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    Reflections: Ultra Short Personal Narratives
    Reflections: Ultra Short Personal Narratives
    Reflections: Ultra Short Personal Narratives
    Ebook140 pages59 minutes

    Reflections: Ultra Short Personal Narratives

    By CoCo Harris

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    About this ebook

    A collection of flash memoirs and personal narratives featuring the works of new and award winning authors showcasing the art of personal narratives. Featuring work by: Michelle Ardillo, Sharine Aupke, Jade Banks, Victoria Brott, Jamie Brunson, Notty Bumbo, Katrenia Busch, Kelley Calvert, Andres Cisneros, Elayne Clift, Kavita Das, C. A. Davis, Jeannette Drake, CarrZa DuBose, Ashley Duran, Judith Ellen, Michael Estabrook, Jane Falla, Pamela Gay, Larry Godwin, GTimothy Gordon, Maryann Gremillion, Paul Hadella, Gerald Harris, Dah Helmer, Jennifer Higgins, Shirlee Sky Hoffman, Giuseppe Infante, Jason Irwin, Laura T. Jensen, Anika H. Klix, Vanessa Mallory Kotz, Eric Kreutter, Michelle Legault, Jing Li, Susan Mahan, Jas Mardis, Mari Maxwell, Murli Melwani, Jasmine Mendez, Bonnie J. Morris, Nicole L.V. Mullis, Nancy Nicol, Gloria Nixon-John, Harriet Riley, Kathleen Saville, Judith Serin, Robert M. Shafer, S.F. Siddiqui, Laurence Snydal, Linda Ann Stelljes, Danielle Stonehirsch, Fran Tempel, Dawn Marie Thompson, Vincent J. Tomeo, Susan White, Carl Whitehead Jr., Crystal Wilkinson, and Changming Yuan

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTelling Our Stories Press
    Release dateAug 16, 2015
    ISBN9781310873225
    Reflections: Ultra Short Personal Narratives
    Author

    CoCo Harris

    CoCo Harris is constantly exploring the notion of how we tell the stories of our lives.

    Read more from Co Co Harris

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      Book preview

      Reflections - CoCo Harris

      Contents

      Acknowledgements

      Ultra Short Introduction

      Part 1: Release

      Tumbling Tree Dah Helmer

      Vision at Sixty Larry Godwin

      Solar Electric Voyage in the Ocean Rowboat Morocco—1991 Kathleen Saville

      A Child’s Vision Susan White

      Life Support Elayne Clift

      People in Paper Gowns Jasminne Mendez

      My Daughter’s Exoskeleton Nicole L. V. Mullis

      Stepping In and Out Fran Tempel

      Original Crip Notty Bumbo

      Horizon Judith Ellen

      Sweet Story Jeannette Drake

      Meat Loaf Maryann Gremillion

      No Shame C. A. Davis

      May 8, 2015 S. F. Siddiqui

      I Am My Father’s Daughter Sharine Aupke

      Dealing with Life Laurence Snydal

      Part 2: Roots

      Cristina Joy Anika H. Klix

      Traveling Down Roots Jane Falla

      Black and White Photograph of Your Mother Judith Serin

      Peete’s Wedge Carl Whitehead, Jr

      Cabbage Days Susan Mahan

      Mickey Survives Robert M. Shafer

      Uncle Charlie, Handsome Fella Pamela Gay

      Under the Peonies Dawn Marie Thompson

      It’s All Relative Shirlee Sky Hoffman

      Village Accent Yuan Changming

      Backslidin’ Jade Banks

      You Can Handle the Truth Michelle Ardillo

      Long Road to China Danielle Stonehirsch

      Guilt: A Primer GTimothy Gordon

      Front Yard: Act I Jennifer Higgins

      Crab Meat Paul Hedella

      Part 3: Trajectories

      Shoes Victoria Brott

      I Bought a Stranger a $5 Dress Jas Mardis

      HOARSE Jamie Brunson

      My Life Story Gerald Harris

      Beach Glass Bonnie J. Morris

      Poem Giuseppe Infante

      From China’s Village of Red Stone Bridge to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge Jing Li

      Mama, I Hope Your Wishes Were Granted Vincent J. Tomeo

      Timehop Crystal Wilkinson

      Her Carrza DuBose

      Five-year Plan Michelle LeGault

      Trials to Triumph Katrenia Busch

      At the Acton Council on Aging Senior Center Michael Estabrook

      PART 4: Defining Moments

      Showtime Con Timbolina Andres Cisneros

      Another Failed Attempt Vanessa Mallory Kotz

      Self Portrait By Vanessa Mallory Kotz

      REBORN Jason Irwin

      Garbage Moon Ashley Duran

      Flight of the Twilight Species Kelley Calvert

      Abattoir Nancy Nicol

      Red Peppers Gloria Nixon John

      Reaching for God with Feet in the Air Linda Ann Stelljes

      A Bookworm’s Confession Murli Melwani

      State of Being Mari Maxwell

      Bowl O’Gratitude Harriet Riley

      Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Kavita Das

      Summer Intern Laura T. Jensen

      The Rider Eric Kreutter

      CONTRIBUTORS

      ABOUT THE EDITOR

      Ultra Short Introduction

      This collection of ultra short narratives provides short snippets and reflections, which embody bits of who we are at our best, worst, and everything in between. Within these brief reminisces we have glimpses of who we’ve become because of, and in spite of our experiences. These flash recollections continue to tell the stories of our lives, one brief musing at a time.

      Part 1:

      Release

      Tumbling Tree

      Dah Helmer

      Vision at Sixty

      Larry Godwin

      Born the girl to please my mom

      In curly locks and dresses

      I wrote my youthful chapters

      Wearing Father's pants.

      I breathed love that smothered

      And when she left

      I searched for other bosoms

      To shield me from slurs and bruises.

      I married young, my mother's twin,

      And promptly became her ward −

      Cinched up Father's belt another notch

      And camped at her feet.

      I’ll meet my death among brothers

      In a cabin fashioned by my own hands

      Wrapped in a writhing blizzard

      Rejoicing: I was enough.

      Solar Electric Voyage in the Ocean Rowboat Morocco—1991

      Kathleen Saville

      We stood glaring at each other. Neither of us giving in. He wanted me to go. But I refused to motor across the Atlantic in our old ocean rowboat, re-outfitted with extra solar panels and a trolling motor. Taking our young son on Excalibur was crazy.

      All the coastal and lake trials had not convinced me. Excalibur was only an ocean rowboat and not an oceangoing solar-electric-motor boat.

      The voyage failed. Six months later, with our ocean rowboat abandoned where he had started the solar trip alone, I returned to school to begin my own journey alone.

      A Child’s Vision

      Susan White

      I was four, maybe five, living in our 3-bedroom ranch house.

      Our television— the one that stopped turning on—lay on the trampled ground of our side yard, its screen facing the milky, November sky. I planted my red sneakers in a wide, parallel stance and looked down at her plasma womb that arched toward the muffled sun.

      The virginal, merry mother, miraculously begetting characters to save us from pain and boredom,

      Lay on her back atop the yellowed clumps of grass . . .awaiting Father to take her to the dump behind the market.

      My trembling, skinny arms released the large rock I’d carried from the corner of our sparse vegetable garden. I prayed for the stories’ characters to arise: Bugs Bunny, Kermit, Gilligan, and the good, pretty, nose-twitching witch.

      I believed, I believed, I believed.

      I opened my eyes to a dark, noxious cloud—no white stallion galloping out of the rupture—and I choked on the fumes of fact.

      Life Support

      Elayne Clift

      She awoke, and wondered again

      how many days would pass

      before

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