The Only Reason We're Alive | Spoken Word Poet IN-Q

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This is for everyone in love and for everyone looking for love. None of us should have to wait until we're 85. If you enjoyed this please subscribe!

@INQlife

Poem written and performed by: IN-Q
Produced by: Moving Art
Animation Produced by: Acme Filmworks by Tara Beyhm and Ron Diamond
Animation Direction by: Sarah Van den Boom
Animation by: Sarah Van den Boom, Gitanjali Rao, Sangita Khatu
Music by: Murray Hidary
Music Edited by: Charlie Bond

[sandyfulton]

72 years old now and still in love with the same guy for the past 50 to my friend Suesy who sent this one

[ToddandDebra]

Thanks for this perfect poem. We've spent decades on life's roller coaster of raised 4 kids, laughing, listening & learning countless times per day. Now in our 7th decade, we're enthralled by geometric patterns our wrinkling skin displays around our knees when we straighten our legs, amused by how easily our brains recall verbatim lyrics to every James Taylor song while drawing total blanks on where we put the car keys, and reduced to belly-laughs by a child's empathetic question as his tiny finger traced the "laugh-line" creases around my eyes: "Aww. How did your face get broken?" Growing old is an amazing adventure and opportunity for laughter. Falling in love is even more so, and your poem has reminded us it can happen at any age. You've given us an idea for trying to help our senior friends who are now single and staying home a lot - perhaps depression from loneliness. We're going to start having casual dinner parties, and who knows, maybe some matchmaking will inadvertently occur? We used to do this often when we were young, and 3 (still married) couples met at our dinners. I don't know why we hadn't through to start doing this again, now that we have more single friends who've lost their spouse in the past few years. Thank you again for this wonderful poem and video. Every night, as we're falling asleep, my husband and I recall our favorite moments of the day. Last night, this video was the highlight. We'll watch it countless times.

[EcstasyD]

"Love is real, especially when it's hard
Cause you have chosen to reveal who you really are, beautiful with all your scars.
You are like a sky of stars
I've never felt as infinate as when you are in my arms"

IN-Q

[LilitLanaAsatryan]

This brought tears to my eyes - the life of my grandpa and grandma. I am so profoundly happy to have witnessed their true love.
Unconditional love of 50+ years, and when my grandma left us in September, my grandpa was alone even with all of us by his side. Didn't take hime long to join her love in heaven. And this is what to me is miss-her-in-my-bones love, die-within-a-month love & cannot-live-without-her love heart .

[MagicGiant]

So moving. This dude is ridiculously talented. We could listen to this poem over and over. Thank you for inspiring us and creating such beauty in the world.

[synthetic_paul]

"She look classical and I was like, Yo, yo, ma!" fabulous line

[FigK]

I'm not a man to cry, but once he mentioned pulling the plug, and she disappeared, I almost did.

[avamadison]

I wanna fall in Love at 85

Go on shuffleboard dates and dance to hip-hop from ‘95

Our song would be Staying Alive, but only for the message

Otherwise we’d keep away from disco, it’s depressing

We’d rock matching tracksuits and rope gold chains

We’d look like Run DMC but in their old age

We’d take aerobics classes

And wear bifocal glasses

And eat at I-HOP

And hold hands at Sunday masses.

And when it comes to the bedroom?

Well, nothing much would happen in the bedroom, because were 85

But we would still be down to take a walk, or take a drive, or sit and talk, and have a drink

And watch the passers by, and ask each other why

And how, and who, and where, and when

And then we’d laugh and cry again

About the people we had been

And I would touch her withered skin and comment on how thin it is, to keep in something infinite

And she would smile sweet and blush then tell me that I think too much

She’s right I think too much

It’s always been a problem

But then again that’s how I made my green like the goblin

When I was in my 20’s I was eating Top Ramen

Counting up my pennys, saving up to go food shopping

But now I’m 85, and somehow I feel more alive

I turn my hearing aid up and bump Jurassic 5

I read the sports page while she peruses classifieds

We like antique stores, garage sales, and barter buys

We got the box set of Louie at a bargain price

We’ve watched it so much that we have the lines memorized

We sip on my Mai-Tai’s and sunbath at public pools

We both have season theatre passes to the sacred fool

And when it comes to the bedroom

Well hopefully, every once in a while, I knock her boots into the floral patterns of our bedpost

Then hold her head close, like death isn’t chasing us

Planning on erasing us and replacing us, with better versions of us

Re-shaping us, re-making us, then re-creating us, with new identities so we can make new memories

Hush, little baby

Learn to walk, and talk, and feel, and lie, and think, and fight, and fuck, and die, and never get the answers why

She dips a joint of grass in wheatgrass and we get high

Her hair is silver as the moon in the Miami sky

We still pop pills

But it’s not the Xanex anymore

Whenever we can’t sleep we listen to the ocean floor

She got a Sound of the Sea CD for me from the Brookstone store

And ever since I’ve been snoring like a…

What’s that word?

Oh, a buzz saw

Sorry, I go blank sometimes

But hey I’m 85

I’m not complaining, I’m just happy that I’m still alive

And happy that I have my better half by my side

Super fly

She doesn’t look a day over 65

When I first saw her, I was totally in awe

She was classical, so I was like Yo-Yo Ma

And that was all it took, a single look and I was shook

I fell for her like some loose shingles from a Spanish roof

And I’ma Love her till she loses every last root

And has to glue dentures to her gums to chew solid food

Oooo

Now that’s real Love dude.

That’s some push comes to shove Love.

Not when it’s convenient Love.

Hospital bed Love.

Feed her ice chips Love.

Never leave the room Love.

Sleeping in the chair Love.

Pray to up above Love.

Have to pull the plug Love.

Miss her in your bones Love.

Everything about her Love.

Die within a month Love.

Can’t live without her Love.

Love.

The only reason that we are alive

And none of us should have to wait until we’re 85

[BrendaAvadian]

WAOW, this is beautiful on so many levels--
the words
the narrator
the artist
THIS is PURE LOVE.
Thank you.

[lenny]

Thank you IN-Q...

I remember you from when Hip-Hop was one
and even back then it wasn't just fun
With your distinct words I knew that change had to come.

My Father once told me "Slowly but surely, and suddenly Son"
He said "Life has it's own way of calling before you are done"

After his passing, and all the tears whent away
I came to realize that when things come to an end,
All that really matters is... how much we loved at the end of the day...

[sarahsindo]

My Granny recently passed, she was 91. Her and my Papa were married for 67 years. This touches my heart so much. Thank you.

[somewhereinbetweenmusic]

This made me laugh and cry. This is my favorite poem of the decade. You are a true genius.

[healthygirl]

Can't watch this without crying and I can't stop watching. Beautifully compelling piece. Thank you IN-Q

[carriemarino]

I know a lady who knows some people...your words would embrace with likewise catharsis. Your ability to confront with poignant brevity elongating time with the power of mouth. Inspiration flows from within throughout, transforming the world, without a doubt. Gracious, me, you're special--One of a Kind--the kind which boredom suffocates without reception of mind. The world is ready, the doubt is worn. It's high time spoken art be reborn. Forgive my religiousity, hallelujah, I shout, for friends' radical love beyond the shadows of doubt.

[tiamaria]

sums it all up beautifully, guess we are never too old to find it. those who find it together are truly privileged.

[angelusnielson]

This made me smile because my grandma was a widow most of my life.. until she was around her mid 70s... when she remarried. My only regret was that I couldn't afford to attend the wedding.

[semkal]

The best video I’ve seen on YouTube. Hit me hard. Thanks for that.

[lauderdale]

I write and just found this. Dope. Hip hop aye. Our generation is going to age differently. Hope I get to feel the journey

[beechoudhury]

This brought tears to my eyes; I love every word.

[marioturyasingura]

It's 2021 and this piece still gives me goosebumps