Is positive the answer? Our many photos,

once needed a negative before they could develop -

are the two not one and the same?

The good feeling after a cry,

or working out a battle with your friends..

Why would we put a pretty gloss on life? Whitewashing our sorrows..

To lose the beauty, the ultimate price,

to pay, to force the world into our desire,

rather than enjoy our nature.

By taking out the contrast and relief

we make a monochrome.

We convince each other we are happy,

when we feel so alone,

When we share in honesty, when we have made up our differences, and consoled our friends, helped each other through together..

Won’t that be the happy world we want to see?

You took a cigarette

from between your lips,

blew smoke into the sky -

forming clouds of your own

Utopia. You always said

if we close our eyes

we can almost make out

a heaven of our own.

I didn't believe you,

until you went to that

heaven you dreamt of

for so many years.

I envied you;

then I missed you.

I tried to conjure

up the image you

described once when

we were drunk,

but all I saw was

clouds from secondhand smoke

and dimming stars.

I guess I'll never know.

My bathroom is a horrid place,

Demons there I cannot face,

Mildew thrives where best it can,

Pallid tiling, foul and wan,

Shower curtain likes to cling,

As I clean the fucking thing,

Toilet brush just prowls about,

As I scour disgusting grout,

My sink hangs limply to the wall,

Plumbing barely works at all,

Toilet bowl with all its might,

Such a minging fucking sight,

Toxic fumes do choke and maim,

Never use that room again.

If it can make you stronger

it can kill you

personally, I like

the sentiment

but respectfully disagree

Sunday in the diner

walking in, a homeless guy

hits me and my buddy

up for

one dollar

to get a dollar burger

my buddy waits by the door

and I think about it

the homeless guy mentions

something about showing me

some kind of homeless card

or crazy card he has

and I pull a five-spot from

my wallet

he snatches it:

"Thanks, man. You're badass."

He walks off and I follow

my buddy inside and he looks at

me and smiles

I scratch my protruding gut:

"Tell me something I don't know, motherfucker."

We laugh and get our booth

order and eat while I watch

more homeless out

the window

peppering the outside

full with the scrubbed-clean

after-worship crowd

as they begin to pile in

for breakfast

I think about them

clean like soap

every Sunday

the industry of Christ

if we want to truly

help the homeless

and kill the national

deficit, provide true

and humanely

accessible health care,

and all the etceteras

that follow these,

tax the churches

but I take my thoughts

of these dead horse thoughts

of all this

and watch the sunlight

battle through

a bright grey sky

and the coffee

begins its coursing

while I remember all

the love and hate

and platitudes and

erase them from my

mind at once

and realize that because or

in spite of

everything around me

I am happy

and think back to my favorite

Nietzsche quote:

The Trouble With Happiness

"Now everything I touch turns out to be wonderful. Now I love any fate which comes my way. Who feels like being my fate?"

Dearest readers and writers,

You'll be pleased to know that BroadwayWorld.com has gotten wind of The Prosecast, an auditory adventure into your world of words, and has just today featured the news on their site!

Translation:

One-hundred and eighty THOUSAND literary fans, followers, and theater buffs now know about Prose.

They know about the hard work you've put in to making cozy this new home for literary enthusiasts.

You're all making history

happen by writing it out right here.

Chad Kimball, New York-based actor, singer, director, and Tony Award nominee is gearing up for Episode 2 at this very moment.

Tune in soon for more at: www.theprose.com/p/prosecast!

If you'd like to view the feature article referenced here, please copy and paste the following link into your web browser:

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tony-Nominee-Chad-Kimball-Hosts-Literary-Podcast-20150308

Keep reading. Keep writing. Keep that fiery love of words burning. And you, too, may get the chance to have your work appear in future episodes!

Big thanks to Chad and our production team for making this possible.

Stay tuned, everyone...

Episode 2's been touted as an "upcoming dream come true!"

A raven perches upon the lifeless branch

Calling for you

Laughing at your weakness

As you tremble at the iron gates

Small steps inching forward in the darkness

Shovel in hand

Digging your own grave

Collapsing in exhaustion

Buried under its weight

You are the forgotten

Skeleton

That's still walking