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JM Romig Sep 2022
A black and white film
About an old man and his dog.
There is no dialogue.
Just ambient sounds -

First, of the alarm clock’s
monotonous song.
Followed by an abrupt
cutting silence as his hand slams
down on the snooze button

Then, the sound of a coffeemaker
spitting and burbling.
The coffee, pouring into a chipped mug.
Sugar, then milk,
the clink of the spoon against the ceramic
as he stirs
the long first sip

As the man looks curiously
at something on the fridge,
just out of frame.
A bag of dogfood opening.

hard kibble ringing against the metal dish.
The dog grumbling - impatiently waiting.
Tupperware  opening
The hum of a microwave, and the beep.
Last night’s stew poured into a bowl
the rest, over the kibble.

The closed caption reads:
[Enthusiastic, sloppy eating noises]

The sound of water running
as the bowls are scrubbed clean.

The door closing as the two leave
for their morning walk.
The old man and the dog
are now sitting on a park bench.

The grass, still wet from the morning dew.
There is a beautiful sunrise
over the nearby lake.

The camera pulls away,
as music overtakes the diegetic sounds
of nearby parkgoers, birds and runners,
and teens playing hooky.

The camera cuts back to for a beat
to the kitchen
in the empty house.

The camera zooms in on a weathered
and well loved piece of paper
held up by a rainbow magnet
on the refrigerator door.

Fade to a black screen,
with white letters:
Fin.
What was on the paper?
TheSilentScream Jun 2019
I don't have a "him" or "her" to gawk and talk about
Nor do I have a vice or a vanity to pour.

I don't believe victims are mythical, and so, I do have one thing I can sing.


Loneliness is involuntary.
You can tell me that all it takes is "going out" and meeting people...
But say that same thing to Frankenstein.

Did you forget that all you need to lose that chance is to be devalued?
And must I remind you that ghosts aren't frequently seen?

A moth to a dragon has no existence, like the shadow to a flame upon a candlestick.
But that's not my point.


Solitary living is voluntary. Choosing to push people away, gathering only yourself and living your day...


But what about those who want people, yearn for romance, cry out at this shallow cold world for why they seek those who lie, cheat, ****, and steal from them, but dismiss those who are more likely to remain honest, aid, save, and protect?

Loneliness is involuntary.
No one would beg to feel nonexistent unless you got to receive what we yearn for.

Solitary is voluntary.
To choose yourself, because you don't trust anyone else, even if you too can be your worst enemy.

Whether one will read this or not.
This came from my heart.
And it's a real discussion that people avoid.
Mental health is real and so is the stigma.
A shallow heart is easy to scare.
A deeply broken heart can shatter a world.
Why isolate someone because they may not physically appeal to you?

Whether it's because they're "strange" or "unattractive".
Isolation can break a soul...don't be the one to turn a blind eye.

Do you?
Obviously, you probably won't see this if you don't read it, but I suppose I should explain why this may be personal.

I struggle with loneliness. I'm often in a state in which I lack support or single in my life. I've been this way up until this year, and I have a theory that it's much bigger than I really know. I've lost many potential friends, even before a complete school year could finish, and this is consistent with every year, hence why even though this year may be a little different, I don't feel much better. I've lost family members, my entire family, and all to nothing but distance and a lack of support. If I've done something to cause it, I've never been told so.

Actually, it's quite the opposite. I've been told many good things and complimented on my care and genuine consideration of those I invest in; that i'm personable, loving, kind, attractive, funny, weird, "but in a good way", and a lifetime type of friend.

What boggles my mind is how I receive the opposite treatment. These things have been said by multiple people and more than once. My loneliness, at one point, was so bad that I became desperate to keep people around, which obviously did NOT work in my favor. This year has been a good year so far, more than less...but to speak the truth...I've lived a life as a ghost without really being given the choice.

And this sudden change in my life, this year...scares me.
EmperorOfMine Jan 2019
This isn't about religion but acknowledge good, bad, & "you".

Let's rephrase them as:

Soul
Sin
&
"Self"

There are three soldiers.
One looking forward,
One looking backward,
And "One" looking Up.

Soul stared ahead and exclaimed, I can't see the end.
Sin sighed, I see where we left, but there is no answer.
Self stated, "The sun will go down soon. We need to find safety."

As the three wandered this long and wide path, surrounded by large amounts of wildlife and nature, they saw no place that they all deemed safe to rest.

This led them to their argument.

Soul, We should rest forward, in the fields, vulnerable, but free. No one would think to check the most obvious area.

Sin, No one will have to check. That would be handing ourselves over. We should hang back, in the jungles. We will have to be vigilant, but we will blend in.

Self, "Both are bad. Both certify our death. One makes us an easy target to the main enemy. The second one makes us a target to many enemies. We should follow the stars. The brightest star will lead the way before dawn. We will be victorious, but only if we keep our head up."  



Why did they all die in the end?
Mystic Ink Plus Mar 2018
She started
Learning what is in front

Colorful
Simple
Stimulating

She learned a lot
Beyond my understanding

Composite

She talks about

Internet
Buffers
Trends

All complex  
To my understanding
Easy for her learner’s brain.
Theme: Child on network
Genre: Observational
SQUID Aug 2017
This/ you/  we/ could go in
Any direction.
But... I hope you'll/...
We'll -- write a song!
not the best but the sentiment's there! I like to express the clunkiness that is in interactions/ communication/ hopes/ ambitions too.
Rules beget subversion.
Laws beget crime.


A begets Z.
1 begot ∞.

----- begets -----.
--- begot ---.

You fill in the blanks.
Please; i'm curious!
N Paul Jul 2015
Introduction:
What is *Preludium
but a time to reflect on what it is we know;
What has gone before, and how it might shape those things to come?

Preludium, or, what has gone before:
An entire world,
A great big steaming musty living breathing screaming world and-
For all we know-
There’s but two souls that care to fill it:

Sly Squint, our latest hero,
Swinging through his city like t’were a steaming jungle
And him the proverbial Ape,
He crouches in shadows on rooftops,
Directing his lust, forceful! At all
That kneels before him.

Then there’s our mysterious wanderer-
One hell of a sorry, stinking, sulky sort is he.
No Name to claim yet garbed in rags aplenty
Travelling on an endless quest
Towards a dying dusk.

Yet we need to draw a Third.
See, in this strange place we find ourselves, riddled with danger and loss,
We need one who knows some things;
One who is up there;
Better yet, one who helped to shape this world.
Because for now we are clueless, vulnerable, shambling in darkness.
And that will simply not do.

So, with haste, dear reader, with haste,
Let us ride for the one with the answers;
The one with more Names than you can count, even if you had a lifetime in which to do so;

The one who holds all the strings.
The Preludium (a sort of 'previously on') to Part 3 of an ongoing series - The Stealing of Names.

If it piqued your curiosity, be sure to check out the entire story so far in this collection:
http://hellopoetry.com/collection/10685/the-stealing-of-names/
Remember to follow the collection as it's the best way to stay up to date on the adventures!

Also check out the rest of my work on my profile:
http://hellopoetry.com/l-n-p/
And follow if it interests you!

All feedback welcome. This is an evolving story based on both improv writing and reader feedback so if you have ideas leave a comment or message me!
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Caitlin May 2014
The difference
three little words
can make.

What are yours?
I kinda wanted to see if you could get what I mean. Three words that what I'm asking- It can be a sentence or three individual words...
Thanks
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