Tag Archives: Porch Swing

Jul 11 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

WORD of the day XI. Resident wordsmith Samuel Bostick continues his writing series at the Porch Swing!

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Champion n. 1) Warrior, Fighter. 2) A militant advocate or defender. 3) One that does battle for another’s rights or honor. 4) A winner of first prize or first place in a competition. One who shows marked superiority.

WORD of the day: Champion

No time to waste, victory the only taste craves the tongue. The ambition to over come any obstacle, any challenge surpassable, and mistake a lesson learned not to be repeated.

Mental tenacity understated by cool demeanor, don’t mistake the God off appearance. A humble heart chained to a ferocious soul; An anchor to destroyer.

Be not confused, I bring peace for cool is the flow of a balanced mind. Still, as the sea hold depth unknown, so be it—the boundaries of a champion’s power. Limitless. Passionate ambition, vision set on victory, blind the rest.

Casualties of war, losses marked by the ability to proceed and continue, a new heart, a focused mind, cleansed of fallacies no time for distraction. On a mission. Core values and integrity never surrendered, a soul never sold. No dissention within the stronghold, the team falls under one rule; all or nothing. No other possibility.

Respect and Honor, the code which transcends all activity. Back against the wall fist clenched, a firm decision—full speed ahead. If you’re not with it you’re against it. As long as breath is in these lungs its gone be after the grand prize. We all fall, victors have mastered the stand up. We all make mistakes, the wise learn from them. Judge ‘em by their fruit.

I believe.

Putting in WORK.

God bless my team and have mercy on mine opposition.

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.

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Jul 04 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

WORD of the day Installment X, by Reflection and Response resident artist Samuel Bostick, from the Apple!! Complex.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Complex. n. 1) A whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts. 2) a. A group of culture traits relating to a single activity, process, or culture unit. 3) A group of repressed desires and memories that exerts a dominating influence upon the personality. 4) An exaggerated reaction to or preoccupation with a subject or situation. 5) A group of obviously related units of which the degree and nature of the relationship is imperfectly known. 6) The sum of factors (as symptoms) characterizing a disease or condition 7) A chemical association of two or more species (as ions or molecules) joined usually by weak electrostatic bonds rather than covalent bonds. 8) A building or group of buildings housing related units.

Thoughts intruding my mind, explosive images and fissures of fact and fiction.

Rhythms flow-in beating drums- booming base -howling horns- whooting winds. Rhymes flow out, as water to a spout.  It just sort of happens that way…

RED WHITE & BLUE

Record high hotdog sales, home brewed beers on overflow and sunny skys.

RED

For the bloodshed across this land. Years ago as well as just yesterday. Death is a spirit this state is built upon. A Union which has capitalized on the science of killing, still may there be liberty and justice for all.

Spilling across the soil, all these tall buildings scraping at the skys all grew from that first red seeds spread through this land tonz of pints at a time. May those who fell in innocent ways Rest in Peace. The same to those who brought death upon themselves as well. May these sacrifices not be in vain.

WHITE

A bleached history. Broken chromosomes and sterilized crime scenes. A blank canvas upon which has been built the  American Dream. A fantasy some of us have never seen. To some rest comes easy others plagued under night fall by demonic frights. Regardless it’s all to be written upon this canvas, white. Whiteness… an ideology which not only maintains but perpetuates exclusion. The land of opportunity. May we not forget there was life before the name America crashed down upon this place. Slash and burn. Histories removed memories erased. This is white now so move along you with the colored face. Still I must thank this place for bringing us all together through war, dust bowls, hard times and stormy weather.

BLUE

Thas for the soul…the wailing tale of loves lost, the everyday casualties of life. The beautiful tunes pulled out of guitar chords under stoic hands, callused fingers and hearts to match. More of a cold spell than a hymnal song. The evolution of slave songs buzzing through stereos, crowning off spinning vinyl, rumbling between phonic studio headphones. A salute to those trees still standing which once bore strange fruit. You mustn’t look to far to find ‘em they are right up the block. Broken dreams and shards of glass collected upon rundown paths. Still we have yet to stop and have no plans to. Not as long as breath is in our lungs. As dim as the path may seem, our lights come from within. More of a cold spell than a hymnal song, still it’s the blues and we all got it. Overall I have to offer thanks again to this place, this time, this moment, this space. For out the concrete we are the generation which ROSE. So peace to those before us and blessings to those to come. As we take the torch may we stay strong to the core. Never to stumble nor to fall rather stand proud and walk tall.

 

All that said—shout out to all the smoked meats, shared laughs and good times had with great people congregating across the nation. A cheers to the home brewers—particularly the homie Franco and the fellas at Breakdown Brewing Co. Big up to independent companies, the moon in full bloom and  the showering plumes of explosive projectiles to come our way. Above all pay respects and don’t forget to tip your hats to those before us and let’s make a path a lil iller for those to come.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO Y’ALL!! Have a great fun filled night!!

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.

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Jun 27 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

The BK Porch. Thoughts from Reflection and Response resident artist Samuel Bostick take the page in installment IX of his WORD of the day project…

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Sensation n.  1. a) A mental process, as seeing hearing or smelling, resulting from the immediate external stimulation of a sense organ often as distinguished from a conscious awareness of the sensory process. b) Awareness, as of heat or pain, due to stimulation of a sense organ. c) A state of consciousness due to internal bodily changes. d) An indefinite bodily feeling. 2) Something (as a physical stimulus, sense-datum, or afterimage) that causes or is the object of sensation. 3) a) A state of excited interest or feeling. b) A cause of such excitement; especially a person who is in some respect exceptional or outstanding.

WORD of the day: Sensation

Sands of time falling, no rewind—sifting motion from present to past. Future forever suspended in conceptual imagination. Like you I struggle day in, day out—fighting for beliefs, spiritual battles and wandering shoes on streets.

Music hopping  hips across the soulful wonders of human connection. Electronic pulses rocking bodies closer and closer. Funk for him grime for she, let us get down to the nasty rhythms, leave orbit behind, let’s make dirty mouths even dirtier. Lady, Second that motion and we can function properly. Everything wrong becomes right in front of my eyes as I study the ins and outs of your mind body and soul. I undress your disguise; tugging, ripping, pulling it all off with gentle eyes. Free your intuition while I tie you down, set aside your conscious—let’s fool around. Teasingly smooth entry, my finger caressing the O to every flirtatious ‘lol’ you send my way. You see, to me that L-O-L resembles something much more than laughter. And every time you hurry and cover up risqué statements with ‘jk’ somehow in my eyes watch as the ‘J’ slips off only to be replaced by  the letters ‘F-U- C’  all wrapped up with a  ‘me’ that closely follows. I like it though, the chase that is. I read once that a Gentleman is but a patient wolf. Maybe I’m just trippin, my mind drifting off into oceans of passion and pleasure. This is but a preview, feature presentation coming soon (and never to end).

Fix your mouth that sexy way you do, say yes, hold out extra long on the pronunciation of the -ssss and let that develop into sssseductive whispers, silent sweats, rolling climaxes, and forbidden requests all met with that simple three letter response; yes.

Enter the erotic, become the fantasy of my lustful heart. Already you’ve captivated my desire. So to hell with these words! Let it be spoken in heavy breathing and may it be written into my skin while your nails dig into this passionate platform. Express it loudly through the captivation as it spreads across your face. Bite your lip first, then mine. Yes mine next. Tossing, crossing, erasing and replacing that expired line which once distinguished pleasure from pain, at this point the only registry is we must be FUCKING INSANE.

Let me in, unlock my cage, I promise to be Good. *fingers crossed*. Your legs and mine twisted into wicked knots. Running my tongue up your spine we both find ourselves lost.

A comforting reminder that the window is open, the breeze flows over us both…neither of us seems to mind the company. It must be right, what we do, to bring out that beautiful smile across your face. Climb up and never stop, rock steady, swing round; feminine contours, graceful curves redefining with each explosive swerve.  Senseless determination, captives to heightened sight, smell, taste, feeling—feeling—feeling, hearing. Estas Deliciosa. A blurred recognition of reality and fantasy. You want I give, I want you give. Sensational satisfaction.

Alive again, I’ll let you out if you promise to be bad. My hands upon your neck, yours find support in my chest. Say it louder; make all other thoughts in my head pass. Go to war with any reservation I may hold. My hands grasp you, my mind a blank slate—spell out what you desire, spill yourself onto me…you have my full attention. Become what you’ve always wanted yet never known. A reservation for two; one for she and one for me. This fire produced in the most intimate of places.

Take a walk with me never to return the same.

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.

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May 31 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

The Porch Swing artist residency series keeps rockin with Samuel Bostick’s WORD of the day creative writing project.. Installation Number 5: Discipline [Part II].

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Discipline n. 1) Training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, esp training that produces moral or mental improvement. 2) Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training. 3) A systematic method to obtain obedience: a military discipline. 4) A state of order based upon submission to rules and authority. 5) A process intended to correct or train. 6) A set of rules or methods as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order. 7) A branch of knowledge or of teaching.

WORD of the day: Discipline [Part II]

Mind, Body & Soul; discipline is a revolutionary strength.

As the refining pot is to gold,

so is discipline to those who apply it, those who abide in it.

A disciplined mind; development of focus and concentration

A tool of unlimited potential!

A disciplined body; all great achievements are won through great effort

Order in the physical elements is key

A disciplined soul; I read once that a person without control over their own spirit

is like a city broken down without walls

Again, be a disciple to your cause. Submit yourself to the pursuit of the objective ahead.

The self, feelings an’ emotions are concepts. They arise and fall as any other sentiment in this impermanent place. An achievement cannot be taken from by anyone, it is a benchmark.

Do great things—go for the gold all day every day!

Still, be patient with yourself.

Discipline is not always easy and there will be times where you may consider throwing in the towel a time when the burden seems too heavy to bear.

Build a team, a strong core of individuals mobbing in a like minded way.

There is strength in numbers.

A wolf pack, a pride of lions, a battalion of goons…

take down the target!!

We must all run our own race, nobody can do it for you nor for me…still it is encouragement that we need sometimes…it is that one voice that says “you can do it” when we fall from glory and start to feel we can’t. Everyone needs a push, a dear companion in hard times is a great lifeline…trust in yourself, have faith in your teammates, pull your own weight, invest in your team… us versus them.                       Go for the grand prize.

Again, the self is the biggest opponent…discipline is the training needed to run the race                           the outcome will reflect the input.

Never give up, do not give in, find your passion-tie it to your heart and run with it, dare to try, have the audacity to challenge any obstacle, live your life according to your beliefs and convictions, be not afraid to make mistakes—take chances…be true and truth will be forever in your presence…                 overcome disbelief.

Triumph.

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.

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May 24 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

Reflection and Response resident artist Samuel Bostick hits with the 4th installment of his WORD of the day project at the LIFESTYLE Porch Swing!

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

First and foremost I would like to thank you for stickin with me through this process and development. I have been encouraged by this and I pray yall have been too. That being said, lets jump into it…

Discipline: n. 1) Training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, esp training that produces moral or mental improvement. 2) Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training. 3) A systematic method to obtain obedience: a military discipline. 4) A state of order based upon submission to rules and authority. 5) A process intended to correct or train. 6) A set of rules or methods as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order. 7) A branch of knowledge or of teaching.

WORD of the day: Discipline

Surrender, it starts with surrender; the action of submitting to a greater order—to a specific purpose or pursuit. Surrender the concept of “I” and “Self”…become a disciple to the cause of your calling. Curve your desire to the taste of epic victory rather than momentary pleasures. This is the training in preparation for your marathon. With discipline long term goals become daily achievements which unfold into a whole nother level of performance. The hardest part is to really develop the discipline from a seasonal practice into a lifestyle, an order which you live by. Tha’s when it really reaches the revolutionary level.

Be balanced, keep a clear mind, make efforts to improve each day, breath in – breath out, ‘get on your marathon’. The greatest challenge is to overcome the self. Conquer disbelieve. Life is hard, nevertheless carry your cross. Have faith in the product of your effort, sow a great seed.

 

Gang Starr, “Discipline”

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.

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May 16 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

Here is the third installment from The Porch Swing , a weekly series focusing on a unique version of Reflection and Response. Samuel Bostick, our first resident artist, brings us his WORD of the day project which centers on a word presented with his personal blend of creative writing. His first and second posts bring new light to classic vocabulary. Stay with us as he presents another piece in the ongoing series crafted through the lens of Reflection and Response as part of the LIFESTYLE collective…

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Perseverance:  n.  1) Adherence to a course of action, belief or purpose without giving way; steadfastness. 2) To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement

 

WORD of the day: Perseverance

Day in day out, we move in order to make progress.

Moment to moment each second building on the next

The click clock tick tock

Time keeps running will it ever stop?

Click. Clock. Tick. Tock.

Understand this clearly, all things have a purpose, a charge in this life.

Every day comes with its challenges, this is certain. Some days more challenges than others…

These past few weeks have been rough.

Burning holes in Pockets, Bills marauding mail boxes;

Tough times still my hustle the world will not stop, a rhythm-a passion the world will not take.

This heart beats with purpose.

Yesterday brought word of a woman…she lay in a coma, a fight for life…

all due to the abusive hands of a partner, a lover

Fatal attraction.

Steady increase in teen pregnancy, more and more absent fathers

Fuck. (On second thought…Don’t)

Schools raise tuition and cut classes

…whats the remedy…

prisons yards, military recruits, pockets full of stone

 its MEAN out here!!

Move with conviction, keep a balanced mind, follow your passion, keep goin hard, make ‘em feel you! PER.SEV.ERE

 

Still I Rise.

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

-Maya Angelou

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.

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May 09 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

Back at the LIFESTYLE Porch!

Today we’ve got the second installation at The Porch Swing from our first Reflection and Response resident artist, Samuel Bostick. Last week we kicked off The Porch Swing series with Samuel’s first installation in his ongoing WORD of the day project, which will come through every Wednesday. Stay tuned as he continues to bring his uniquely crafted creative writing Reflection and Response approach to the LIFESTYLE Collective…

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

Build v. 1) To form by combining materials or parts; construct. 2) To give form to according to a definite plan or process; create. 3) To establish and strengthen; create and add to. 4) To develop in magnitude or extent. 5) To progress toward a maximum, as of intensity. 6)The act, process, art or occupation of constructing.

WORD of the day: Build

A Dream is the heart’s desire, a fantastic vision. It is our charge to put effort into making these dreams, these desires into a reality. We must build. To build is to act on the faith of possibility, to put work into effect and produce. All building is ultimately defined by the basis, the core, the foundation, the wise seek firm foundation. Brick by brick, day in day out, belief by belief. Building is an ongoing process, it does not subscribe to boundaries, rather supersedes them. The possibility is endless.

Get out, make yourself, give your hands a good look; recognize the potential energy held within them, the propensity to create. Plan your route, establish firm foundation, develop a legacy- a dynasty of your choosing, be responsible for your work and lay claim to the product of your effort.

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.

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May 02 2012
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Creative Writing

The Porch Swing: WORD of the day

the LIFESTYLE Collective builds. Welcome to the premiere of our newest weekly series: The Porch Swing. 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.

WE, P and V, share our original visual arts and music projects at the top of the week on Mondays. On Thursdays we showcase Snapshots from the Collective, a series that is driven by photography contributions from ANY individuals. Fridays alternate between Talk of the Town, a series that serves as a discussion and dialogue forum, and the Feature Series, which presents international artists’ perspectives on Reflection and Response. The Porch Swing now opens up a Reflection and Response residency where we will feature a Collective member’s ongoing project through weekly installations. We leave the choice of medium in the artist’s hands to mold their Reflection and Response.

We are PROUD to present our first resident, Samuel Bostick, who will join us on The Porch Swing and engage the LIFESTYLE Arts Collective in dialogue through his unique blend of creative writing. Samuel kicked off our Feature Series back in September – http://the-lifestyle-rr.com/2011/09/23/feature-samuel-bostick/ – and we’re excited to break ground on this new series with an important Collective member at the helm!! Stay tuned for his WORD of the day project, coming through every Wednesday…Craft.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Jim Natale.

SB: Aright, so this WORD of the day business is a exercise I’ve been pushing on for some time now. I find words to be pretty interesting lil gizmos. I recognize the power they carry. When I first started the WORD of the day postings via twitter, I was doing a word a day. Since then its developed into a week long process of  meditation and reflection focused on one word. Quality over quantity.  I don’t know what got me started on this project, that doesn’t matter so much…I like words, they breath a great rhythm to life. Now, what y’all need to do is STAY TUNED to the the LIFESTYLE’s Porch Swing series & peep the WOTD developments via twitter- @THEREALSHANTS.

Stay cool,
Samuel

 

Vision, n. 1) a- The faculty of sight. b- Something that is or has been seen. 2) Unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight. 3) The manner in which one sees or conceives of something. 4) A mental image produced by the imagination. 5) The mystical experience of seeing as if with the eyes the supernatural or a supernatural being. 6) A person or thing of extraordinary beauty.

WORD of the day: Vision

In this hour, that of the haunting, Do not fall ill to weakness.

Strength in its Truest is steadfast in diligence

Diligent especially when the will is weak.

Understand, Focus is at the root of Vision and Diligence is the fruit.

 

Vision present in the experience of a moment,

The smile of a young child

Vision wise to see down the road,

preparation for winter’s chill while the summer is yet sweet

Vision Faithful in times when the light is dim, when the road is dark

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me.

who or what shall we fear lest our eyes, our vision, fall short of faith?

 

Vision…

do not fall victim to appearances, masks of deception; as an image is warped by the clearest and purest of waters, this world is manipulated by the appearance.

Do not be confused.

remove yourself from the place where confusion dwells

 for confusion itself is a tool of the enemy. This shall surely, without fail, cloud your vision.

 Have you seen a king crowned with false gold?

Imagine it!

 A King adorned with fool’s gold

What a sight! A mockery at best!

Take heed:

This is a wise man, a wise woman, whom dare embrace confusion.

 

Guard your Vision, Stay on track…

 

Reflection and Response.

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