A small act of freedom — For months now, I have been accumulating a lot of drafts — fifty, to be precise. Many of these are ideas that have popped into my head for poetry, fiction, or essays. Some have been beginnings to prompted responses. And a few have been attempts to address problems in my…

KTHT Weekly Prompts for the Week of June 27–July 1 — As part of my spiritual and self-healing journey, I have often taken deep explorations into the darkest recesses of my mind. At times, these traverses have been perilous feats as traumatic experiences resurface. It also reminds me that my entire being has memory too, not just my mind. This is…

Time to put a plan into action — (Note: I am using the male pronouns for Maddy here. He has reverted back to his ego-driven, narcissistic male self of late.) Today, I reached the breaking point. I can no longer stay in my current living situation. Arguments with Maddy once only occurred infrequently — maybe once every six…

Tired of the games — Do you think me a fool — one who would fall for this trick: To give you a list of your faults so you can spit them back in my face with your next drunken tirade? How unenlightened — is this how you really see me? Sure, I could tell…

The Tormented never forget — I was reading a science fiction novel when the elevator opened. I didn’t even pay attention to the new occupant. The door closed and the elevator began its decent. Suddenly, the elevator jerked and stopped. The lights flickered and went out. Seconds later, the emergency light — a pale, yellow…

Triggered back in time — the near-daily beating of your words exploding against my mind are numbing: thump pa dump, thump pa dump turning never-ceasing screams into rhythms more tolerable for these delicate ears — ears that normally just tune your voice out pa dump pa, pa dump pa, pa dump pa how I wish you…

Some things should remain a mystery — “What’s that?” “It’s a divining rod.” “What ya gonna do with it?” “I am searching for rainbows.” “Why?” “For an expert you sure do ask a lot of questions. You sound like an apprentice.” “Sorry, I’ve just never seen anyone use a divining rod to find rainbows. …

JUNE 19th-22nd — For the first time since I moved here in 2005, a friend from Virginia came to Oklahoma to spend my birthday with me. I hadn’t seen Brenda since 2017, but we have stayed in touch over the years via Messenger. …

Another moment ruined — Special occasions mean nothing to you unless they are your occasions — Heaven forbid it’s someone else’s day — no, just strike the first blow catapult boulders over castle walls smash any fairytale dreams that linger — surely you are justified, right? I asked for so little this year just a…