23 Miles and Running

Just Across Highway 826

The highway was empty; I sat motionless in the grass, still shimmering with morning dew. In the distance, about a…

New Orleans, Weeping Willows, and the Weird Eye Doctor

Those Mississippi Cotton Fields

I was only thirteen-years-old.

That Ol’ Silver Grain Bin

“Don’t you go out there in that ol’ grain bin,” Mom always told me, wagging her finger in my direction. Whenever…

What Makes the Green Grass Grow?!

“Put your head down, close your eyes, and don’t look up,” a voice from the front of the bus said…

It’s Pronounced Puhkhan, Not Pecan!

Even at twelve years old, I knew we didn’t have much. However, like many families in the…

The Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

Val, Aunt Lue’s daughter, was the eldest cousin. While our parents exemplified hard work, Val took the…

When You Get Knocked Down . . .

I quickly grew to enjoy the rigors of martial arts training. Luckily, Lil’ Joe — one of my cousins on…

Backyards, Bicycles, and Snakes

Every summer, like clockwork, my cousins Reggie and Marcus came back to Elemwood from Houston to stay at…