Each mark along our skin, each solitary moment of bliss is outlined in our own personal diaries written in our blood, scathed through our minds. That's the bearing of a writer, an artist with words, so to speak. - AC

We have been discussing dabbling in prompts with our team - like many writers, we've all seen that "500" or "300" writing prompt books that are supposed to stir a wave of - well, something. That's the thing about prompts, you are supposed to be able to explode into words.

There's this line that makes people believe we always have words to say, or better yet, we always know WHAT to say. That's not always true - we can't always be able to extract nonsense from ourselves, it doesn't work that way. So, I followed a prompt - and this is what came from it.

Today I hope...

for Sunshine,

when the lights don't hit the tide.

I hope for mirrors

that whisper compliments

to unconscious fears.

Hope for promises

kept to a tee -

That will

Light up the darkness

When all seems lost.

Sugar added

When coffee bites your tongue.

Pressure Relieved

when you complete your task.

Time standing still

to revel in the beauty of it.

Today I hope

For better yesterdays

Tomorrows of forever.

Hope for acceptance

Peace

Love

Passion.

For those forgotten

For those beaten

For those turned against.

Today I hope

The world sees

How glorious melanin truly is

How accepting the queers are

How open the people they have harmed

Can be.

Today I hope

For the future

For the children who will lead us.

For the life they will bring us to

For endless possibilities of peace and love.

Today I hope

Not for self-discovery

Not for self-understanding,

I hope for a generation of change

For the beauty of light and love.

Today I will always hope

For change

For love

For the right to be

Human.

Queer.

People of Color.

Today I hope

that these babies

will understand right and wrong

not the ones they are told are to be

perceived as such.

I hope...

I hope for better futures

For those children

And who they wish to become.

And someday

when the world is unkind to them

they will know

that they did everything they could

to shape tomorrows to come.

Today I hope...

the children find and keep

their Hope alive.