Jane’s Addiction, being a dog, feathery tops in the valley, and everything that follows.
Premiering now: In number seventeen from Prose. Radio, Jane's Addiction sees the ocean break on the shore, while in the city a group of writers from the site bring it back to soil with each of their own literary footprints.
Here's the link to the show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U33WX-dLTZ4
And here are all the pieces in the feature:
https://www.theprose.com/post/808204
https://www.theprose.com/post/807185/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/785150/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/783763/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/806394/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/808549/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/808564/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/808547
https://www.theprose.com/post/808080/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/808371/...
And.
As always.
Thank you for being here.
-The Prose. team
Billy Idol’s candy brain, exclusive destruction, and what hides behind thoughts.
Episode sweet sixteen rings in with a beat of Billy Idol, into a stream of consciousness wake, led by a man of duality, and topped off with a poem by one of the ever-shining stars in our night sky...
Beccawaits and BIGT round off the video with style and loving grace.
Here's the lnk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aadNTBBb54M&t=84s
And here are the pieces.
https://www.theprose.com/post/807496/...
https://www.theprose.com/post/805779/...
And.
As always.
Thank you for being here.
-The Prose. team
Full-time Fake
Slowly killing myself each day to be the person I thought everyone wanted me to be. Now I feel as shallow as my grave. The one my persona dug. And I worry that when I look at the camera, people can see it. The old me I killed. That hides just beneath the surface, underneath what was supposed to be a temporary act, not a permanent play.
My grave. My obituary never saw the light of day.
And I fear the only one who grieved, was me.
When Death Dies
You are
a greedy bastard
Today, your grasping hands
pillaged
a most beautiful treasure
of a human
I hate that you mock
this impending season
of renewal and life
with your unwanted presence
I will rejoice the day
that smug look
is ripped
from your ancient face
One day
I will dance
at the news
of YOUR demise
You may have your way
(for now)
with our frail, earthly shells
but in the very end
we win
Rest in peace, C.T.
I will see your radiant smile again, sweet friend. I love you.
https://youtu.be/M4Zg3t5Kt5Y?si=ykFxBtObB115kM4W
“When death dies, all things live.”
Of Mine
For my Mister, my dream come true
Mind of mine
Helpless to escape
Wishes of a future
Where paths entwine
A dream
Too good to be true
A thought
Of forever
A fantasy
Seducing this
Body of mine
Aching to be held
All my curves
Made to align
A look
Beyond this flesh
A touch
Of reality
A voice
Calling to this
Heart of mine
Filled with desire
Dancing with hope
To the beat of thine
A kiss
On the lips of fate
A taste
Of eternity
A breath
Reviving this
Soul of mine
Of yours
Connected
Through space and time
A point
In the chaos
A line
Drawn by the Creator
A spark
Igniting this
Love of ours
Made by design
I am yours
You are mine
A work
Of the finest art
A vow
Too sacred to break
A wish
Granted among the stars
02/14/2024
We Don’t Know Their Foreign Language
I wonder why
We listen to birds—
The ones that sing.
We only like the
Birds who have
Colorful chests.
We don’t know
Their foreign language.
Wasteful.
Eavesdropping and
Voyeurism is a
Professional hobby.
We want to watch.
We do not create,
Just listen.
There’s a thread.
It’s thinning.
We could fix it.
But we watch.
Don’t move or you
will startle the bird.
Everything
Will be okay.
It comes for us all.
Coffee and Death
The little bell chimed as the door opened, another pair of soaked boots finding its way out of the rainy city streets and into the balmy refuge of the "Strawberries & Cream" café. The new arrival was instantly greeted by the warm lights and the permeating aroma of coffee, accompanied by the soothing jazz music on the speakers. Usually, the ambience like this would put her at ease, but she wasn't here to rest.
The newcomer took her hood off and took a quick, but careful look around. At the far end of the café, a lone man was reading a newspaper. Although his back was turned to the door and she couldn't see his face, the woman instantly recognized him. Leaving her coat on, she made her way to his table and sat down without a word. A half-empty cup of coffee and a plate littered with crumbs rested on it.
"Terrible weather, isn't it?" The man said with utmost calm, his face hidden behind the newspaper. "They say the rain is going to get even heavier next week... Ah, but you're not here to talk weather with an old geezer now, are you?"
He put the newspaper aside, revealing his weary, wrinkled face, and took a sip of his coffee as he looked at the woman in front of him. His eyes were met with the stare of the void as a pair of dark-lens round sunglasses hid the eyes of the woman entirely. Her skin was of a fair tone, with freckles and wrinkles covering a good part of her face, and her long red hair fell freely on her shoulders.
He sighed. "And here I thought they've caught you. Well, if you are here, then I guess that you know who I am. Though I can't help but notice that in person you look way different than on your mugshot."
"People change."
"We both know they don't, especially people like us."
"I have nothing in common with you."
"Oh don't bullshit me. I am old but I am sure as hell not senile."
"You're a–"
"Can I get you anything, Miss, Mister?" A waitress stood by the table with a polite smile on her lips. The worried look in her eyes, though, betrayed the fact that she overheard some of their conversation.
"Oh, could I get another cup of coffee, please?" The man replied with the deceiving warmth in his voice.
"Glass of water. With ice." The woman said , not taking her eyes off the man in front of her.
The waitress nodded, scribbled something on her notepad, took the empty cup and plate and scurried away.
"Oh, you should've asked for their strawberry pie. It's the best thing they've got here."
"Some other time."
"Suit yourself. Anyways, what were we talking about? Ah, yes, our differences. You see, I think you're full of shit."
The man leaned in and continued in lowered voice, the warmth in his voice replaced by something cold and sinister.
"You and I are the same. No matter how hard you try to deny it or how many excuses you come up with, you're a cold-blooded killer, the same as I."
"You're a rapist and a murderer. I am nothing like you."
"Sure," he scoffed, "you think killing people like me makes you better? You think it doesn't count, doesn't change you? Let me give you some advice, lady."
"Your coffee, Mister..." The waitress returned and placed a new cup of coffee on the table. "...and your water, Miss." She placed a glass of water in front of the woman and winked at her. The man didn't seem to notice that.
"Thank you, my dear." The man replied, his voice full of warmth and care again.
"Thanks." The woman nodded.
"Enjoy!" The waitress said with a smile and left the two to their conversation. Once she was gone, the man continued.
"Every time you kill somebody," he took a careful sip of his still hot coffee, "their face gets ingrained in your memory. Every time you wake, eat, work, fuck, read the news, watch TV, stand in the commute, spend time with your loved ones, your kids, your friends, and so on and so on – their faces are right there, in front of you, looking at you with that dread in their eyes. They plead, cry, and scream right into your ears, no matter how hard you try to push them back."
"You're not listening to me, old man. I'm killing monsters, not people. Nothing you say will save you from what's coming to you."
The man chuckled and took another sip of the coffee, looking at the woman in front of him with an amused glint in his eyes. "The youth, always hasty with their assumptions. I'm not telling you this to save myself – I always knew that, sooner or later, someone's bound to cut me down. I'm telling you this to stop you from making the same mistake I did. I'm trying to save you from yourself.
"Hide your eyes all you want but I can still see into your soul, into who you really are, not who you pretend to be. So tell me, detective, do you really want to go down this path? Don't you remember how it turned out for her?"
For a moment, a frown appeared on the woman's face, but she shook it off almost immediately. Then, she got up, approached the man, put her hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear.
"I'm already walking this path. Enjoy your coffee."
She patted the man on the shoulder and made her way to the café's front desk. She reached into her coat's inner pocket, took out a 100 dollar note from her wallet and put it in the tip jar. Behind the desk stood the same waitress who was serving their table, smiling politely. The woman returned the smile before turning to leave the café.
As the little bell chimed, the man at the far end of the café began coughing.
brunch and brotherhood
"you never cease to surprise me, do you know that? i never thought you'd actually meet me here."
"and turn down some free blueberry pancakes? you must not know me very well at all then, little brother."
"oh please, of course you'd get the most childish thing on the menu. besides, i never said i was footing the bill."
"oh? i mean, it's not really a problem, is it? we could just light this whole place up once we're done, y'know, end things with a bang like the good old days."
"because theft is so below you you'd automatically resort to murder? please. plus, you know i've left that life behind me."
[laughter]
"i'd resort to murder, little brother, because it is fun, which is something you need to be reminded of. honestly, i've never seen someone with such a large stick up their- hi, darling, we'll get two plates of blueberry pancakes and the sweetest coffee on the menu. yeah, that'll be it. big guy over there's paying today so i'm gonna eat good!"
[pause as the waitress leaves]
"i'm not paying."
"ha! you will if you know what's good for her. matter of fact, you will if you know what's good for everyone in this restaurant right now. it'd be such a shame if the whole thing went up in flames, now wouldn't it?"
"i came here to talk you out of all this, jeremiah. after all this time, you're still right where i left you, a pawn in dad's game. aren't you tired of all the killing? after everything that happened with susana, i thought you'd be-"
"big words! didn't know you could speak this much in one go, color me impressed!"
"i can get you out of it. i have the resources now, you can join me and have a fresh start. what-what you're doing is wrong, jeremiah. you know it, susana knew it-"
"i don't know what you're talking about. susana died because she defected, the same way you should've died three years ago. if our father knew where i was right now, there'd be a bullet in your head, and that would be a mercy compared to what he'd want to do to you. you're fucking lucky i didn't rat you out, do you realize that? there is no starting fresh for us. you think you can just ignore your past? ignore everything that the midnight reaper did? you were almost as vicious as i was, little brother. all throughout the city, people would whisper about you in awe and fear. you don't get a fresh start just because you grew a guilty fucking conscience. you still killed upwards of 600 people, and you can never outrun that. i know you still hear their screams and their sobs, and even more, i know that you enjoyed ripping them apart. you're a fucking killer through and through as much as i am, as much as dad is. this heroics act is not only bullshit, its fucking pathetic."
"jeremiah. i-"
"thanks for the pancakes, dear! big guy over there's gonna give you a nice big tip for the stellar service you've provided, i just know it."
[silence]
"anyways, you've gone and pissed me off now so i'm gonna need you to try to convince me not to blow this place up as soon as i'm gone, preferably while you're still inside."
"you know you wouldn't. if you wanted me dead, dad would've been here by now."
"...fine, but that's not saving that lovely waitress of ours or the dozens of others in this stupid fucking brunch place, now is it? if you know me at all, you should know i came stocked, so..."
"jeremiah. i know you're upset. and that's fine. i'm not saying i'm fucking perfect, i know i'm fucked up. i know i'll have to atone for centuries before i can wash all the blood out of the past. but i'm trying. if i got you away from dad, i really think you'd be able to see-"
"ha! you want to get me away from dad. that's fucking rich. you never witnessed dad at anywhere near his worst, do you realize that? i made sure of that. i made sure he didn't beat the shit out of you until i was sure you can take it. i made sure you were able to make it out by keeping his attention on me, you massive fucking moron. i can't leave because he's got eyes on me constantly. i can't leave because if i do he's coming for your ass first to hit me where it hurts. don't talk to me about our dad because you don't even know him. not the way i did when we were kids, and not the way i do now."
[silence]
"i have the resources now-"
"your resources won't do shit to him. maybe you think they will based on the version of dad you knew, but they won't. by the way, are you finishing those? because if not i'm taking them. you have two seconds to decide, and... yup, they're mine now. fucking delicious."
"if my resources won't help then explain it to me. tell me what i'm missing and i'll find it."
"can't hear you over how fucking good these are. we should've gotten three plates, but oh well water under the bridge i guess."
"jeremiah."
"the coffee's kinda shit, but i guess i asked for the sweetest thing on the menu so that's on me. do you still hate coffee by the way?"
"i- i do, but back to the subject-"
"black tea, right? shoulda known. oh well, give me your shitty coffee too then. looks like this brunch is ending up as a feast for me on your dime, isn't it."
"what do i need to change before i can get you to agree with me? you need to give me something, i'm risking everything to meet with you right now and you're throwing that all away-"
"i didn't ask you to do any of this shit. don't try to guilt me for something that's not my fault. but anyways, duty calls and i have a detonation sight to check up on in an hour, so..."
"i just want to get you out of all this."
[pause]
"we both know there's no getting out of this. you might think you're out, but you're not. anyways, i wish i could say it's been fun but its actually been atrocious, so. hopefully this is the last time i'll see you little brother, i'd suggest you get out of this building in the next fifteen minutes, you never know what might happen."