tag:bradengates.com,2005:/blogs/fort-saskatchewan?p=1fort saskatchewan2023-03-24T12:53:02-04:00Braden Gatesfalsetag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/61163742020-01-16T21:29:05-05:002022-03-14T02:11:58-04:00and another one for you<p>an old girlfriend </p>
<p>well, i mean </p>
<p>she isn’t old </p>
<p>she is younger than me </p>
<p>older than she was though </p>
<p>let’s just say, an old </p>
<p>young girlfriend </p>
<p>yes, an old </p>
<p>young acquaintance of mine </p>
<p>made a post online </p>
<p>with a picture of her face </p>
<p>about how she </p>
<p>welcomes the ‘muse’ </p>
<p>with things like </p>
<p>dancing </p>
<p>playing </p>
<p>and trying to not force things </p>
<p>into a marketable box </p>
<p>she asked others to </p>
<p>comment with how they </p>
<p>also welcome the ‘muse’ </p>
<p>so i thought that </p>
<p>i would give it a try </p>
<p>first i wake up and attempt </p>
<p>a bowel movement or </p>
<p>take a piss and try to shake </p>
<p>well enough so that urine doesn’t </p>
<p>drip down my leg </p>
<p>(which seems to be happening a lot) </p>
<p>then ill watch hockey highlights </p>
<p>which usually include connor mcdavid or any oilers postgame interviews </p>
<p>then ill put pants on and walk downstairs for coffee </p>
<p>or maybe somewhere a bit further </p>
<p>if the weather is nice </p>
<p>then ill try to read a book </p>
<p>but mostly i will just scroll through </p>
<p>instagram or facebook </p>
<p>and then read blogs on oilersnation </p>
<p>then i will waft through </p>
<p>some notes on my phone </p>
<p>and find things like </p>
<p>‘the school bus driver is drunk’ </p>
<p>and </p>
<p>‘the avocado went bad’ </p>
<p>and </p>
<p>‘i love the way your back sweats’ </p>
<p>and then i will put my phone away </p>
<p>and walk to the canada place </p>
<p>food court and eat a donair </p>
<p>and then i will walk home </p>
<p>and wonder why i chose </p>
<p>to consume a donair </p>
<p>and then i’ll wonder </p>
<p>why i chose to do everything </p>
<p>that i have done </p>
<p>particularly </p>
<p>why i’ve chosen a craft </p>
<p>where one can </p>
<p>dance and play </p>
<p>and post photos </p>
<p>of their face online </p>
<p>to conjure up some mystical </p>
<p>songwriting spirit </p>
<p>that will guide them to some </p>
<p>principled body of work </p>
<p>and by the time i enter </p>
<p>the third floor of my </p>
<p>apartment building </p>
<p>i’ll have written three songs </p>
<p>one for the school bus driver </p>
<p>one for the avocado </p>
<p>and another one for you </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60969212020-01-13T17:49:58-05:002021-05-05T14:58:15-04:00happy birthday connor<p>without mcdavid </p>
<p>the oilers would be mess </p>
<p>i mean they still are a mess </p>
<p>but without hockey’s prince of peace they would be </p>
<p>an even bigger mess </p>
<p>a bunch of tires on fire </p>
<p>today is the messiah’s birthday </p>
<p>i celebrate by laying in bed wearing two pairs of pants drinking coffee while watching esa tikkanen highlights on youtube </p>
<p>nothing really out of the ordinary </p>
<p>aside from the tickling emotional sensation that one feels </p>
<p>on the birth of a good shepherd </p>
<p>sent to relieve oilers fans of the managerial sins of </p>
<p>lowetambellinimctavishchiarelli </p>
<p>when down such a rabbit hole of jubilant observation </p>
<p>i often forget to feed myself </p>
<p>maybe i’ll slip on </p>
<p>a third pair of pants </p>
<p>and walk to get a donair </p>
<p>i have an important </p>
<p>floor hockey game tonight </p>
<p>and i must be well stocked on </p>
<p>pitameatpickleonionsauce </p>
<p>in order to optimize my talents </p>
<p>as a generational centreperson </p>
<p>for the top team in the recreational co-ed division of the edmonton sport and social club </p>
<p>once i was warming up </p>
<p>with stick and ball </p>
<p>when a young child </p>
<p>of an opponent came up to me </p>
<p>and asked, ‘are you connor?’ </p>
<p>to which i responded, ‘no’ </p>
<p>and then he scurried away </p>
<p>and i continued to make poetry </p>
<p>with shaft and blade </p>
<p>he then came back </p>
<p>and said, ‘i just have to make sure, </p>
<p>are you sure you’re not connor?’ </p>
<p>and i said, ‘yes, i am sure’ </p>
<p>he scurried away again </p>
<p>and left me wondering if it was my body composition that peaked the young child’s interest </p>
<p>or if it was my skills that reminded </p>
<p>him of our hockey hero </p>
<p>and now as i reflect today </p>
<p>i give thanks to the </p>
<p>rink boards and flavors </p>
<p>of our connor </p>
<p>who hallowed be thy game </p>
<p>of mysticism and ice </p>
<p>somehow brought two souls together at the boyle street plaza </p>
<p>months and months ago </p>
<p>happy birthday connor </p>
<p>may you forever fly within our hearts </p>
<p>and may you stay forever handsome</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60969202020-01-13T17:48:50-05:002022-05-29T14:57:01-04:00dear god<p>while walking to my car </p>
<p>i crossed a man </p>
<p>who was stopped </p>
<p>on the sidewalk </p>
<p>he had his bags on the ground </p>
<p>and he stood for a rest </p>
<p>his smile was wider than a mile </p>
<p>‘jesus loves you’ </p>
<p>was embroidered on his ball cap </p>
<p>seeing my guitar in hand </p>
<p>he said </p>
<p>‘do you play?’ </p>
<p>‘yes’ i said </p>
<p>‘congratulations!’ </p>
<p>‘thanks’ </p>
<p>‘do you sing as well?’ </p>
<p>‘yes’ </p>
<p>‘i am so proud of you!’ </p>
<p>‘that makes one of us’ </p>
<p>as i passed him </p>
<p>he picked up his bags </p>
<p>and sauntered on </p>
<p>and i went to the airport </p>
<p>and played harvest moon </p>
<p>five times </p>
<p>cuz i’m still in love with you </p>
<p>just like jesus is </p>
<p>god bless</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60437332019-12-24T00:59:34-05:002022-05-18T00:52:35-04:00friends and neighbours <p>returned a rental </p>
<p>to long and mcquade </p>
<p>a small sound system </p>
<p>to give the voice a boost </p>
<p>so the audience can almost hear me when i mumble instead of not hearing me at all </p>
<p>‘what did he say?’ </p>
<p>they’ll say </p>
<p>that’s what they’ll say </p>
<p>they’ll say </p>
<p>‘did you get that?’ </p>
<p> </p>
<p>it’s humid in the guitar room </p>
<p>like a sauna where you keep your clothes on </p>
<p>there is a threat playing guitar in the corner </p>
<p>he goes strum strum strum </p>
<p>i go pluck pluck on a nylon </p>
<p>he says </p>
<p>‘do you play classical’ </p>
<p>i say, ‘no’ </p>
<p>he says, ‘I’ll be quiet so you can play’ </p>
<p>i say, ‘no no’ </p>
<p>he says, ‘i just mess around i’ve never had a lesson’ </p>
<p>i say, ‘i can tell’ </p>
<p> </p>
<p>‘what did he say?’ </p>
<p>that’s what they will say </p>
<p>they will say </p>
<p>‘did you get that?’ </p>
<p> </p>
<p>thanks for coming to the show</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60405362019-12-23T11:45:49-05:002019-12-23T11:45:50-05:00same old same old<p>i found my wallet </p>
<p>it was on the floor in some laundry </p>
<p>i looked a million times </p>
<p>is someone playing a trick </p>
<p>i cancelled my credit card because of course the thief who had it was bound for a spree </p>
<p>i got a new license </p>
<p>and in order to do so i had to pay three parking infractions </p>
<p>seventy </p>
<p>seventy </p>
<p>seventy </p>
<p>perhaps i moved a little quick </p>
<p>but i was headed to pigeon lake and thought i needed a license in case i was pulled over </p>
<p>anyways </p>
<p>i got my cash back </p>
<p>i feel like an idiot </p>
<p>nothing has changed </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60400242019-12-22T22:33:57-05:002019-12-22T22:33:57-05:00can you pay for dinner?<p>one debit card </p>
<p>one credit card </p>
<p>one license </p>
<p>is that how you spell it? </p>
<p>one hundred thousand receipts </p>
<p>three sobriety chips </p>
<p>a hundred and some dollars </p>
<p>mostly in fives </p>
<p>some other cards but i can’t recall what they were </p>
<p>a business card of a singer probably </p>
<p>i wonder where my wallet went </p>
<p>i had it leaving the airport </p>
<p>fuck </p>
<p>i was upset for a minute </p>
<p>but really it’s no skin off my back </p>
<p>and now it’ll be true when i tell my friends at dinner that i lost my wallet </p>
<p>nobody likes a liar</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60309492019-12-19T12:36:59-05:002019-12-19T12:36:59-05:00today <p>today i will sweep the floor</p>
<p>pick up garbage</p>
<p>stack pizza boxes in the corner</p>
<p>wash the bed sheets</p>
<p>dry the bed sheets</p>
<p>talk to dad</p>
<p>talk to marlee</p>
<p>talk to glenn</p>
<p>walk downstairs for coffee </p>
<p>read the brautigan book abby gave me</p>
<p>walk to the mall</p>
<p>buy hangers</p>
<p>go home and hang clothes </p>
<p>wonder about what happens when we die</p>
<p>enjoy everything before</p>
<p>eat ice cream </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60302762019-12-18T22:00:02-05:002023-12-10T13:09:42-05:00airport buskin' setlist<p>gentle on my mind - john hartford</p>
<p>buckets of rain - bob dylan</p>
<p>christmas in paradise - mary gauthier</p>
<p>still so close - braden gates</p>
<p>casting fly - braden gates</p>
<p>pictures of us - braden gates</p>
<p>satisfied mind - joe hayes/jack rhodes</p>
<p>moon river - henry mancini/johnny mercer</p>
<p>planning my escape - braden gates</p>
<p>leap of faith - braden gates</p>
<p>these days - jackson browne</p>
<p>moderate speed - braden gates</p>
<p>when the fiddler leaves the band - braden gates</p>
<p>local barroom budlight balladeer - braden gates</p>
<p>roses at the end of time - eliza gilkyson</p>
<p>my sister fell in love - braden gates</p>
<p>my sister had a baby - braden gates</p>
<p>if i needed you - townes van zandt</p>
<p>the cape - guy clark</p>
<p>christmas in prison - john prine</p>
<p>mexican wrestler - braden gates</p>
<p>coffee shop - braden gates</p>
<p>takes on to know one - braden gates</p>
<p>goodbye - braden gates</p>
<p>bonnie's lounge - braden gates</p>
<p>corn nuts - braden gates</p>
<p>employee of the month - braden gates</p>
<p>song for the line cook - braden gates</p>
<p>one game short - braden gates</p>
<p>silent night - franz xaver gruber/joseph mohr</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60302742019-12-18T21:50:52-05:002022-05-20T06:42:00-04:00new song i'm workin'<p>what's there to do when a loved one dies</p>
<p>what's there to say when your lover cries</p>
<p>guess i'll let my memories take me back</p>
<p>guess i'll let the silence fill the cracks</p>
<p> </p>
<p><i>tonight it's dinner at the wonton house</i></p>
<p><i>noodles and a diet coke</i></p>
<p><i>these days it's hard to tell</i></p>
<p><i>between indigestion and a heart that's broke</i></p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60166452019-12-13T23:23:55-05:002019-12-13T23:23:55-05:00sweet tooth<p>about 504 hours ago </p>
<p>i played a show in athabasca </p>
<p>it was at the nancy appleby theatre </p>
<p>at intermission they had lots of delicious treats being served </p>
<p>so i snuck out to the front to collect my fair share </p>
<p>i did my best to remain inconspicuous </p>
<p>unfortunately someone recognized me from the first set </p>
<p>how embarassing </p>
<p><br>they said, 'hey braden' </p>
<p><br>i said, 'hello sir' with a hand full of cookies </p>
<p><br>'i heard you on ckua today' </p>
<p><br>'oh that's good' <br><br><br>'baba said that you are full of wit and charm and have good stories' </p>
<p><br>'oh really?' </p>
<p><br>'yea, and we're still waiting!' </p>
<p> </p>
<p>i can assure you that the second set was worse</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60051392019-12-12T13:31:13-05:002023-12-10T13:10:02-05:00last year’s birthday poem for elliot<p>elliot </p>
<p>a genuine human bean sneaker </p>
<p>touch and go </p>
<p>sugar tooth sweet lips </p>
<p>claw hammer hand job on the banjo </p>
<p>and a fiddler, too! </p>
<p>to clarify: </p>
<p>too many qualities </p>
<p>to explain by word alone </p>
<p>so next time i see y'all </p>
<p>i'll have my teeth in for a scream </p>
<p>a gutsy goose yell to the high heavens </p>
<p>a gratitude attitude for a musical friend </p>
<p>from another planet </p>
<p>the one i woke up on years ago </p>
<p>as if it was all a dream</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60051382019-12-12T13:28:39-05:002019-12-12T13:28:39-05:00chasin’ rainbows<p>a quick poem before a coffee meeting </p>
<p>maybe 2 minutes max </p>
<p>as short as life may seem </p>
<p>it's a getbetterannuallyatcollectingreceipts </p>
<p>a letstrycreatingmomentswithintention </p>
<p>and a ilovethesoundofthewordbingo </p>
<p>no space between words </p>
<p>dope and whiskey everyday </p>
<p>chasing rainbows </p>
<p>everytime i look at her i see her for the first time </p>
<p>everytime i breathe its a </p>
<p>ohnonotagain </p>
<p>and a thankgodforthislife </p>
<p>you know </p>
<p>it's just another dance party </p>
<p>on the inbetween </p>
<p>my guest is here</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60051362019-12-12T13:27:28-05:002019-12-12T13:27:28-05:00from the summer<p>the trick is to find purpose in the mundane </p>
<p>like hopscotch bottle rockets </p>
<p>off a sunset balcony </p>
<p>and if dishes were horses </p>
<p>i would be singing cowboy songs </p>
<p>like tyson or lund </p>
<p>and if worries were airline tickets </p>
<p>i would be in the big smoke </p>
<p>walking holes in my shoes along queen </p>
<p>talking to myself </p>
<p>'that oughta be a song' </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>'that oughta be a poem' </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>'i could set up camp in her teeth' </p>
<p>it's true </p>
<p>here we go again</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/60051352019-12-12T13:26:03-05:002019-12-12T13:32:55-05:00raptors are the champions<p>big sho(e)w tonight in edmonton </p>
<p>last night i fell asleep to fireworks in the streets of the big smoke </p>
<p>i mean, i did not fall asleep in the streets </p>
<p>i fell asleep to the sound of fireworks in the streets </p>
<p>or, i mean, the fireworks were not in the streets, but lit up in the streets and then sprayed upon the sky </p>
<p>i mean, could only assume they were sprayed against the sky because i could not see them only hear them from a bed in a house </p>
<p>have you ever been in a house, papa? </p>
<p>it’s got walls and a roof and a carpet and a toilet and if you are lucky there is lots of love </p>
<p>lots of love and toothpaste and empathy </p>
<p>and toilet paper and comfort and melody and pictures of vince carter and jokes and tears and songs and songs and songs </p>
<p>but no fireworks </p>
<p>well, i mean, no lit fireworks </p>
<p>that would be sketchy </p>
<p>ok, i think we are boarding </p>
<p>im full of sun milk and moon tuna </p>
<p>catch you at the break</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59956682019-12-06T15:28:13-05:002022-05-29T14:01:52-04:00co-writing<p>i put pants on </p>
<p>and a new pair of socks </p>
<p>walk down stairs </p>
<p>sit and read brautigan </p>
<p>drink coffee </p>
<p>madeline meets me to write </p>
<p>i have written with other people before </p>
<p>but mostly i am private in my endeavours </p>
<p>i have never written with ex lovers </p>
<p>one time i went to a show with one but it felt like the flip side of a dream </p>
<p>‘she says, ‘what do you want to write about?’ </p>
<p>‘can we write about my new socks?’ </p>
<p>‘uhhh’ </p>
<p>‘i really love the colourful design in the foot but i am disappointed with how the leg of the sock is just blue so that when i wear shoes no body can tell how beautiful they are’ </p>
<p>‘you should wear flip flops’ </p>
<p>and that is how our song </p>
<p>‘flip flop slick socks’ was written</p>
<p>i think it is going to be a hit</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59919162019-12-04T18:02:01-05:002019-12-04T18:06:38-05:00godspeed<p>driving west down 107th ave</p>
<p>towards technicare to deliver a lens</p>
<p>that abby was supposed to use to shoot</p>
<p>a recording session that never happened</p>
<p>i used to drive this way with jordan</p>
<p>on our way to a meeting on 124th street</p>
<p>both of us trying to keep from the drink</p>
<p>when i made eye contact with him </p>
<p>he would tilt his head back</p>
<p>and widen his eyes as if he was surprised</p>
<p>he posted photos of his dog online with only the description</p>
<p>'woof'</p>
<p>he loved soccer<br><br>he relapsed and never made it back</p>
<p>i cried that summer listening to ron hynes sing godspeed</p>
<p>while traveling around in my car</p>
<p>'god only knows what takes a petal from the rose</p>
<p>what makes the dark rivers overflow</p>
<p>what makes a lifetime come and go'</p>
<p>sometimes i wonder if jordan looks down</p>
<p>hoping to make eye contact</p>
<p>or wondering how music is going</p>
<p>or why i am driving so slow</p>
<p>'forgive a sweet soul a desperate deed<br><br>his was a prison and he was freed<br><br>godspeed, godspeed'</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59916662019-12-04T13:45:56-05:002019-12-05T00:35:23-05:00stomach full of roses<p>i live above a coffee shop</p>
<p>across from canada place</p>
<p>north of the river</p>
<p>the walls are glass</p>
<p>and the floor is concrete<br><br>janice says, 'mind if i sit here?'<br><br>i say, 'no'<br><br>she pulls out a ziploc bag of maybe a hundred cigarettes</p>
<p>and fills a pack of twenty five<br><br>she has four bracelets and one watch<br><br>she looks at the time and takes a sip of coffee<br><br>she puts the paper next tome and says<br><br>'here's the metro just in case'<br><br>eric falls asleep again and the barista must wake him<br><br>he does it so kindly that my stomach fills with roses<br><br>'eric, wake up'<br><br>'eric, you have to be awake'<br><br>'eric, it's time to wake up'</p>
<p><br>i wish somebody would do that for me</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59916282019-12-04T12:34:25-05:002020-10-12T04:30:16-04:00sushi #1<p>a couple weeks ago i made a bit of money on tour with jake morley </p>
<p>in four days we played in </p>
<p>airdrie </p>
<p>vermillion </p>
<p>grande prairie </p>
<p>and athabasca </p>
<p>now i feel rich and i eat sushi a lot </p>
<p>my favourite is the mango tango roll </p>
<p>in the last week i’ve been to </p>
<p>maki maki </p>
<p>japanais bistro </p>
<p>and i love sushi </p>
<p>maki maki is the best because the lighting is dark and it is open late </p>
<p>when i fall in love </p>
<p>i wrap myself in seaweed and fish eggs and say </p>
<p>‘dip me in soy and have your way’ </p>
<p>most the time i am swallowed whole and i am left scratching at the insides thinkin’ </p>
<p>‘how’d i get back here again’ </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>‘who’s going to water my plants’ </p>
<p>or </p>
<p>‘how’d i run out of money so fast’</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59890372019-12-02T18:05:42-05:002021-08-26T10:17:11-04:00songs to finish<p>stealing flowers<br><br>budlight balladeer<br><br>kitchen days<br><br>perogy eating contest<br><br>driving the sound guy home<br><br>where did i park my car<br><br>i have huge news to tell you (but not just yet)<br><br>i'm just here for the wifi<br><br>i skipped leg day<br><br>may your life be as good as it is on facebook<br><br>skin tag companion<br><br>earrings on the dash<br><br>turn me inside out<br><br> </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59890092019-12-02T17:54:03-05:002020-09-24T03:37:34-04:00the golden rule of songwriting<p>i could never release a single<br><br>how would the rest of my songs feel?<br><br>i could never do that to my songs</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59916672019-12-02T12:10:00-05:002021-12-19T23:51:52-05:00robert<p>i remember walking towards whyte<br><br>i was on your right side and slightly behind when you said<br><br>'gates, i think you drink too much'<br><br>i cannot recall my response in words<br><br>but i remember feeling as if you were both right and wrong<br><br>last night i listened to my friend talk about quitting drinkin'</p>
<p>with a drink in his hand<br><br>i sat there wondering if you still eat a lot of brussel sprouts <br><br>and drive that army green jeep<br><br>and hang out with jon and talk about cars and lift weights</p>
<p>my favourite sport back then was to do what dick did last night<br><br>sit in the bar drinkin' while wishing i was sober<br><br>i can tell you that it is a lot better being sober wishin' i was drinkin'<br><br>but i don't do much of that anymore either<br><br>i hope you are eating your greens<br> </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59874682019-12-01T18:36:31-05:002019-12-04T13:56:32-05:00good luck in australia<p>'i love you' rolls off the tip my tongue<br><br>this time back down the esophagus<br><br>into my stomach<br><br>joining the mango tango<br><br>and the seaweed salad<br><br>i wish our lives could be a dance floor<br><br>and that the music would never end<br><br>oh, but it does<br><br>and it will<br><br>and now i must find something else to say:<br><br>'good luck in australia'<br> </p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59918012019-11-29T12:55:00-05:002019-12-04T14:57:43-05:00it is snowing<p>she can almost play twinkle twinkle </p>
<p>her tone is good for a beginner<br><br>she holds the fiddle like she is afraid to drop it</p>
<p>and that is how i hold her</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59839762019-11-28T18:18:19-05:002021-09-27T17:26:34-04:00fort saskatchewan<p>do you remember when we sat at the tim horton’s </p>
<p>across 21 from from the high school </p>
<p>well the high school is now a middle school </p>
<p>and canada’s java makes me shit my pants </p>
<p>every time i come back i think about the time we had a lunch time beer at the brant hotel a few weeks after turning 18 </p>
<p>i was alarmed to find an old man rolling a joint in the bathroom </p>
<p>now that kind of shit delights me and the only thing i drink at lunch time is soda water and cranberry juice </p>
<p>they say it’s good for urinary tract infections </p>
<p>anyways </p>
<p>im coming back for a show at the shell </p>
<p>the same stage i graduated on </p>
<p>the only friend i see from back then is my twin sister </p>
<p>she just had a baby and her whole world has changed </p>
<p>the only thing i ever wanted then was to be able to write a song and sing it like my neighbour joe was doing </p>
<p>i didn’t pursue anything else expect for words and melodies and how to play the guitar </p>
<p>sometimes i wish i had spent the thousand dollar scholarship i received from the alberta midget hockey league on a fourth of a semester’s tuition but it was to be spent before the age of twenty five </p>
<p>and i am twenty seven now </p>
<p>win some lose some </p>
<p>anyways </p>
<p>i digress </p>
<p>i will be at the shell theatre tomorrow night </p>
<p>you can call it a homecoming </p>
<p>but that won’t be quite accurate </p>
<p>because somehow it feels like i’ve not left </p>
<p>half my brain is in a song </p>
<p>and the other half is in the bathroom of the brant hotel </p>
<p>and it’s just as dirty as it was on that lunch time squalor </p>
<p>maybe i’ll see you there</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840932019-11-13T19:05:00-05:002021-12-15T17:31:25-05:00promotional attempt for a show<p>choked on some applesauce </p>
<p>while ruffling through the trash bin of my heart: and there in the darkest corner of the vacuum, a speckled diamond mutineer: come to the show he sez come tew the shoe he sez com 2 da sho he sez come to the show he sez come out to the show he sez: </p>
<p>ok i sez </p>
<p>while just about recovered from applesauce asphyxiation </p>
<p>the trash bin can be dangerous</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840862019-11-12T18:55:00-05:002021-09-27T17:25:40-04:00i want to win awards<p>the end of the hallway smells of cat urine </p>
<p>as i come out of the elevator it touches my sniffing faculty as if to say: </p>
<p>welcome home cowboy, we have missed you </p>
<p>i am no more a cowboy than i am a human being capable of developing a strong emotional foundation with another living creature </p>
<p>i am no more a cattle rancher than i am a string bean stojko (elvis) with the ability to manipulate a unicycle down a back alley dumpster dash </p>
<p>i am no more a roughneck than i am a man able to fight off the blues with a carousel of kick punch karaoke </p>
<p>alas, through it all: </p>
<p>the bingo rounds </p>
<p>the dance dance revolutions </p>
<p>the romantic espionage </p>
<p>i have somehow managed to maintain my sense of smell </p>
<p>you know, there must be an awards organization that i can submit to for this, maybe: </p>
<p>the, ‘hey bro, you alright in 314?’ </p>
<p>or the, ‘how many cats do you have?’ </p>
<p>or the, ‘this is the worst poem i’ve ever written awards’ </p>
<p>i hope you are content: </p>
<p>for i am spellbound</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840852019-11-08T18:55:00-05:002020-10-20T05:27:38-04:00why is the music so loud<p>dear pinky </p>
<p>my heart is a parade of unpaid </p>
<p>parking infractions </p>
<p>a cleave of recklessness followed by inaction </p>
<p>i was all mixed up on the suggested way home </p>
<p>kicking up the dirt in my brain for losing sight of my own </p>
<p>i usually take the back alley towards the moon river express where last night i met a man who made it clear that his purpose here on the ol’ earth ball was to protest the extreme volume of live music: </p>
<p>‘im here to protest the extreme volume of live music’ he said </p>
<p>‘what’ i said </p>
<p>‘im here to protest the extreme temperatures of live music’ </p>
<p>‘what’ </p>
<p>‘put your ear plug in take your ear plug out put your ear plug in and shake it all about’ </p>
<p>anyways: </p>
<p>i broke up with my boyfriend </p>
<p>his name was too many decibels </p>
<p>and now i am trying to fill the void with too many syllables while icing the insides of my ears with a q-tip: </p>
<p>so, pinky, if i could ask just one thing of you: </p>
<p>turn the house down so that we can live to fight another day</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840842019-11-06T18:50:00-05:002023-12-10T13:09:11-05:00the war has just begun<p>songs are green plastic soldiers </p>
<p>in combat formation </p>
<p>placed by a childish hand on a racetrack carpet </p>
<p>knocked behind enemy lines </p>
<p>disappearing </p>
<p>and then back for a triumphant return </p>
<p>into the heel of a mother </p>
<p>and ‘fuck’ goes the battle cry </p>
<p>and ‘put your toys away’ goes the trumpet </p>
<p>and the solicited response in her initiates another in a small child </p>
<p>who thinks, ‘the war has just begun’</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840872019-10-31T18:55:00-04:002019-11-28T20:57:36-05:00i could use a song<p>songs are lifelines </p>
<p>an ask the audience on who wants to be a millionaire </p>
<p>a reserve tank on a buick 6 </p>
<p>an extra 9 volt in a guitar case </p>
<p>i could live the rest of my days walking through songs </p>
<p>stopping at a park bench for a quick breather before changing pace and wrestling through the chorus </p>
<p>resting for dinner at the chuck wagon cafe </p>
<p>i could ride faster on a song than on a sea biscuit promenade </p>
<p>mixing up the wet foundation with a stir of reckless abandon </p>
<p>if you ever find my source you’ll know i am just pulling at thread until the whole dress unravels </p>
<p>looking for a towel and a place to sleep </p>
<p>quick! to the telephone, i am on my final question and i need a friend </p>
<p>any song will do</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840952019-09-11T19:15:00-04:002022-05-13T10:52:27-04:00give me pepto bismol<p>when i think of you </p>
<p>i lose my breath </p>
<p>then i find it as if it was never gone </p>
<p>like fumbling for the keys </p>
<p>while they're in the ignition </p>
<p>or looking for my phone while it's in my hand </p>
<p>like im about to go on stage to sing for the first time </p>
<p>at a junior high evening concert </p>
<p>in fort saskatchewan </p>
<p>scared shitless </p>
<p>vulnerable </p>
<p>about to vomit </p>
<p>my late lunch ready for a negotiation </p>
<p>the deal is done </p>
<p>id rather throw up than be anywhere else </p>
<p>love takes guts</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840882019-09-04T18:55:00-04:002019-11-28T20:59:04-05:00glad i brushed my teeth<p>the mall walkers are here with a vengeance </p>
<p>taking every corner as if rounding towards the finish </p>
<p>every square inch of tile floor used to exact a joint bone conviction </p>
<p>headphone jewellery </p>
<p>a tennis shoe serenade </p>
<p>a spandex garment on a jello moon </p>
<p>you know, running into someone that you recognize in a place where you least expect to run into someone that you recognize is startling </p>
<p>‘have you been fiddling’ </p>
<p>‘have you been staring at the ceiling with your eyes closed’ </p>
<p>‘have you been looking at the mirror with your face on backwards’ </p>
<p>‘you look good otherwise, i can see it in your eyes’ </p>
<p>i am here to say that i have recovered from this blindsided passing of flesh and blood </p>
<p>of this episode of tiny talk and tooth reveal </p>
<p>glad i brushed this morning </p>
<p>usually when walking the mall i find no need to </p>
<p>the universe works in curious ways</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840912019-08-09T19:00:00-04:002022-05-29T14:16:07-04:00maddie<p>waiting outside the pool hall in the sun </p>
<p>seeing you now i realize that i do not care to see you no more than i care to see a stranger in the street </p>
<p>delightfully pleasant </p>
<p>those movements of flesh and blood </p>
<p>so close yet far away </p>
<p>happy to see it, not bothered if missed </p>
<p>it is just as easy to achieve a dream than to give up on it </p>
<p>i ain’t doing neither </p>
<p>just here to play billiards</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59907642019-06-20T16:45:00-04:002019-12-03T18:56:57-05:00lawn chair<p>he woke on a pull out mattress </p>
<p>in room 406 at the norseman inn <br><br>in rose city alberta <br><br>his sister on the double queen across the floor <br><br>it had been so long since they had slept under the same roof <br><br>let alone in the same room <br><br>he thought back about twenty years <br><br>she sliced the inside of her wrist <br><br>on a jagged arm of a lawn chair <br><br>he remembered being afraid as he watched her <br><br>being carried away</p>
<p>returning with what looked like a zipper <br><br>across the base of her hand <br><br>he thought back to her wedding day <br><br>watching dad walk her down the aisle <br><br>mom cried<br><br>he just sat there wondering how the fuck twenty-three years went by so fast <br><br>every time you think you have it all figured out <br><br>you cut your wrist on a jagged arm of a lawn chair <br><br>or you fall in love <br><br>or you roll your ankle playing softball <br><br>or you give up on something you love <br><br>just to try and get it back <br><br>or the most beautiful woman in the world tells you that she loves you <br><br>and you are not sure what to do with that love <br><br>he woke up on a pull out mattress <br><br>in room 406 at the norsemann inn <br><br>in rose city alberta <br><br>she said, 'good morning' <br><br>he said, 'how's your wrist?' <br><br>she said, 'i'm sorry?' <br><br>he said, 'me too'</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59907712019-05-18T16:55:00-04:002021-04-13T03:05:15-04:00is it neighbour or neighbor?<p>he wondered how the neighbours kept their grass so perfect </p>
<p>straight lines where the wheels of the mower had pressed through </p>
<p>sprinklers in the sunset </p>
<p>it is an odd endeavor to water the lawn </p>
<p>at least it seemed that way to him </p>
<p>he wondered if the outside aesthetic matched the inside </p>
<p>a table set with fine china, symmetrically pleasing </p>
<p>sparkling floors, family photos with big smiles </p>
<p>no fits of anger or lust or despair </p>
<p>not the feeling of missing someone that is in the same room </p>
<p>he wondered if there was a word for that feeling </p>
<p>he wondered if there was a word for the act of keeping your grass perfect </p>
<p>neurotic was the first word that came to mind </p>
<p>anxious, tense, high-strung </p>
<p>he finished cutting his grass, bagged it, put the mower away </p>
<p>went inside, took a drink of water </p>
<p>looked out the front window, considered the neighbour's lawn </p>
<p>he considered his and realized that although neurotic </p>
<p>anxious, tense, and high-strung </p>
<p>could be good descriptors for the feeling of missing someone in the same room </p>
<p>they were not accurate words to describe the act of keeping your lawn perfect </p>
<p>for his lawn looked meek in comparison </p>
<p>a few spots missed, and brown in places </p>
<p>and for such an anxious person </p>
<p>he wondered why he didnt give a fuck about the way his lawn looked </p>
<p>or what the neighbours would think </p>
<p>if he invited them in for a cup of coffee</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840922019-03-13T19:05:00-04:002020-09-23T05:10:19-04:00almost tired of ice cream<p>ok so i am in banff </p>
<p>writing songs at the banff centre for witchcraft and wizardry </p>
<p>my work ethic needs some work </p>
<p>i mostly wander around until i find a piano to sleep under </p>
<p>usually i don't have to go far </p>
<p>i eat ice cream everyday </p>
<p>and i met a new friend named Bobby Dove and she gave me a hat to wear and also a t shirt and also an album to listen to </p>
<p>and we wrote a song together </p>
<p>it's called more than i can take </p>
<p>i've written four others </p>
<p>for all of you mathmagicians </p>
<p>that makes five </p>
<p>they are as follows: </p>
<p>there is always a first (and always a last) </p>
<p>norah jones at closing time </p>
<p>every thursday night </p>
<p>abstinence makes the heart grow fonder </p>
<p>and i am working on one called moon river </p>
<p>i think it is going to be a hit </p>
<p>anyways </p>
<p>i could be over it </p>
<p>feels weird to try and push 'em out </p>
<p>and i am almost tired of ice cream </p>
<p>too soon to tell</p>Braden Gatestag:bradengates.com,2005:Post/59840942018-12-31T19:05:00-05:002019-11-28T21:06:03-05:00new years eve show promo<p>the year has been good </p>
<p>saw mcdavid a couple times </p>
<p>bought a pair of skates at totem for cheap </p>
<p>used em four times already </p>
<p>started listening to ry cooder </p>
<p>and norah jones, too </p>
<p>went to toronto </p>
<p>and regina </p>
<p>and banff </p>
<p>and stony plain </p>
<p>and portage la prairie </p>
<p>and vancouver island </p>
<p>and sarnia </p>
<p>and whitecourt </p>
<p>and some other weird places in between </p>
<p>washed a lot of dishes </p>
<p>and most thursday nights i got to see bill bourne connect to something crazy at the brick and whiskey </p>
<p>we can all watch him together one last time this year </p>
<p>in a big church downtown </p>
<p>starts at 730 </p>
<p>me and elliot at 9 </p>
<p>bill at 930 </p>
<p>and others too </p>
<p>happy birthday country joe</p>Braden Gates