http://slow.writerscafe.org/imustwrite The original writings of author My Name is Brenda and I'm a Writer en-us Copyright 2026 WritersCafe.org 1776091107 WritersCafe.org RSS Generator 15 Inspired by a recent blizzard http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/384885/ The longing to tell one�s story and the process of telling is symbolically a gesture of longing to recover the past in such a way that one experiences both a sense of reunion and a sense of release. -Bell Hooks http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/284380/  I nap on a brown army blanket and I am content.I breathe in the smoke from Daddy’s Chesterfield cigarette and his Old Spice CologneI ignore the gumballs under the blanket.I count the flowers in the linoleum on the kitchen floor.I memorize my phone number and the pictures in my .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/284378/  Where were you the first time you looked at me and saw yourself in my face?You told me you were living your life over through me.You told me I would be the death of you I stand beside your bed waiting, waitingfor you to draw your last breathKnowing I have come home too lat.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/284376/ This is how it ends http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/266627/ This is the beginning of a poem written by a dear friend in honor of Valentine's Day http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/214379/  Chapter Twenty-Eight Harold drove to the hospital while Pete tried to tell his father everything he had learned about amnesia in the first few weeks of his U.Va. Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med Program. Harold was impressed. His son had obviously been paying attention.   &nbs.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/207087/  Chapter Twenty-Seven The homicide detective had listened to his story, but Mosby got the impression he might have been just humoring him. He was almost positive that Jacoby was going to file his statement away, label him as a “crackpot” and continue pursuing his investig.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/207083/ Written in Allison Hedge Coke's workshop at the 2007 Taos Summer Writing Conference http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206742/  Chapter Twenty-Six   When Harold pulled into the driveway his son Pete was in the front yard playing with Arlo. The dog immediately left Pete and ran over to the car. He ignored Harold and sniffed the passenger seat. Pete followed the dog to the car.  &ld.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206561/  Chapter Twenty-Five Jacoby and the new Assistant U.S. Attorney were in the middle of a heated discussion.  “How can you expect me to release her? We found her standing over a dead body with the murder weapon in her hand. Her arm was cut from breaking into the shop. Sh.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206558/  Chapter Twenty-Four When Mosby arrived at the 5th District Station he was shown directly into Detective Jacoby’s office.  “Sit down, Mr. Ellis. You said on the phone you had information on a murder I’m investigating.” “Yes Detective, I.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206462/  Chapter Twenty-Three  The first report of the murder of Lillian Petulengro aired on the 11:00 PM news on Friday night, but Stuart Jaffe didn’t learn about it until he read the Washington Post on Saturday morning.   Jaffe knew it wasn’t the first time Car.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206459/  Chapter Twenty-Two Friday Afternoon – 3:30 PM “Is something the matter, Mr. Ellis?” Mosby looked out at the rows of desks in front of him and there were thirty-seven fifth graders staring back at him. That’s when he realized that some time after his .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206456/  Chapter Twenty-One  After Fanny had been taken back to her cell Jerry returned to Jacoby’s office. Harold was sitting in a chair outside the closed door. Jacoby was standing at his desk talking on the phone.  Harold stood up as soon as he saw Jerry. “How .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206455/  Chapter Twenty In the seconds before his out of control car hit the utility pole, Richard realized that his instincts had caused him to make a fatal error. Absurdly the expression “instincts run amuck” flashed across his mind. Those were his last thoughts. .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206454/  Chapter Nineteen Earlier that Afternoon The front door opened and her first real customer of the day walked in. At least Lilly hoped it was a customer. Almost 3:00 PM and no one had come in except for the stranger who was still sleeping on her couch. “Go.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206452/ Chapter Eighteen When Mosby walked into his apartment he went directly to his answering machine to see if there were any messages from Lilly.  The flashing light indicated there was one new message. He pressed the play button. “Thursday – 1:24 PM…Mosby, .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206450/  Chapter Seventeen “I’d like to talk to my client now, Detective.” “Be my guest, counselor. But I don’t think you’ll get very much out of her.” Jacoby pushed himself back from his desk. “Come on with me then.” Wh.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206449/  Chapter Sixteen Carl had been working for the Senator long before Stuart Jaffe had risen to prominence. He always worked in the background and never in any official capacity. In the late sixties, when the International Woodworkers of America had tried to organize three lumber m.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206447/  Chapter Fifteen Thursday Afternoon – 4:00 PM As soon as school was over Mosby hurried over to Lilly’s place. When he got there the tattoo parlor was closed, the door was locked and there was no sign of Lilly. He banged on the door for a while before deciding she.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206445/  Chapter Fourteen Thursday Morning – 12:30 AM The tires of the Lincoln Navigator squealed as Stuart Jaffe maneuvered his SUV through the almost empty parking garage at the Tyson’s Galleria. When he got to the top of the garage he slowed, leaned across, opened the.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206444/  Chapter Thirteen Thursday Night – 11:30 PM Fanny reached through the broken glass, unlocked the door and stepped into the darkness of the tattoo parlor. She was focused on grabbing her handbag and getting out of the shop. She was sure if she could just find out who sh.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206442/  Chapter Twelve  Harold couldn’t believe what the detective was telling him.  “There has to be some mistake.” “There’s no mistake. The officer responded to a call about at breaking and entering at a tattoo parlor on 13th Street, .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206439/  Chapter Eleven  “Do you know who I am?” Fanny’s shook her head. It hurt. Fanny had come to in the backseat of a moving car. Her wrists were bound together with tape and her mouth was taped as well.  The man who had introduced himself as Det.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206437/  Chapter Ten Thursday Morning – 6:30 AM “The police report they have discovered the body of a young woman in a parking garage at The Tyson’s Galleria. The woman is in her mid-twenties with shoulder length blonde hair. There was no identification, but author.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206434/  Chapter Nine One week earlier “Are we going to have breakfast after yoga, Fanny?” “I thought I told you. I’m meeting Abby at Hickory Tavern after yoga.” Fanny grabbed her yoga mat from the back seat. “See you in class.” &.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206428/  Chapter Eight Friday Morning The ringing of the telephone roused Harold from a dream where he was struggling to free himself from an anchor rope. “Fanny! Fanny! The phone. Can you get that, honey?” The ringing continued.  Harold sat up and ran .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206423/  Chapter Seven Two weeks earlier A black Lincoln Navigator stopped in front of Lilly’s Tattoo Parlor. “Looks like you’ve got another customer, Lilly.”  Lilly has just finished adding a halo to the cherub on Mosby’s left buttock.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206417/  Chapter Six Realizing that it would be impossible for him to sleep, Harold decided to distract himself by unloading the dishwasher. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that he had absolutely no idea where anything belonged. Fanny took care of all that. He depended on her for.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206413/  Chapter Five  Earlier that day. Fanny reached into her pocket for her house key and instead she found the candy bar she had impulsively picked up at the checkout counter. She hadn’t had any sugar at all since she and Harold had been on his damned adrenal diet, .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206400/  Chapter Four  Harold sat up and wiped his eyes. Arlo took that as his cue to jump onto the couch and settle himself next to him.  “You know you’re not allowed up here, boy. You know what Fanny would do if she saw you on her couch.” Just saying .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206397/  Chapter Three Thursday Night – 11 PM When Fanny woke up the shop was empty. On the floor next to her lay a broken teacup surrounded by a dark stain. The streetlights that filtered through the drapery around her provided the only light but it was bright enough for.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206391/ Chapter Two At seven o’clock Harold had been irate. By eight he was angry. At nine o’clock the anger had turned to concern. And now, at almost midnight he was in full panic mode. He had called all of Fanny’s friends, her mother – he even called their son Pete at U. V.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206387/  Fanny’s Tattoo Chapter One Thursday Afternoon – 12:30 PMFanny Britt stood in front of the tattoo parlor. The tinted window reflected the image of an ordinary, middle-aged woman devouring the last of her Almond Joy candy bar. She was savoring the next to t.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206385/ This novel was written in 28 days during NaNoWriMo http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/206383/  Cheating Death Daddy cheated death more than once but one time was memorable. His friend Cecil Sattlewhite brought his new speedboat around to our dock late on a Saturday afternoon. He called up to Daddy who was up on the shore playing with my younger brother Willis who wa.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204645/  Left Behind He left his books behind. They are piled there next to the bed he shared with Mama. His pillow is still crumpled up. Mama has kept to her side of the bed. He left his shoe shining kit. Guess he won’t need that out there on the Outer Banks.&n.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204642/  Gone. The ones I love or thought I loved or didn’t know I loved.Vanished.As quickly as a favorite cup dropped onto a bathroom floor.As slowly as the color fades from a favorite T-shirt.Gone.I held him as he breathed his last breath and then I held him longer u.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204640/  I am Sure I am sure I look good in the color blueI am sure the moon is there even when I’m not lookingI am sure I’m not finished yetI am sure that love is better than hateI am sure I was born for a reasonI am sure I will never finish all my workI am sure that.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204633/ I REMEMBER  I remember how I felt when I passed Embudo last Friday on the way to Taos. I remember the urge to stop and reclaim myself. I remember the Embudo Post Office. That’s where I picked up my mail. Brenda Clarke c/o General Delivery Embudo, New Mexico. That was many names.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204622/ Writing is a Great Way to Cure Resentment http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204616/  The Festival When I awoke the sun was up and Billy Haney was banging on the door. “Mama says come down for breakfast before she drives us to the festival.” “Give me a minute. I’ll be right out.” It only took me a minute. I went to the festival .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204597/  Between Semesters I picked up the mug and before I could even form the thought of throwing it I was watching it fly across the room narrowly missing the head of my startled roommate. I don’t remember all of the events that led up to my leaving William and Mary the fir.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204591/ Experimenting with writing short fiction from the dramatic exterior. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204581/  When Pearl had lived on Pungo Creek, she’d hardly noticed the pine trees, except the one that stood between her yard and the old abandoned graveyard. She had noticed it because she was afraid the roots of that pine tree could grow down into the coffins that were buried six feet under t.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/204178/ No Good Deed Goes Unpunished http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/203791/  I Make a Friend I was fascinated by the satellites that the Russians began launching in 1957 and horrified when they launched a dog named Laika with no way of bringing her back to earth. That was about the same time that Uncle Benjamin bought a dog for his daughter Kate. She na.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/202251/ On Pungo Creek When we stopped in front of the church Mama stayed in the car. Uncle Benjamin took her elbow. “Come on Rose. We need to go in now.” Mama allowed her brother to walk her into the church. She was stone faced. Her fists were clinched. So were her back teeth... http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/202236/ Goodbye Broad Creek Village     I watched glumly as Aunt Pearl put on her makeup and fluffed up her hair.  “Can’t I go with you, Aunt Pearl? Please?” “Clara, honey, you would be bored to death. I’m just going over to Carol Marti.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/imustwrite/202222/