By Daniel Paiz

Thirteen years ago, this website was born out of an idea to cover a culture and genre that means a lot to me. Hip-Hop has always been something to help me express myself, and to better understand other folks looking to do the same. Our first blog post was about introducing this site, and about what the goal was. The formatting has changed, more pictures, and sometimes there’s a video or two.

Rhymes have been my area of expertise and comfort, and NaPoWriMo is a place to showcase that. For 13 years of this, celebrating our existence is important. For a 13th anniversary, chrysanthemums are one of the items to commemorate today, and oddly enough mum is the word (and at the same time, isn’t).

Mum is the word

Roots that can survive frozen surroundings,

that can return time after time

despite reaching the natural end of death,

and reviving in the Spring of life,

are a grand way to celebrate Chrysanthemums.

Plants engage in a silent contract to keep us breathing,

to fill a space with their natural charm,

and to provide healing powers.

Mum is the word and yet is not,

as this flower and Hip-Hop bloom for November,

so too do I as after 13 years of music and rhymes,

movies and interviews alike,

I return to write.

The altitude adds to the difficulty of taking deep breaths,

because of the external pressure

and internal atmosphere,

only because one has to be reminded

on an annual basis.

Keep writing,

divide the self-doubt into the ground,

where it reduces to mulch.

The mums around you will flourish for it,

and you’ll find growth anew.

You know what you have to do.