the LIFESTYLE

Questions, Take 6, by Samuel Bostick.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Questions, Take 6

Stepping aside from one self there is a certain capacity otherwise unreached. Nourishment is the stimuli for growth and sustenance is the source of longevity. Quality inspection—sifting apart the good from the bad, even more critically, gathering up the great from the good; a process of arrangement, a system of organization. There are many princes yet kings come few and far apart. Noble is a man of exceeding character and strength sourced of the heart.

Times flow is steady and unyielding, an ebb spanning beyond both birth and tomb. Days come and go, surely this is well known. Still the effects of a day may last beyond the moment. Piling up and storing thoughts, fileing memories, bagging emotions, burying pains, and curating pleasure, all weighing down the mind. Things stashed in the mind like a Raider hoards up treasure. Don’t dare open that safe nor think to go near; to wind up on the wrong end of a smoking barrel is the sentence for any offending party. A fatal discourse; treasure becomes a cage and the mind bolted down enchained as a slave. These things all simmer and stew, a wicked mixture, an ovation to the father of cool and his Bitches Brew. Yes, a bitches brew in deed.

Time accrues without sign of relief; in suffocation a mind turns inward depressed with dark despair. There stirs up a new mash…rage. It begins to bubble and steam within the chest, that dreary cage. A threatening sort of beast; Rage is Anger untamed…to hell…to the inferno with that leash. Silence is the ultimate enzyme to this cold intensity. Lips sealed, secrets unrevealed, devils held, identities concealed. Hazard lights flash warning to any bystander with enough mind to take notice. The propensity to erupt and explode, catastrophic unload, passers-by take heed. This is a mind that’s been turned in to a jail, a cell, an unrelenting hell. Nonetheless, this is only one side of the tale, the dark truth yet the light still unveiled. How to escape only the soul can tell. This is reflection into the narcissistic insurrection that has lead beautiful minds in the wrong direction. A nemesis has devout a plan and set a trap, or at best a test, for the self-indulged man. Relief and triumph achieved only once he rips himself from introspective obsession with self perfection. A lesson to be learned….to escape this dark place the maze must be shaken and disrupted, Shake This Maze is the guide to the public. A theory of rhyme and rhythm that moves the mind from dark to light, from depressed to ‘that felt good to get off my chest’. Expression is the release of those woes and worries stuffed away in compartments of the mind body and soul.

Not done quite yet, another step that must not be neglected. The completion of reflection is the action of Response; A cycle of expressive processing, a two step that moves the mind upon nimble toes to forgiveness of self, friends and foe.  Forgetting no that is not the case, still more ammunition may be loaded once you get out the dust from the corners and clear up some space.

Contour the mind to look out and explore. Arches, brilliance in New Mexican skys, photographic moments captured, random-wander-Spanish-old-guy, hand written poetry, and radio stations set up in places that appear post apocalyptic rapture, all moments capture in awareness—present in the moment to moment setting and contributing to the scene. These are minds unchained from the constraints of autotrophic vanity. These are liberated minds. Why look within and stay unseen when there is so much world to be felt, life to be lived and dreams to be chased. Jump in the DeLorean and go back to the future cause the past is a place lost in time and space. The past is what it is, past, and never to be gotten back never to be replaced. The future though is abound with possibilities endless, the sky is the limit and life after death is the eulogy.

 While breath is in the lungs let the hearts song be sung, the youth is strong and the elder are wise. Power is in the hands of the people so take pride, stand and rise. From dark days and blinded eyes, it can only get better, movement directed toward brighter times and vision refined. Follow the heart and move with conviction. There will always be opposition still if God is on your side then who may stand before your glory.  A true underdog story.

Looking forward, coming out funky as the Gowanas. The yellow buss don’t stop till it bust. Taking cats to school where youth discover the birds and the bees, are taught math and literature, and uncover 40oz to freedom and how to rollup and blow down tree. These boxes cannot contain a generation of liberated mind frames, still the sly foxes creep in to foul up the game. A shame cause it’s like we’re starting ten steps behind, yet we jump on the track looking forward no time to look back. Find proper pace and stick to it, a test of endurance moving the earth under our feet. Reflection and Response through the arts. Feel and Be felt.

Expression: A breaking of silence, many rely it the daring provide it.

Reflection and Response.

Samuel Bostick

@THEREALSHANTS

the LIFESTYLE’s role is to create collective space for active Reflection and Response through the arts. This space is built around dialogue, expression, collaboration, and artistic (ex)change involving international craftspeople and their realities. The Porch Swing series opens up a Reflection and Response residency where we feature a Collective member’s ongoing project through weekly installations.