Terra Nova
With little more than the clothes on my back, I approach a building found by following the directions in a note meant only for true believers. An otherwise empty wall holds one nondescript door. As I enter, it closes behind me. I feel a rush of air and realize I am in an airlock. Glancing back, I see that the entrance is gone. There is only one door before me. Above it is a sign that reads, “If you are a dreamer, come in.” Without hesitation, I open it to see a wondrous vista before me and realize that gone are the technologies that would deny Terra the expression of her true self. I step through with no regrets, for who could deny this unspoiled beauty is worth more than all I leave behind. Forward lies the future mankind once thought out of reach.
This is my response to Meet me where the sidewalk ends…,
the prosery prompt form Lillian at dVerse ~ Poets Pub.
With Prosery, the challenge is to write a piece of flash fiction with a 144-word limit. Included in the bit of prose is to be a complete line from a poem. For this prompt, the line to be included is from “Invitation,” a poem from Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends.
“If you are a dreamer, come in.”
– Shel Silverstein
This prosery started out as a poem for Day 12 at napowrimo.net, which challenges us to use words from Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary and the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction.” I used “airlock” and “Terra.” When I saw Lillian’s prompt at dVerse I realized I could revise it to be a prosery. I’ve met the additional challenge of hitting the 144-word mark, exactly.
Image source: Wikipedia (edited here)span>
rivrvlogr 
Ah the good earth……………….let it be and may we all step through a portal to love and protect her!
Great response to the prompt and very clever to also apply it to the NaPoWriMo prompt.
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Thank you, Lillian. We need more people to think that way.
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Very interesting take, somewhere between ecology and New Age theology; I dig it. Perfect use for the prompt.
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Really like this Ken, tastefully fantastical… 🙂
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Thanks, Rob!
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Well done Ken! This could be taken on many levels. That is what makes it so good!
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Thank you!
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I love that vision, Ken.
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Thank you, Lisa. Wouldn’t it be nice.
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Beautiful!
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome 😉
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I love your sci-fi piece, Ken! Particularly that door above.
❤
David
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Thank you, David. 🙂
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I think you may be right Ken, ‘back to nature’ could be the only way forward.
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Thank you, Ingrid. Sadly, there’s less and less to go back to as time gores on.
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I would like to know what happens to those who are not true believers, Ken. They have certainly missed out on the ‘future mankind once thought out of reach’!
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Thank you, Kim. If such an option were possible, I think it would indicate that those left behind face a dark future.
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So clever to turn your NaPoWriMo poem into a prosery story. I like both. I think the poem has a better flow, but I like how you worked in the Silverstein line as a sign!
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Thank you, Merril. I still had to work to create the prosery, but it was nice that the dVerse prompt “fell into my lap.”
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😀
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That’s a good dream Ken. (K)
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Thanks, Kerfe. If only it could be that easy.
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If only.
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“Without hesitation, I open it”, as would I.
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😀
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I love that only dreamers can see the truth and walk forward without fears or regrets. It takes a brave person to dream these days! 💝
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Thank you. The opportunities that come our way seem to be a path away from what we once thought of as essential.
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I would go there, I like your invitation.
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Thanks, Paul. See you there!
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Yes, absolutely 🙂
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A new land or a return to the old…either way it is desperately needed, sans technology that interferes with our lives
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Yes. The greater the technology, the further we (collectively) move away from what once held value.
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And what should! I totally agree.
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I love the hope that it brings… wonderful.
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Thank you. 🙂
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