Lee Zanello

His eyes must be going, Ed thought, but when he looked around at everyone else waiting for the bus, he could see them clearly; their umbrellas, watches, phones.

It was just the man in the grey raincoat who was a #blur, standing there, facing him, hands in pockets, ignored by everyone else.

#vss365

a close up of a man 's face with the word oi written on it ALT: a close up of a man 's face with the word oi written on it

Good morning poets, writers, authors are you ready for your 15 day musical mystery tour?

To get us started one of the bands who defined 90s Britpop, todays #vss365 #prompt, 01/10/25 is #blur, happy writing 🎶✍️🎶✍️

And please feel free to also tell me about your fave song/band in the comments.

In the flaxing vale, the sun dithered in the clouds, gobbly-wobbling its way to the tall grass where the #conundrum grew.

One petal, flushed into a quarrelsome tea, carried one to confusion, where words mixed themselves into places they did not belong.

Tuesday was going to be interesting.

#vss365

Don’t subject the medium to undue #scrutiny; for once in your life, have some fun and just go with it, honey.

My hand shakes as I place a twenty on the table.

I don’t know how she’s doing it, but that’s my mom’s voice, exactly.

#vss365

A lake with trees in fall on the far shore.

The voice seems to come from the middle of the lake.

Deep, #sonorous, echoing… beckoning.

Squinting, I see a swirl, a cloud, a foggy mist hovering there.

I set my phone down and wade into the water, clothes and all, and I don’t return until evening, with no memory of the day.

#vss365
📸 : mine

They had sold houses, quit jobs, given away heirlooms in earnest anticipation of the #eventuality.

Yet when nothing happened, their #caprice showed in sheepish grins as they knocked on the neighbours door, asking, “Could we possibly please have the toaster back?”

#vss365 #unraptured

We called the light Alan; the astronomer who discovered it had a good sense of humour.

Desperately trying to get its attention, Alan became our #bellwether, our signal of hope.

We sent solar sails, flashing lights, blasted radio waves.

“We are here,” we shouted. “Adrift in the cosmos.”

#vss365

In an attempt to #reinvigorate their bedroom selves, Gerry shaved a “play” and a “pause” button into his chest hair.

Francine asked him to trust her with the razor, as she wanted more play.

The second “play” button was placed right next to the first.

She grinned as she hit fast-forward.

#vss365

I’m digging up the old bones in the backyard that have been speaking to me in my dreams, remnants of the #catastrophe that was my first attempt at witchcraft.

I think #perhaps this time will be different, as this time I have you to teach me.

It’s your voice in my dreams, isn’t it?

#vss365

Door frame with height measurements marked on it.

And with that, a decade-long chapter of our lives closes and a new one begins.

Moved house this week and into a new spot. So many memories, parties, moments… feeling nostalgic but also blessed for what the future holds.

More space, more time, closer to the things that matter most… life is good.

KUD dragged himself across the cratered landscape, an #extrusion of twisted iron jutted where his leg once was.

He asked himself why they were on this planet, fighting humanity’s wars for them before they even arrived.

Why couldn’t the two bot factions unite?

It was a dangerous thought.

#vss365

Excellent words, C.S.! Thanks for the inspiration!! 👏👏👏

Excellent word!

Through silver-tinted glass, the cosmonaut watched the star collapse, #flinching at the silent violence.

His station shuddered, lights fading, metal groaning like a funeral dirge.

Alone in orbit, he drifted, the last witness, the last body, swallowed by an ending sky.

#vss365

On his last shift before retirement, the mech soldered a guidance chip for a starship’s navigation array.

Each spark lit memories of countless ships he’d birthed into the cosmos.

Tomorrow, his energy core #exhausted, he would be set adrift among the stars he had guided but never touched.

#vss365

The machine attached to the base of his neck siphoned thought after thought out of his head. Memories disappeared, ideas vanished; they were harvesting his mind for his new body.

The pain might have been #bearable, if they had removed his awareness first. Then, that thought, too, was lost.

#vss365

I don’t talk a lot of politics on here, nor comment much on the goings on of the world, but just stumbled on a random comment on another site that I had to share as it actually made me snort.

“What a humiliating way for Don Jr. to find out his dad sends birthday cards.”

I am an image of myself, the real me hidden under a thin plastic #wrapper that blurs his features and smushes his lips and ears.

The real me still thinks, though, and I move and I act on his thoughts and, when I’m allowed my own thoughts, I dance, because there are no strings to tangle.

#vss365

I'm old enough to remember when a newspaper #article could rightfully be called nonfiction. The 4 Ws were the backbone that held the story upright. Nowadays, opinions and propaganda rule the media. It's all on the reader to discern where truth ends and fantasy begins. Good luck to us.

#vss365

Too true, the guardrails have been torn down in this age of clicks and attention. Good luck to us indeed! Great write, Beth! 👏👏👏

The hermit spat at the crumpled #article he’d found by the stream, city folk babbling about “community spirit.”

Spirit, bah! Noise, lies, and stink.

Still… he missed bread baked by another’s hands.

Damn nuisance, yearning for people he couldn’t stand.

#vss365

The afterlife is the reset after a long time loop. We carry our consciousness forward to the next life. The better we live each life, the wiser we are when we are #conscious in the next, until we finally reach enlightenment, that moment we are wise enough to know how not to die.

#vss365 #litnotes

Too true… we are too often our own MC. The more we remember there are other stories playing out, the better chance we have of slowing down to hear them.

Thank you! 😄🙏

👏👏👏

Pa always said the world was made of #arbitrary whims.

Why did the tree grow here, not there?
Why did geese soil our lawn, not the Abbott’s?

I never spoke of the southwest winds blowing seeds or Bob Abbott’s sprinklers.

There is order an order to things, even if we can’t always see it.

#vss365

Hunters gathered. Children were missing, again.

The old hag hissed; to #elude them was easy, but she was low on the charms it took and winter was already whispering in the wind.

She looked at the cages - was it even worth it anymore? What had her life become with so much misspent youth?

#vss365

👏👏👏

They were too far from anywhere and the lights had just gone out. Life support was next.

At least now they couldn’t see the crew who had owned their fate. Bran felt for Soh’s hand.

“We are in the #past, now,” Soh said. “If they find us, we will only be stories.”

Bran squeezed and cried.

#vss365

We #yearn to dance amongst the stars, our steps creating new #constellations, forever saying, “We are here and conquered fear.”

Crash after crash, we fight through the pain and build a better ship.

More hands go up each time. “Send me,” we say, as one.

It helps knowing you are out there.

#vss365