Tagged: positivity

From the Vault.

Originally posted back in 2011, this piece candidly portrays the passage of time, as our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrow’s reveal their distinct importance and influence upon our lives.  Each element holds a wealth of information, and each has a profound impact. Enjoy!
“Tomorrow is always the same”, today whispered

to yesterday,

and yesterday replied with a faint, flat smile;

leaves glistened in the crisp autumn breeze

as they discussed the significance of

hours and years,

time and eons,

the past and the present-

“tomorrow is actually what you make it”, today remarked

to yesterday after a long pause,

and both agreed in kind.

Tomorrow nodded in acceptance and mentioned

to today that yesterday should not be leaned

upon completely,

for today was the leader of the pack-

tomorrow said, “without you, I would not exist”;

“your efforts influence my outcome”-

but he pointed to yesterday and insisted

“you are equally important”, he said, “because

without you, today would not exist.

Without your intentions, he would not react-

without his reaction, what could I reveal?”

“we need each other”,

they all unanimously agreed-

“when we work in tandem, a strand of peace

weaves itself within and between us, and life

ensures that we will stride forward intact”-

they all nodded in agreement.

-G. Boston

Poems from the Vault.

Originally posted on 10-8-12, this poem is a little reminder that there is hope at the end of every dark tunnel, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.  The key is to keep moving forward; pushing, clawing, grinding…whatever it takes, until your eyes can see clearly once more.  Always reach out to those going through troubles; lend a helping hand, and make a point to uplift rather than put down.  Make an effort to find your peace…and help others discover theirs.  And remember to never fear the journey.
Twenty years imbalanced.

Twenty years spent roaming the stillness and

bedding down in a locked room.

Twenty years imbalanced-

a steaming brew boiled within those walls,

bubbling over and staining the pot with its

drippings.

Bubbles rose to the surface and exploded

into nothing-

spirits rose and fell like ocean tides,

and emotions rode those waves like daring

surfers in search of that unattainable thrill.

Thoughts and hopes and dreams appeared and

dissipated like gobs of rain under a hot sun-

twenty years imbalanced-

parched and afloat, drifting along choppy seas,

surrounded by irony, and unable to take a sip-

the know how just wasn’t yet there,

so he treated himself like a book,

and became an encyclopedia-

detailed, methodical,

and yet dusty and unread,

his pages stained with longing and mystery.

He learned to read himself, word for word,

until a detailed silhouette materialized.

A volume was left open on a table one

morning,

close to an open window-

a ripe plum purple morning, threaded

with the orange mists of dawn, and streaked

with whispering winds-

winds that meandered through the window and stirred

the sediments of dust and waste…

an eager gust crept along the table and

managed to turn a page…

Twenty years imbalanced.

Twenty years unsteady, unguided, unheard-

twenty years locked behind silent, mirrored walls,

examining and learning the words of himself-

the opening of that window flipped a page,

just a random page,

with a new one resting calmly beside it-

a new chapter-

waiting eagerly under

the brilliance of the rising sun*

From the Vaults. 

Originally posted on 12-11-13, this piece depicts the destructive and regenerative powers of earth, implying that beauty and strength can be found in all situations.
Earth, for all its beauty, is intent on its

own sustained destruction.

home grown demolition, fierce and consistent

and severe.

whirling winds and pulverizing plate shifts;

barbaric waves and the terrifically brutal spew of molten

agony

painting the landscape like a spirited artist with a palette of

hot orange,

black billowing smoke,

and fire.

the earth is angry-

that’s just one point of view-

a living mass of bound and shackled energy

bursting within

itself in a magma soaked rage,

the personification of angst and frustration with

no outlet but fury,

the elements of its true core still a mystery-

organically sustained destruction,

yet still fulfilling a predetermined purpose.

for each disaster, there are a thousand

seeds in bloom-

for each reaving of the landscape, there

are innumerable discoveries in waiting,

each exit creating a new beginning.

there is no end to its regeneration-

earth-

the great tortured soul,

the original self-immolator,

the flagellator of the ages,

concealing its guts with such a beautiful

mask-

stoned relentlessly for eons,

battered by its own children,

a lone voice among silent brothers,

eloquently patching over the steaming turmoil

boiling underneath-

earth-

take notes in her symbols-

But where is hope, then?

in the bowels of the sea,

in the claustrophobic canals worming through

the core,

in the depth of the blue above,

each revealing signs of perseverance,

adaptation,

evolution,

and the ability to overcome-

take notes in her symbols-

in the wooden arms and rustling

fingers of the winter trees,

pointing the way to heaven for those whose

eyes have been downcast too long-

for those who’ve forgotten which way to

look-

but again, that’s just one point of view*

-G. Boston

Theatrical Thursday – Joe Versus the Volcano (1990).

Have you ever seen a movie six thousand times, but only gotten half a whiff of the real depth of that movie after the most recent viewing?  Case in point; I’ve seen Joe Versus the Volcano at least 30 times since 1990, but only recently came to understand the immense truths contained within it.  The film was always on in the background, and I’d often half ass watched it without really seeing it for what it was.  The realization and understanding came slowly; a little bit here, a little bit there, until one day I said “fuck it” and sat down and really watched the film again for the first time.  I took it all in with a renewed sense of awareness, and a considerably open mind.  I dissected it.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d enjoyed the movie time and again previously, but I’d only just seen the surface of it.  And in truth, I was sincerely blown away.  For all of its cheese, the movie was an acutely effective, multi-layered glimpse into a man’s thirst for knowledge, meaning, purpose, and self discovery.  Looking beyond some of the dated, clunky 90’s camp, it’s quite a deeply rendered portrait of the journey that we all endure in order to accomplish whatever it is we want to accomplish with our lives.  It is a great little tale about overcoming obstacles, standing up for your beliefs, and never giving up.  Who can’t relate to that, right?  And if you’ve ever hated your job, the “I quit” scene below is a revelation.

https://youtu.be/n4cqujPMXLI

https://youtu.be/A9lceeNQMwk

 

Men of Distinction – Robert Smalls (1839-1915).

Enslaved African who, through courageous effort, became the first captain under service to the United States, distinguished politician, and entrepreneur.
In 1862, he was serving as ship’s pilot on the Confederate military transport vessel CSS Planter, when the ship’s captain and officers disembarked to spend the evening ashore. Smalls donned the captain’s uniform and a hat resembling the one that the captain wore, and with the help of various crew, managed to slip the vessel through Confederate lines and to the Union blockade. As a result, he was hailed a hero in the North, and was awarded $1500 as his share of the ship’s prize.  
While serving in the US Army in 1863, the Planter came under fire in a skirmish; Captain Nickerson, in command of the vessel, was inclined to surrender the ship to the enemy. Wary of the potentially dangerous terms of surrender, Smalls instead assumed command of the ship and sailed the vessel out of harm’s way. For his action under fire, he was elevated to captain in place of Nickerson, becoming the first captain under service to the United States.
After the war, he continued to serve his country, having been elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives, the South Carolina Senate, the South Carolina Militia (earning the rank of major general), and the US House of Representatives, serving multiple terms. He was also an entrepreneur of note, acquiring considerable holdings.
Look him up!