One Prose Poem by Laura Stamps

 

Yellow 

 

Another day. Another postcard. So much to say. “Dear Elaine,” she writes. “The leaves are changing. I can’t stop them. I wish I could. But can’t. Red, orange, brown, yellow. I don’t like it. Just. Don’t. Changing leaves. It means cold weather is coming. Winter. Coming, coming. And I’m not a fan. Not. Wish it would stay warm all year. Summer. Forever. I wish. But this. Reality. That’s what this is. And change. Inevitable. I know, I know. By now. I should be good with this. Change. And reality. But I’m not. So there. A woman called the other day. She sounded like a robot. She wasn’t. But she sounded like one. Some insurance program. Something I didn’t need. That’s what she was selling. Like a robot. In a bad mood. Reading her script. And I’m thinking. Is she insane? No thanks. That’s what I told her. She didn’t like me much after that. I could tell. And yet, and yet. There are so many reasons for joy. And happiness. In the present moment. In the here. In the now. Do robots know this? I wonder. There’s a tree. Outside my window. Full of yellow leaves. Huge leaves. In the afternoon when the sun hits it. Just right. Those leaves. Sizzle. Like a thousand spotlights. Glorious. They are. Even though I’ve never liked autumn. Or the color yellow. Especially yellow. This tree. Those leaves. They could change my mind. Not about autumn. No. But yellow. Yes. I’ll give them that. Okay. Enough about me. What’s new with you? Tell me.” Another day. Another postcard. Finished. She addresses it. Adds a stamp. And mails it. To herself.

Laura Stamps loves to play with words and create experimental forms for her fiction and prose poetry. Author of 48 novels, novellas, short story collections, and poetry books. Most recently: CAT MANIA (Alien Buddha Press 2021), DOG DAZED (Kittyfeather Press 2022), and THE GOOD DOG (Prolific Pulse Press 2023). Winner of the Muses Prize. Recipient of Pulitzer Prize nomination and 7 Pushcart Prize nominations.