I lay bare

the naked layers

life and love unfold

dewdrops of my soul

unfurled petals

soft birth of joy

sleepy face

the fresh breath

of morning.

I convince myself

That nights are

Colder without

Your body heat,

But the truth is

That it's warmer

When I'm not

Fighting for the

Blankets anymore.

You appeared at my door on Halloween night.

Dirty and skinny.

You looked a fright.

I shooed you away, told you to go.

But still you stayed,

Until it got cold.

I let you in and gave you food.

Provided a warm place to sleep.

"It's only temporary" I'd say, it's true.

But soon I was comforted by your mews

I grew to love you more than any human

(And the cats I love are very few.)

I've had nine years to watch you grow.

Each scattered grey hair on your otherwise black coat.

You've seen my highs and you've seen my lows.

And in knowing now what I didn't know then.

If I could live a thousand lives.

I'd always take you in, again and again.

-Jo Resner 10/23/17

Strut with me on the dark side

     cracks in the sidewalks of soul

     rising yeasted bread in warm oven

     embracing the battles arising

Strut with me on the dark side

     crooked halo slanting

     sunless side of life

     time strikes muted cry

Strut with me on the dark side

     puffed shapeless mushrooms

     smother my echoes

     lost in murky night

Strut with me on the dark side

     drown in depths of starkness

     black holes of despair

     stuffed in envelopes of fog

Strut with me on the dark side

    Look within to find

    darkness buried inside

    unseen side of the moon.

What is abuse?

It is mistreating something or someone

It is letting hurtful words roll off your tongue

It is conniving and viscous 

Damaging and malicious

It leaves wounds the size of planets

In a world that will swallow you whole if you let it

It deteriorates your sense of self

It robs you of your mental health

It wears you down and beats you up

It makes you feel like giving up

Forgiving your abuser is the only way

Do it for yourself, do it today

You are strong and valiant, and despite it all

You still have kindness in your eyes and a warrior's soul

Think.

Think,

Ways to

Overcome

This wall

You face every

now and then,

Think.

Thinking,

Just how easier

Things could be

If you can stuff

This hungry mind

Of yours,

The same way

You stuff your

Mouth with

Food.

A pair of black heels discarded on the floor 

Scuffed and broken, they've lost the war.

Through a joyful past they've trodden 

Created memories of laughter long forgotten.

Now abandoned and replaced 

Nothing more than a waste of space.

For I am those broken shoes

Lying in the corner of this dimly lit room 

Ready to give up the battle 

An empty shell, bruised and fragile.   

Eyes closed, breathing shallow

Skin stretched tight and sallow.

It’s Friday, ergo, it’s Friday Feature time. This week we get to meet a lovely lady in beautiful Palm Springs who is going to rock your world. Be upstanding for @AlexWestmore

P: What is your given name and your Proser username?

A: Linda Kay Silva is my real name. My pen name is Alex Westmore

P: Where do you live?

A: I live in sunny and often hot Palm Springs, but I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.

P: What is your occupation?

A: I am a Professor of Literature and history. I teach American, World, and British Lit. Sci-fi Fantasy, Women's Lit, and Creative Writing. I also teach American and World History

P: What is your relationship with writing and how has it evolved?

A: I have always written. Then a friend said, "Submit something." I did and was rejected multiple times before finally getting my first book published. It has evolved in so many ways. I am a much better writer now. I writer tighter prose and with 6 series, I have learned how to plant seeds and tie off loose ends.

P: What value does reading add to both your personal and professional life?

A: Reading is such a great thing. Reading keeps me sharper.

P: Can you describe your current literary ventures and what can we look forward to in future posts?

A: I just published my first romance. In future posts, I'll be adding snippets from my other series...I'll be adding challenges...I think this is a great place for writers and readers to come together.

P: What do you love about Prose?

A: I love that it's about writing...not selling. Not a constant me me me or I I I. I have read some really well written pieces, and that's been fun. I believe we are all looking for community or a place to belong in these trying times.

P: Is there one book that you would recommend everybody should read before they die?

A: Mine. No lol. Just kidding. I think everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird.

P: Do you have an unsung hero who got you into reading and/or writing?

A: Rita Mae Brown. I read everything she wrote...then decided I should try. Funny story. A few years ago, we met at a conference, and now we are good friends. That's one of the highlights of my life. She is brilliant, and the best storyteller I have ever listened to.

P: Describe yourself in three words!

A: Fearless, Funny, Fighter

P: Is there one quote, from a writer or otherwise, that sums you up?

A: The question isn't who's going to let me, it's who's going to stop me? Ayn Rand.

P: What is your favourite music, and do you write or read to it?

A: I'm a classic writer, baby! And no, I do not listen to music when writing. I find it alters my mood which may or may not be appropriate to the scene I am writing.

P: You climb out of a time machine into a dystopian future with no books. What do you tell them?

A: Books were WONDERFUL. They were like hot chocolate in your hands as you look out over the snow. They were like the fur of a rabbit or the sound of a waterfall. Books were diamonds; some shone, others had inclusions, but all added to our lives. Books had a distinctive odor, a familiar feel. They were, like each being on earth, special in their own right.

P: Do you have a favourite place to read and write?

A: I have written a number of novels poolside on a cruise ship. Yeah, I have a rough life, but someone has to do it, so I pick me. To be writing as you cruise trough the Panama Canal? Sublime. To be writing a book set in Egypt when you pull into the port in Alexandria? Yeah. Pretty fucking awesome.

P: Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you/your work/social media accounts?

A: I write long hand with a fountain pen because I can write anywhere. There is also evidence that the kinesthetic act of writing does something different to our brains. 

Keyboarding is a very sterile activity, but the fluidity of writing opens many other pathways. I love it, and I have some awesome pens!

Thanks so much to Alex. Make sure you follow, like, love, and do the Prose thang! If you have sent your answers back and have yet to feature, fear not. There are a number lined up for future delectation. If you want to be involved, get in touch with an email and we’ll get the questions off to you.