Bows & Arrows. Tones & Gems.

TONES.

GEMS.

Bows & Arrows.

Un-Abridged

"A four-page letter
And I
Enclose it with a kisssss"
She crooned
eyes wide
a tad off-key -
and seasoned with cheap zinfandel -
but when she bangs my line
I get two words: "WYD Bighead?"

Abridged

Pieces and parts
to my queen
that's
the only thing
we brothas are good for

My summary?

our current romance
goes
as far as these
piston strokes
and backshots will

Abridged

But what if that isn't enough... for me?
What if I want her
to want more?
To excavate, develop
explore?

Could I woo her with iambic pentameter?
will she moan for slant rhyme
or is missionary the only way
to introduce her to
Ezra Pound and
E.E. Cummings?

Do alliteration and assonance
go further than abs
and ass slaps?
Would she appreciate a good morning
alexandrine or acrostic?
or must this art "exhibit" be
horizontal?
Will that Birkin
bring me nearer
than a sonnet from Neruda ever will?
Are Baldwin and Giovanni end bosses?
Is Gil Scott only interested in a long walk?

I jog
to the Farside of romance,
where
we can't keep runnin' away

yet still

I want more -
and -
I want her to want more
than that abridged kind of love

About

CHRIS CHARMA
(CHRISTOPHER EDWARD ATCHISON)

Chris Charma is a DJ, entrepreneur, podcast host and designer based in Seattle.

Known for spinning hip-hop, R&B, Top 40 and club, Charma has dominated the dance floor at top clubs across the US, energized fans at major sports events, and captivated global audiences through radio.

Since 2009, Charma has carved out a legacy in the entertainment industry as a talented DJ and tastemaker who cultivates meaningful connections through music. Major artists he has supported include Diplo, Xzibit, Cardi B, Ciara, Macklemore, G-Eazy, Jack Harlow and Trey Songz. Charma’s commercial portfolio includes work for brands like NFL, Adidas, Nike, Lyft, Microsoft and NBC, to name a few.

Charma’s love for music blossomed in childhood: his father would always play music in the car and his sister would lend him the latest CDs. He began making mixtapes in high school, and by the time he was in college, his mixtapes were in hot demand. Encouraged to pursue DJing, Charma met a mentor who showed him how to play sets at nightclubs. He bought his first decks, and the rest was history.

Charma’s passion for storytelling inspired him to start hosting his own podcast, ‘More Than A DJ’, to share his own story and discover the journeys of other people. Charma says that for him, it’s all about connecting with others: “People motivate me. Seeing people enjoy the music, or connecting with people in that moment when a song is dropped or an interview is heard, is a great feeling."

Charma is currently the official DJ for the Seattle Sounders FC, and the resident DJ for W Bellevue and Ascend Prime. Keep an eye out for his original music dropping soon.

Follow Charma on Instagram.

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The Best of Times...

Love is Transcendent. Otherworldly. Enduring. Everlasting.

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." ― Dr. Seuss

To have and to hold; to be held by another and wholly accepted is a rarified space to be in. I'm sure you will agree, having a significant other by your side is the most exuberant feeling a man (or woman) can experience in their lifetime. Regarding love, most folks often say (by the way, I despise cliches) that she finds you when you least expect it. Romance is a funny gal; she flirts with chance and dances with surprise. Some couples come together for their shared characteristics and similarities. Other pairings attract like magnets with intense polarities because of diverging histories and personality differences. Though the flavors may be varied, the critical ingredients often remain intact: patience, kindness, fidelity, and unity. These components (along with a dash of curiosity) forge an unseen tether—the spiritual, mental, and sexual bond which is as old as time itself.

Love

"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you've never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can't wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy, or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are." - Bob Marley

Love is Greater

The Worst of Times

Adapt or Die. Growth is Transcendent. Live. Love. Learn.

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone." - Henrik Ibsen

There is a trade-off rarely mentioned in Disney films. A truth often found slightly beyond the raging hormones of adolescence: Love hurts.

It hurts deep. It hurts bad. Lost love is an enduring burn because it doesn't play out the way you would have wanted. Fate can be a fickle mistress. When things were good? They were great! When they are abysmal? That's a whole different story. Have you ever noticed that Disney deliberately fades The Little Mermaid out before her first argument with Prince Charming can hit the screen? Yeah. Movies... am I right? You know how it goes. In that fake, 2D world, they all live "Happily Ever After." In our 3D reality, there IS a "thingamabob" you will struggle to comprehend, and it's called "passive-aggressiveness."

Once the honeymoon phase wears off, those cute smiles and coy winks give way to rolled eyes and defiant glances. Then (months later), when enough is enough, and you're both nearing the expiration date? Someone whips out an intractable statement, feelings are severely damaged, and the writing magically appears on the wall. In time, the perfect insta-couple will split up, you will break down, and you both simultaneously play the roles of victor and victim to your poor friends (while swiping left and right furiously at 2am). This part really, really sucks.

Unfortunately, we aren't finished. What comes next? Lonely nights. A good cry. Solitude. Extended time alone.

It isn't easy going from a duet to a solo, but it is necessary for the trade-off to lock-in. At this point, you may be wondering, "what is this trade-off you keep mentioning, AMAS?" Oh, my bad. The trade-off is personal growth. Inner strength. Wisdom (see Eccl 1:18).

With your love lost, life may seem a bit bland...flavorless, but it's only temporary. I assure you, this is the time for your personal metamorphosis. To gain. To learn. To grow.

"The best thing for being sad...is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honor trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then---to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you. Look at what a lot of things there are to learn." - T.H. White, The Once and Future King