<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Open Book: Hopeless Romanticisms]]></title><description><![CDATA[Thoughts straight from this hopelessly romantic heart]]></description><link>https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/s/hopeless-romanticisms</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GjX3!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F97c0d0fb-0823-42fb-8a93-9cb068cf6074_500x500.png</url><title>The Open Book: Hopeless Romanticisms</title><link>https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/s/hopeless-romanticisms</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 13:18:22 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Lydia Matlock]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[lydiamatlock@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[lydiamatlock@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[𝙻𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 ~ 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚜𝚝.]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[𝙻𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 ~ 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚜𝚝.]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[lydiamatlock@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[lydiamatlock@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[𝙻𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 ~ 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚜𝚝.]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[I am not your fool]]></title><description><![CDATA[I enter this place Feeling overdue neglect and yet When I tell you I'm leaving You tell me to forget; you pull me close Tell me I'm worth more than Anything you've ever held, and kiss me-- You had ten years to do so. It was that long ago I fell. and now I gather myself up And understand that I am nothing. I tell you There's nothing you can do. I'm ready to be something. forget about it. I've accustomed myself To not caring about you. even knights use armor. I've promised myself That I will never be your fool. I am not yours now.]]></description><link>https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/p/i-am-not-your-fool</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/p/i-am-not-your-fool</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[𝙻𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 ~ 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚜𝚝.]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 10 May 2026 21:54:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c4cd40b7-9eaf-467f-a5db-7b8fbcc63104_1024x1024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text"><em>I enter this place
Feeling overdue, neglected
                                                                 and yet
When I tell you I'm leaving
Having never felt protected
                                                                 you pull me close
Tell me I'm worth more than
Anything you've ever held,
                                                                 you say you love me
You had ten years to say so.
It was that long ago I fell.
                                                                 but now
I gather myself up
And understand that I am nothing.
                                                                 I tell you
There's nothing you can do.
I'm ready to be something.
                                                                 forget about it.
I've accustomed myself
To not caring about you.
                                                                 even knights use armor.
I've promised myself
That I will never be your fool.
                                                                  I am not yours now.</em></pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><em>Hopeless Romanticisms</em> (from The Open Book) is for people with big feelings and those mindless epiphanies that only express themselves in verse.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Now I'm Done Forever]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's a kid somewhere, probably ten years old]]></description><link>https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/p/now-im-done-forever</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/p/now-im-done-forever</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[𝙻𝚢𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 ~ 𝙼𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚜𝚝.]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 14:09:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/67a9a2e3-46d6-4291-b233-f8d8a4ff4bad_736x981.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p><em>This was originally written as a song at about 9pm last night.</em></p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">There's a kid somewhere, probably ten years old
Thinks that growing up is all there is to live for
Doesn't know it hurts and makes your heart a little cold
All they see is a long hallway, and at the end a door

There's no window, only a shiny knob
Begging to be twisted:
It says, "open me
When you reach me"

When we were ten years old
We didn't think about buying cars or getting jobs
Only graduating high school
Being done "forever"
When we were ten years old
We didn't waste our time on phones
We just climbed a tree and played on swings
And now we're done forever

There's a kid somewhere, probably around fifteen
Thinks the seniors are the coolest, and "why am I so shy?"
Doesn't know nobody cares who they are or what they be
All they know is a long highway with no exit in sight

There's no end, only horizon
Begging to be driven on:
It says, "come to me
When you reach me"

When we were fifteen
We didn't think about choosing colleges or careers
Only graduating high school
Being done "forever"
When we were fifteen
We didn't slave over our grades
We just played basketball in the park
And now we're done forever

If I could be twelve again
I would
If I could get that time back
I would

'Cause now I'm done forever</pre></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://lydiamatlock.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for supporting this young writer. If studying stories and taking hints from the classics sounds like your style, consider subscribing!</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>