There’s blood on the sidewalk and flashes of your smile in the windows of all the stores that flow up and down the strip. In my pocket, there’s a lock of your hair, and when I take it out and breathe you in, the ground shakes and the buildings roll like marbles or those boulders Sisyphus had to push up that mountain because he was damned and there was nothing else he could do. But don’t you reckon deep down he loved it? Don’t you think that every time he stood there seeing that boulder slip away, he felt a sick little thrill all the same? When you stick your fingers in and clench your teeth as those wild horses rush along the length of your spine, I’m running through crowds of people trying so hard to keep myself from losing control. As you kick your legs and squeeze tight your eyes, I’m scratching my face and yelling at the sky because I’m alive and mad, and I’ll have it no other way. Pushing through the hordes of scum until I get to yours, you’re lying there out of breath with your hair matted against your forehead. Kneeling down by your side, I grab your hand and bring it to my nose and what I smell makes me twitch and squint and feel so dizzy so much so that words escape me. The more this thing goes on, the harder it is telling the two of you apart. The more my obsessions take hold, the trickier it becomes figuring out which one of you is the woman I love, and which is the one I made up just to hurt myself with.
A Journal for Damned Lovers on Amazon.co.uk
A Journal for Damned Lovers on Amazon.com
Categories: Lucid
Author S. K. Nicholas 
Oh, that last line. A knife through the heart.
I’m glad that line reached out to you. The truth always has a habit of hurting, doesn’t it?
It does. But it’s needed sometimes.
I totally agree.
Question. You’ve already spoken about your muse and process for writing. My question is how do you, when putting together a book, know which pieces to choose? What’s the process for that? Thanks.
For the most part, I always look at a piece and ask myself, what does it do? What makes it worth someone’s time to read? If it doesn’t have that ‘hook’ then I know it has to be cut. Even if it’s a shame to let something go I’ve invested a lot of time into, it has to be done. There has to be a cruel streak, because otherwise you end up with stuff that’s personal to you but lacklustre to others. I hope that’s been of use to you! Thank you for the question 🙂
Thanks for answering.
You’re very welcome.
You’re up awful early.
It’s midday where I am in England!
Painfully beautiful and honest, to the bone x
Thank you. I’m so pleased you liked it x
Speechless. May or may not be what you want to hear. Struck, wow!! ☺
Thank you very much for saying so 🙂
You, have something,
Very kind of you.
Damn. . .you do know how to go for the jugular S.K.!
Thank you! I’m glad you think so!
Wow very painfully beautiful. Wonderful post
Thank you! That’s so very kind of you to say! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
You’re welcome
🙂
It was subtly rushed, this read. Like keeping someone on tenterhooks. And the last line is hauntingly beautiful. xx
I like that you mentioned ‘on tenterhooks’ 🙂 Thank you for being so kind xx
It’s a pleasure, My friend. x
Painfully honest Tale of obsession! and a big thank you for your continued support.
You’re very welcome, my friend. Your own support is invaluable.