the lonely astronaut

26. A List of What’s Left

Posted on by pari617

The lingering scent of those tangerine candles that you bought for me

so long ago. All of the wicks are black and ash to the root. There’s still a little

tanginess to the scent, but I don’t smell it.

It’s in my head.

It was the way your lips, mouth, tongue

tasted.

Your fingers moving up and down my body at an agonizingly

slow pace

making me shudder.

I see your outline in the mirror. It’s dark but I see it.

Or maybe I’ve seen you so many times that I don’t need to see you to know how you look like anymore.

Your laugh always bounced off the wall,

echoing a million times over and over again

like a broken record. But I don’t mind it.

That’s all that is left of you

here, in this room

and here, in my heart.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

23. The Art of Losing Sleep

Posted on by pari617

Coffee.

I needed coffee at 3 AM today morning.

I woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat.

It was a nightmare, and I knew

that if I didn’t wake up,

I’d be dead.

So, I woke up.

Drank coffee.

Opened up my computer.

Opened an untitled Word Document.

Began writing them all.

Exorcising my nightmares like this

is a great therapy.

Again, apologies for my absence! Gonna try and make it up tonight!

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

18. Quiet Now

Posted on by pari617

Something hurts. I can’t place where. My heart? My head? My whole body?

I should be dead but I feel the pain so, sadly, I’m not.

I’m laying between two men. I don’t know them.

I’m on the floor. Naked. Hurting.

I feel sick. But I can’t voice my pain out. I’m so tired.

It’s very quiet in here. The men have satisfied looks on their faces. And I lie back.

Today’s prompt by the NaPoWriMo was quite intriguing. It was hard and I did not expect this poem to turn out the way it did. The poem that I used today was Sick Room by Langston Hughes. It is a really good poem.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

17. Flowers on Galileo’s grave

Posted on by pari617

I’m packing up all your stuff.

Your eyes follow me around the house from the million pictures of us all over the walls and the tables and the mantle piece and TV stand.

I can tell which photo is exactly where. You would remember the exact date when it was taken.

I liked that balance about us.

But now, it’s tipped.

I don’t know if there’s anyone who will even it out.

I don’t know if I want to know if there’s anyone out there.

There was just you.

Getting back in my game is hard. Forgive me for this poem.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White.

15. Brainstorms

Posted on by pari617

I’m walking, as silently as Nagini

looking around, sniffing

but I can’t find that blasted snake anywhere.

Each time I turn, every face I see

has a look of horror

and in a flash,

they are gone.

Why do they find me hideous?

I was a young a handsome boy, in my youth,

and now, I feel just a powerful.

Do they not feel my power radiating?

Why is it that they cower from my power

when it is so strong?

I want loyal people

not those who join me because they are afraid of me.

I guess they’ll never learn

and I’ll never understand.

Something new. Can you guess which villain I’m referring to?

I was away for the week but now I’m back! I hope I can stay up to date with the poems.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

14. Let the hero die in the end

Posted on by pari617

Teacup: (n) There’s a nice little vintage tea cup in the cabinet. I broke it. I guess all good things aren’t meant to exist forever.

Hammer: (v) Having your head hammered on an anvil suggests that you might have a headache. Alternatively, Thor might get hammered by MjÖlnir, maybe in the head, maybe not, but definitely in The Avengers: Infinity War.

Shark: (n) We all have the same blood. Throw that goody-good hero into the water all bleeding. Nobody will suspect a thing.

Rowboat: (n) The goody-good hero gets to ride this rowboat! Fully advanced with a paddle, he can reach the centre of the sea in less time than he would’ve taken to swim!

I swear, I have no idea what this is but i had so much fun writing this!

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White.  I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

 

12. Empty Space

Posted on by pari617

The empty tar roads smoke in the heat. Tyres don’t melt

just yet. The trees lining the road create a cool relief

and nobody leaves from under there.

It’s my very first (bad) attempt at a haibun and I actually enjoyed writing this one! I was originally going to write 5-lines but I thought this was perfect enough.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

11. Let’s take the long way home

Posted on by pari617

The long way home.

Because the shorter way is overrated.

Because the shorter way means I will have less time with you.

Because the shorter way means I will have less time to gather up my courage and tell you what really happened today instead of the usual “Yeah, it was fine”.

Because the shorter way means we will not get to stand in signals in silence and you will not get that many chances to scrutinize me and my emotions which are running through my head at such speed that even Usain Bolt will be impressed.

Because the shorter way means me bottling up more emotions.

Because the shorter way means I would get forgotten quickly because I was unremarkable.

Because the shorter way is just

short.

Let’s take the long way home.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

10. Time, the absent father

Posted on by pari617

The fan spins in slow motion.

I want to turn it up but I’m scared.

I’m scared that if I speed the fan up

time would speed up

and my mother, on this bed

her time would speed up too.

The bees are lazily roaming about

not a care in the world.

The clouds are moving

changing form every second.

The wind chimes outside —that I hung up for good luck— aren’t moving.

Time stills.

I almost stop breathing.

My mother stops completely.

I can feel the fan speeding up

and the wind chimes outside

are making a little tinkling sound that

like the flow of a metallic river.

The world stops making sense.

#Sorrynotsorry

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.

8. Singularities

Posted on by pari617

There’s a lot that i don’t know.

I don’t know where I am.

I don’t know how i got here.

I don’t know what happened.

I don’t even know who I am.

Yesterday, I was playing with all the little flying people,

fairies, I think they were called,

flitting from flower to flower, me chasing them, until they had to get back to work.

I played around with all the fishies,

racing and losing but then they had to get back to work.

I sat and listened to Oak, but then I drifted off to sleep in his arms, and when I woke,

he went back to work.

I didn’t have any work, so I looked for one.

And now my best friend is under trial,

everyone hates me,

the mother ant looks at me with a look that says, “Sorry, honey, don’t ask me for details,”

all the while I’ve changed.

One millimeter at a time

and I don’t even know how I got here.

Should I set it back right?

Or is there an “or”?

I’d written a Children’s fiction story a year ago and I’d won second place! This poem is a run down version of that story.

I’m attempting these prompts with Parvathi over at Queen Talks and these prompts, “The Lonely Astronaut” were set by Amanda Torroni and Tyler Kent White. I’m combining prompts from these and the Official NaPoWriMo.