Wasted. One whole year, wasted.

How many hours could I have spent doing what I wanted to do? How much closer could I be to a finished product, a project that might actually get published? How close could I have been to my dream career? How many ideas did I ignore, discarded because they were less important, less worthy of my time?

And what do I have to show for it? For a year, I told myself it was worth it. For the man who supposedly loved me, it was worth setting aside my passion. I traded my lifelong goals for eternal happiness. So I thought. And now? Now, I have nothing but bad memories, feminine rage, and a sour taste in my mouth.

How could I have been so stupid? So naïve? How could I ever have thought some guy was worth all that? Did I want my happily ever after so badly that I was willing to sacrifice the person I want to be? To sacrifice myself for some guy?

Never again. I’ve been away from my desk for too long, but I won’t make that mistake again. This is who I am. This is who I want to be. Who I will be. My loves will be flowing prose, detailed narration, interesting characters, snappy dialog, engaging stories. Stories about adventure, longing, excitement, love. Love lost. Love found. Love cherished more than life itself. Love that lasts forever.

Why do I have to be such a romantic?

In number 23, on Prose. Radio, Pablo Neruda sets the tone, and a wave of talent numbering 8 takes the wheel and drives us through some dark alleys, and some sun beaming through the window. RustyJames blends into the six to appear, each shining down in their own untouchable light, with Huckleberry_Hoo taking us into the firescape with something beautiful.

Here's the link to the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LxQOO-4ROs

And here are the featured pieces.

https://www.theprose.com/post/811409/i-am-alone-there-is-no-god-where-i-am https://www.theprose.com/post/811326/simone

https://www.theprose.com/post/811410/sharing-history-soup-with-a-friend https://www.theprose.com/post/810851/bob-ross-paints-his-eden

https://www.theprose.com/post/811211 https://www.theprose.com/post/811248/on-the-road-by-myself

https://www.theprose.com/post/811317/the-24-spinz https://www.theprose.com/post/811208/two-stiffs-and-a-weirdo

https://www.theprose.com/post/811397/the-pooh-tutorials

And.

As always.

Thank you for being here.

-The Prose. team

What if I told you how much I like it when we kiss?

If I expressed that to you,

Properly,

Can't you see how it would taint every new kiss we share?

How they would never be natural?

If you know I like it, and you do it, then you are doing it simply because you want to make me happy.

And not because you want to.

Do you understand?

If my preferences start to dictate your actions

Then I will never again get to kiss

The lips that simply wanted mine

For selfish reasons.

Is it so crazy

That I don’t want to leave Home

To see Outer Space?

After all what’s next?

We begin mining the Moon?

We only have one

Woe to Industry

Progress that killed the Planet

In five-hundred years

Precious metals gone

So what is the Gold Standard?

Just what does it mean?

Hot toxic Oceans

And chemical groundwater

And acid rain

Is it so insane

To want to stay home instead

Of watching Earth burn?

* * * * *

@bykaileyann

#haiku #poetry #climateaction

think the most important thing is

Christ

I don't know

There's not a Word for it anymore

Once We Knew It

But sometime we forgot

How to say It

The Magic Word

It works

God

Has so many names because

We can't possibly describe

The Force

Which gives us solace

Surety of Knowing

We are alright

And we are going to be

Believe It

White cells attack the red ones

When something is off

They attack

So we must not see ourselves like that

Tainted and sour

Hungry for power

No

Show me one who went bad

Who was Wholly Loved Well

Cast a Spell

Let Us All Have Everything Good

Make Us Solid Inside

So We Shine Through Our Eyes

And Sow With Our Minds

Things Boldly Kind

Is it any wonder how when the leaves change color

Our moods brighten

Our soles lift

And carry us over the earth

It's our Purpose

Data says that we will turn on each other

When the going gets tough

When there is no longer enough

To go Around

But what's that Sound?

A Calling

One that reaches to the Center

Voices of our Ancestors

Who Knew The Word

And Who were clever enough to tell us

Fight

Scratch that 'instinct' that says it is not possible

To Believe Without Seeing

Get The Meaning

In Us Is Vision

Plain As Daylight

We Can See The Future

In Fact

It is we who make it

We Shape It

Why us?

Because Goodness Prevails

It cannot be assailed

By our transgressions

Only stalled

Till We Turn Around

Remember Who We Are

And Make It All Right

I pray

I Know We Will One Day

* * * * *

@bykaileyann