy
That God has for her after being your trophy for so long, I′m sorry
Keep forgiving me
This goes both ways
With fingers for pistols firing indictments and
Blame at celebrities as machines i made, the bullets -
Sometimes - stand to temporarily tame the bitterness
But it′s still self-medicated anger
And the gun shot residue only fans the flames
I heard you say that fostering the
Festering pain was a match struck in the forest
And the faintest whisper enough of a gust to set it ablaze
Keep forgiving
Did it set your skin to fire as a boy trying to
Reconcile how a father could treat you like that?
I used the past like funeral pyre thinking I could
Burn it away (And tie you to the stake while i'm at it)
I wanted to be the broken link in the
Chain, but when i set the torch to timber
It was i who found myself burning from the inside out
And i see how hell is as here and now as anywhere else
Keep forgiving
Have pity
Is there a drop of water for my tongue?
I used scissors to fork it and spoke blood
Spoke blood and tinctured the saliva to serve on a sponge
Called it compassion, alled it death by love
Well, no wonder we′re so hellbent on hanging someone
Keep forgiving
When the disconnect seems to beat the poetry out of you
And the joy isn't quite there but you
Can′t quite remember where or why it went
And the lenses protecting your vision continue to cloud
And spread reflecting eyes as opaque as the dimly lit
Mirror that they seem to be doubling up on just for the hell of it
Well, it was never just for the hell of it
But who really believes that in the midst of the dispersion
Or setting a broken bone?
The bloodletting felt like murder,
But you had to get the poison out of me
Keep forgiving
When we come brandishing swords for the ears of those
Who spoke to what they should have given over to silence
When I steal the right to vengeance
When i think that I am justified in my anger,
Like holding onto it is doing something other than picking
At wounds that I don't have the scope to see as a cell block
Keep forgiving
When the memories of what was threaten to shut your heart down
And the laughter that you can still hear from the mouths of friends
Who are no longer around make you
Wish that you could change the channel
If you write for everybody,
You write for no one, so this will be for you
Keep forgiving as forgiven
As every pointer finger bent backwards and broken
Like the moment all of my indictments return to me
And the bullets ricochet straight back in on my gunsight
Well this is a small lens from which to view the world
Keep forgiving as forgiven
We don′t always get to wear the white hat
Pardon is not always preceded by repentance
In fact, i think it's exactly the opposite
If it were not for love, i would have never, ever come back
Keep forgiving
You can't unsee what you′ve seen, but the world is colorful
Ferocious and majestic,
Without small men or straw men or me to
Blow smoke and mirrors from our machinery
That toggle switch is reductionistic
Ket the pin go
Decrease
Hate is a prison
I′ve told my stories, but they are yours
You may never get your apology,
And on the day that you do, it may not mean a thing
Keep forgiving
In Levi the Poet's song Keep Forgiving, the lyrics explore the theme of forgiveness and the complexities that come with it. The song emphasizes the importance of continually forgiving others and oneself, even when it is difficult. The lyrics start by acknowledging that people often project an image of power and confidence that is not always reflective of their true selves. The song acknowledges the temptation to hate what once brought joy, but urges us not to swing from one extreme to another. It urges us to remember that not everyone is competition and to pray for our enemies.
The song then delves into the idea of allegiances and the civil war that can occur within oneself. It reminds us to remember the power of perspective and to treat others with kindness, especially those closest to us. As the lyrics progress, the song acknowledges the self-inflicted pain that comes from holding onto anger and the importance of letting go. It recognizes that forgiveness can be difficult, especially when memories threaten to shut one's heart down, but that it is necessary to keep moving forward. The song ends with the acknowledgment that hate is a prison and that letting go of it can lead to a more colorful and majestic world.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep forgiving
Continue to extend forgiveness
When all is not what you thought it was
When reality does not align with expectations
When the lynch mob pulls back the curtain
When a group reveals its true nature
To reveal all that is ferocious and majestical
To expose the powerful and awe-inspiring aspects
Well we are each of us small men to varying degrees
We are all insignificant individuals to different extents
Projecting the great and powerful Oz with
Presenting a false image of strength and authority
Booming voices so much louder than we are confident
Speaking with exaggerated confidence
If you grow to hate what you loved
If you develop hatred towards something you once loved
Well I don′t want to be a pendulum
I do not wish to swing back and forth between extremes
Swinging from one ivory tower to another
Moving from one privileged position to another
Not everyone is competition
Not everyone is a rival
I pray for you on the days that I pray for my enemies
I include you in my prayers, even when praying for those who oppose me
(The same days that I pray for myself)
(On the same occasions when I pray for my own well-being)
Life tends to beat the binaries out of you
Life challenges fixed perspectives and dualistic thinking
It's healthy when you and I become
It is beneficial when we unite
We, but we have got to keep forgiving
We must continue to extend forgiveness
If you write for everybody,
If you try to please everyone
You write for no one, so I write for my friends
I write for the people who matter to me
I′ve watched all of them grope for understanding like a pipe dream
I have observed them desperately seeking comprehension
Heard every word that they haven't said through eyes watering
Understood their unspoken emotions through emotional response
Wondering if God really hates them as much as they
Questioning if they are disliked by God
Think that he does in the deafening, inarticulable silence
Believe this based on a silent and inexpressible feeling
Their lips are all sealed the same,
They all maintain a closed expression
Not because they have nothing to say
Not because they lack words
But because none of them know how to say it
But because they are unable to articulate their thoughts
And neither do I
And neither do I
Maybe you can relate
Perhaps you can understand
That goes for yourself as much as anyone
This applies to yourself just as much as others
When pledged allegiances poison the body
When commitments have harmful effects
And civil war breaks out between limbs and you tuck your children
And internal conflict arises while you care for your children
Into bed at night,
Tucking them into bed in the evening
Remembering the way that you
Recalling how you
Treated their mother as somehow less than
Regarded their mother as inferior in some way
Though you are the product of woman,
Despite the fact that you were born from a woman
Without the power to multiply and you would
Unable to reproduce yourself and you would
Not be here without her, and neither would they
Not exist without her, and neither would they
Perspective, perspective
Consideration of different viewpoints
And the last shall be first and she'll deserve every trophy
The one who is usually overlooked will be recognized and awarded
That God has for her after being your trophy for so long, I′m sorry
Deserving recognition from God after being objectified by you, I apologize
Keep forgiving me
Continue to extend forgiveness to me
This goes both ways
This principle applies in both directions
With fingers for pistols firing indictments and
Accusing and blaming with fingers pointed like guns
Blame at celebrities as machines i made, the bullets -
Assigning fault to celebrities who I shaped, the accusations -
Sometimes - stand to temporarily tame the bitterness
Sometimes serve to momentarily alleviate the resentment
But it′s still self-medicated anger
However, it is still anger that I use as a coping mechanism
And the gun shot residue only fans the flames
And the remnants of anger only intensify the situation
I heard you say that fostering the
I heard you express that nurturing
Festering pain was a match struck in the forest
Sustaining unresolved pain was equivalent to igniting a fire in the woods
And the faintest whisper enough of a gust to set it ablaze
Even the slightest disturbance capable of causing a destructive blaze
Did it set your skin to fire as a boy trying to
Did it ignite a burning sensation within you as a young boy attempting to
Reconcile how a father could treat you like that?
Make sense of how your father could mistreat you in that manner?
I used the past like funeral pyre thinking I could
I utilized the past as a ceremonial fire, believing I could
Burn it away (And tie you to the stake while i'm at it)
Eradicate it completely (And also subject you to punishment in the process)
I wanted to be the broken link in the
I aspired to be the disrupted connection in the
Chain, but when i set the torch to timber
Sequence, but when I ignited the wood
It was i who found myself burning from the inside out
I was the one who ended up consumed by internal flames
And i see how hell is as here and now as anywhere else
And I realize that hell exists in the present just as much as anywhere else
Have pity
Show compassion
Is there a drop of water for my tongue?
Can I receive any form of relief or solace?
I used scissors to fork it and spoke blood
I attempted to obtain it forcefully and resorted to violence
Spoke blood and tinctured the saliva to serve on a sponge
Expressed violence and contaminated saliva to apply on a sponge
Called it compassion, called it death by love
Misnamed it compassion, referred to it as love that leads to destruction
Well, no wonder we′re so hellbent on hanging someone
It is not surprising that we are determined to punish someone severely
When the disconnect seems to beat the poetry out of you
When the disconnection feels like it is draining the artistry from within
And the joy isn't quite there but you
And the happiness is not fully present but you
Can′t quite remember where or why it went
Cannot precisely recall when or why it disappeared
And the lenses protecting your vision continue to cloud
And the filters safeguarding your perspective remain obscured
And spread reflecting eyes as opaque as the dimly lit
And cause eyes that mirror the darkness of the dimly illuminated
Mirror that they seem to be doubling up on just for the hell of it
Mirror to appear more agonizing than necessary
Well, it was never just for the hell of it
Well, it was never merely for the sake of causing torment
But who really believes that in the midst of the dispersion
But who sincerely believes that during such chaos
Or setting a broken bone?
Or mending a fractured bone?
The bloodletting felt like murder,
The act of draining blood felt like killing,
But you had to get the poison out of me
But it was necessary to remove the toxicity from within me
When we come brandishing swords for the ears of those
When we approach aggressively with words for those
Who spoke to what they should have given over to silence
Who revealed what they should have kept unspoken
When I steal the right to vengeance
When I claim the privilege of seeking revenge
When i think that I am justified in my anger,
When I believe that my anger is warranted
Like holding onto it is doing something other than picking
As if holding onto it serves a purpose other than exacerbating
At wounds that I don't have the scope to see as a cell block
At wounds that I cannot fully comprehend as a prison
When the memories of what was threaten to shut your heart down
When the recollections of the past threaten to close off your emotions
And the laughter that you can still hear from the mouths of friends
And the laughter that you can still recall from the voices of lost companions
Who are no longer around make you
Who are now absent cause you
Wish that you could change the channel
Desire to switch to a different experience
You write for no one, so this will be for you
If you try to please everyone, your writing will lack an audience, but this particular piece is intended for you
As every pointer finger bent backwards and broken
Just like every finger pointed back at me, twisted and fractured
Like the moment all of my indictments return to me
Similar to the instant when all my accusations come back to haunt me
And the bullets ricochet straight back in on my gunsight
And the bullets rebound directly into my line of sight
Well this is a small lens from which to view the world
This narrow perspective limits the understanding of the world
We don′t always get to wear the white hat
We are not always able to be the hero
Pardon is not always preceded by repentance
Forgiveness is not always preceded by remorse
In fact, i think it's exactly the opposite
Actually, I believe it is the contrary
If it were not for love, i would have never, ever come back
If it were not for love, I would have never returned
Hate is a prison
Hatred is a form of confinement
I′ve told my stories, but they are yours
I have shared my experiences, but they belong to you as well
You may never get your apology,
You may never receive an apology
And on the day that you do, it may not mean a thing
And even if you do, it may be meaningless
Keep forgiving
Continue to extend forgiveness
Writer(s): Levi The Poet
Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.