Journey To The Planet Merridion by Michael Harris This is my third tale in what I'm calling "The Adrian and Lucalan Saga," unless... [8,445 words] After Sex And Love What Then. by Terry Collett - [692 words] The Moon Inside by Soron - [1,422 words] Pt.2 Of Barbie Beaten By Brats! (The Rest Told By Strawberry Shortcake) by Dream Rinsed observations of childplay from a twiste... [175 words] Mayster's Broad. by Terry Collett - [514 words] Barbie Beaten By Brats! (As Told By Rainbow Brite) Pt1 by Dream Rinsed observations of childplay from a twisted point of view. [172 words] Asylum Blues. by Terry Collett - [578 words] Speed Trap by Matthew Lett Ever imagine getting stopped by the Highway Patrol in the middle of nowhere, for basically nothing? ... [7,283 words] Dexter's Destiny by Matthew Lett One man's terrifying road to redemption, and beyond! [4,977 words] At Clarence's by Randall Barfield - [290 words] Victorian Winters by Joel Ficelle This story continues on from Victorian Summer, Return to the City and The Ruby Necklace. It c... [15,734 words] Victorian Summer by Joel Ficelle This story continues on from The Ruby Necklace and Return to the City. It could be called The ... [20,604 words] The Ruby Necklace by Joel Ficelle Story set in Victotian times [9,707 words] The Cookery Class by Joel Ficelle Erotic Story based on Nude Cooking. Man meets girl in a class and they pursue affair. [5,535 words] Return To The City by Joel Ficelle Story set in Victorian times Story continues on from another story: The Ruby Necklace. [12,666 words] No Happily Ever After by Adria Steuer Everybody makes mistakes. That's what our parents tell us. But sometimes that lesson is... [1,192 words] A Tale Of A Squire by Terence Boydon A short tale about a squire and love. [1,065 words] A Strawberry Short Story by Terence Boydon A short story between a girl and a boy. May be your typical, you judge it. ;) [3,506 words] The Diary by Raine Lariza It is a story of a girl and her mysterious diary.. Why it is a mysterious one? Find out why.. [839 words] Victory In The Mist Of Defeat by Bridgett Nesbit A young pastor along with other concerned community leaders and pastors hold a me... [882 words] Towards Far Far Away by Abhijit Sarma Barua It is about a man, who has lost almost all of his human emotions due to some incidents, oc... [2,250 words] Opening Up Her Home And Heart by Bridgett Nesbit Anna Howard could shoulder her own pain; living with lupus for over ten years but... [831 words] Monolog Monkey by Michael Potter A young man deals with being laid off. [5,501 words] How To Teach The Law Of Attraction by Jack Jakuper - [332 words] Helle ... Hello .... by Abhijit Sarma Barua A boy was in love with an younger girl, whom he admired very mach and most interestingly h... [1,915 words] Child Of God by Bridgett Nesbit Tamara Stevens's husband had forgotten how long they'd known one another and rumors of Pastors inf... [16,631 words] A Visit by Randall Barfield - [245 words] War Memories 2 by E M K S Moresteel The continuation of war memories 1. Moore and steel find a deadly hidden secret. [897 words] Rosemary by Lilli Brachman - [1,310 words] Bikers Gone Wild by Brayden Dent A short, funny story of me learning a lesson the hard way on my rusty, trusty bike a few years... [221 words] War Memories 1 by E M K S Moresteel The adventures of Sgt. Moore, and General Steel as they fight they're way through this fictional... [801 words] The Bloodless War by S Michael Downs IN THE BLOODLESS WAR THE CASUALTIES ARE VOLUNTEERS. IT TAKES INDIFFERENCE TO SURVIVE IN THE W... [613 words] She Only Got Flowers From Him Once. by Emory L Griffin Pretty serious read and I believe it's some good stuff. It's a different di... [539 words] Lose Or Win, It's All The Same In The End. by Emory L Griffin post-apocalyptic America story. It's short, so do me a favor and rea... [269 words] Answer To A Not-So-General Question by Jennifer Hendershot A story about love lost and closure. [1,771 words] 1 To 3 Turns by Emory L Griffin inspired by Bruce Coville's the monster's ring. It is a little more dark, and slightly more ominou... [1,254 words] The Merchantilers by Bo Turner A story of how illiterate African Americans were treated even unto the mid 1900s. [560 words] The Locker Room Secret by Latina Torrence - [1,006 words] The Goodbye by Randall Barfield My 2nd attempt at a 'western'. It won a cherry at abctales.com (shoebox) [752 words] The Doctor Is In. by Emory L Griffin short horror story [538 words] Spf-1000 (Vampires Are Real And They Have Sunscreen!) by Nick Molinari Molinari A man gets converted to a Vampire and discovers an underg... [1,413 words] Past Five by Brian Mey a short story by brianmey [3,116 words] Out Of Ink, Out Of Time by T J Rintoull Tongue-in cheek short story about office work and accidents of quantum physics. [627 words] Nightmare (On 7th Ave) by Mary Anne Caudill I thought that sleep would help me escape the chaos in my life, but no such luck [1,499 words] Moving In by Emory L Griffin An homage to "The new house" by Randall Barfield. I hope I did it justice. [598 words] Little Lord Faunty by Jerry Vilhotti Trying to find a place not too crowded .... [1,185 words] Life After Death? by Emory L Griffin thought provoking short. [681 words] Giving, An American Tradition by Emory L Griffin - [749 words] Epistle To Faeries Past by T J Rintoull A letter to a ghost of the past. [814 words] Dreams Of A Blacken Heart by Latina Torrence - [538 words] Don't Tell Anyone by Randall Barfield - [258 words] Dear Detective Lovett by Randall Barfield - [646 words] Ain't Love Grand? by Emory L Griffin short horror story,in my opinion, my best. [876 words] Zimbabwe by J L Watts A fictional account of the emotions of a victim of land reform in Zimbabwe. [401 words] The Elephant In The Room by Emory L Griffin short horror story [852 words] Paradise Marsten by Randall Barfield - [408 words] Her By Stephen Knight by Shinning Knight Short story [2,287 words] Her By Stephen C Knight by Stephen C Knight story [2,637 words] Bon Appetit by Emory L Griffin A chilling meal for three. [821 words] The Spiders And Johnny Bailes by Phil Neale For a lonely boy, the spider seemed to be his only friend, especially when it sp... [2,933 words] The Scam Artist by Thomas Cherian It is a story about people who live of by tricking or scaming other human beings. [1,264 words] Return Mail(Mail Part 2) by Emory L Griffin - [318 words] Philomena D. Gavod - Madness by Philomena D Gavod I have mentioned before that i am a huge Phantom of the Opera fan. This short stor... [874 words] My Lady In White by Emory L Griffin different direction than my other stories. [768 words] Mail by Emory L Griffin a man receives a horrifying letter. [382 words] Alice In Alaska by Journey Two Alice is bored, she decides to answer an advertisement in a newspaper, "Alaskan men looking for... [339 words] A Visit Home by Journey Two A story about an Alaskan Yupik Eskimo woman who travels to her home town on Thanksgiving to visit ... [339 words] A Kid Named Eddie by Emory L Griffin Tale of a twisted boy. [716 words] Paranoia(Have I Told You This?) by Emory L Griffin Insight into a man slowly losing his mind due to paranoia. [396 words] The Stone In The Sword by Matthew James Parsons The story of Larmandi, a humble son of a blacksmith who is called on a journey to find a... [9,970 words] The Lily Painting by M Schied A modern, artistic retelling of Beauty and the Beast. [1,525 words] Paper Cranes by Meruthiel A short story depicting love, loss, and regret. [1,082 words] Death's Embrace by Emory L Griffin An old woman is paid a visit from death. [597 words] Cindy's Fall by Randall Barfield - [526 words] Black Star by Matthew James Parsons The story of Black Star, an orphan and a thief living in a turbulent time in the recently liberated ... [7,624 words] Angels Without Wings Can Still Win by Randy Sumner A Sci-Fi short story that I wrote [3,645 words] The True Stones by Matthew James Parsons The story of Desti and Regalius and their role in the conflict regarding the unimaginably power... [8,543 words] Tight Jeans 3 by Randall Barfield ... but she was no rose... That's a joke... [228 words] The Secret's In The Scream, Not The Sauce by Nigel N Samtin A short sory about my first experiences with roller coasters [1,755 words] The Chesterfield by Deborah Jones I wrote this short story in honor of my Grandfather [1,406 words] The Car Accident: A Man And His Death by Robert J Parker Joseph Valentine A journey through a dying man's mind. For dreamers, thinkers,and people t... [1,752 words] The Caligate Murder by Danielle Anne Evans The Caligate Murder; The short story- ... [3,175 words] Frost by Bernadette On this day, a young girl, 14, discovers that the meaning of Christmas has been ruined! [1,649 words] Dosvadonya Darling by Joel Weiss A crime story that takes place in Las Vegas [1,914 words] Them by Ian Quill A short story about governmental control and religion. [2,992 words] The Last Ballet by Simon Nguyen A true artist does not care about money or fame; it’s the opportunity to perform the art one so... [631 words] It Started With A Dream. by Corrina Robertson - [610 words] Garage Talk by Cesar Merano When there is nothing to do on Friday night, three friends, Tom, Neil, and Barry, contemplate on wh... [1,547 words] Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9 ] 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
TITLE (EDIT)
Paradise
DESCRIPTION
You can't outgrow anything, least of all yourself. [464 words]
AUTHOR
Calliope Irja Pearl Nelson
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
- [February 2009]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
calliopenelson@comcast.net
Paradise Calliope Irja Pearl Nelson
When I was a boy, my country was torn in thirds. Everyday, stepping out to go for a swim, stepping out, with wood under your arm, an axe on your back, was dancing on the edge of suicide.
I would sit and stare at the floor, minutes through hours, narrowly avoiding death. How time flies! I used my wits, my uniquely Childhood imagination make that dirt floor into something it was not.
And could not, be.
Then, quite suddenly, I glimpsed paradise in startched linen.
I never knew that peace and hope could be contained in a seemingly worthless hole. Barely bigger than a pinprick in starched linen, that hole was my key; mine, to a colorful, whimsical fantasy. What I believed Earth would become, and if I could, I would make it so. I think I may have known I imagined Destinations.
I saw rolling green hills in the light of the morning, the grass rippling and the flowers opening.
Nighttime brought men beating their drums, sweaty and concentrating so hard they just barely forgot the Earth. Women and children dancing around the fire, smiles concretely etched on their dark faces.
I could sit in the filthy dirt transfixed for days by what I saw, my Mother washing clothing just outside door. In a detached corner of my mind, I prayed for her survival.
The magic contained within the hole in the wall never faded, it was my imagination that broke.
I left when war broke out. I left after my Mother died, before I died too.
I lived in a village not so far away.
I bought a cow.
I grew up;
I married a woman whose smile concretely etched her dark face. I carried wood under my arm and an axe on my back, no longer dancing with suicide. I passed by old childhood home, that hole tugging my heart and tickling my stomach. And I had dared to think I had forgotten about my Paradise.
Then, quite suddenly I knew: I can glimpse my Paradise.
I knew my childhood home was rotten and stale. Was my Childhood rotten too?
The wood rest on the floor like the peace after the war, the calm before the storm. Holes littered the rotted linen, but I found my hole, one pinprick among thousands. I prayed my imagination still worked, that my Childhood was still intact on some distant plane, whole, my imagination fresh. I glanced in the hole, my heart heavy.
Would I see nothing?
No;
I saw myself.
I knew and I shake my head.
How simple paradise is! How naive was I not to recognize the woman whose smile concretely etched her dark face, dancing, would be my wife, and, the man beating his drum while sweaty, concentrating so hard, he almost forgot? He was what I was going to become.
READER'S REVIEWS (1)DISCLAIMER: STORY M A N I A DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"A very thought provoking story. And you are right, you can't outgrow yourself." -- Jacqué June, United States.
TO DELETE UNWANTED REVIEWS CLICK HERE! (SELECT "MANAGE TITLE REVIEWS" ACTION)
Submit Your Review for Paradise
Required fields are marked with (* ). Your e-mail address will not be displayed.
Submit Your Rating for Paradise
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2009 Calliope Irja Pearl Nelson
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
February 2009
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
1702