Category: Memoir
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Lumbar Fusion Surgery
I have been missing from WordPress because on December 16, 2025, I had lumbar fusion surgery to repair my case of severe spinal stenosis, which was causing debilitating peripheral neuropathy. The part of my spine housing the nerves had collapsed onto some nerves. Today, January 25, 2026, was the first…
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“Ode to a White Pelican” up on Chewers by Masticadores
I’m grateful to editor Nolcha Fox for publishing “Ode to a white Pelican”, a memoir poem, in Chewers by Masticadores. My husband and I love driving to the local wetlands to count the deer. For a period of time, we discovered a white pelican left behind possibly due to an…
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Poetry up on Lothlorien Poetry Journal
Three poems were published on Lothlorien Poetry Journal. Thank you, Strider Marcus Jones! https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/2025/09/three-poems-by-barbara-harris-leonhard.html The first poem is a surreal expression of how I felt hearing of the passing of my first husband. The second one is an epistle poem to my dad, who was a pastor. I wondered how…
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“Grandmother Lilian” is up on MasticadoresCanada
My gratitude to Editor Ray Whitaker for publishing “Grandmother Lilian”, a contribution to his series “Women” on MasticadoresCanada. Ray’s current series on Women and his earlier one on Men are both fantastic. Please explore his blog and read, like, and comment on the posts. “Grandmother Lilian” is a memoir poem…
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Our House of Hungers
This memoir poem is from my book Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir. The book is primarily about me and Mom. As the eldest daughter, I was Mom’s primary helper. One year, 1962 – 1963, Dad had to leave us for a year to complete his Master’s in Theology at Princeton.…
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A Pet Memoir: Rainbow Bridge Train Stop up on MasticadoreUSA
I hope this memoir inspires you to submit your pet poem or story to MasticadoresUSA. This memoir is about our three cats, all of whom passed away over a period of two years. Here are the opening paragraphs. Please read the rest of the memoir by following the link, which…
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Sin-Eaters
A sin-eater is someone paid to eat a small ritualistic meal representing the sins of the deceased. By doing so, the person takes on those sins. What happens to this diner? Does s/he become a vessel containing the sins of the departed, who can now enter heaven cleansed of wrongdoing?…
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It’s All about Death, Really
The gap between compassion and surrender is love’s darkest, deepest region. Orhan Pamuk, The Museum of InnocenceI am ready to shed the old clothes,the tatters that hang off my heart that I thought held some comfort but that no longer fit me.I lay them out for display. Touch each one,…
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I Am Contentious: How I Bully Myself
Yesterday I posted on the dangers of bullying others. But how do I bully myself? Practicing Loving Kindness has helped me realize I am my own worst enemy. A few years ago, by allowing negative thoughts to tangle in my mind, I became depressed. Everything felt dark and threatening. I…
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On Father’s Day 2025
Sunday, June 15, was a quiet day. Because I wanted to find a biography written by some relatives about my paternal great grandmother, whom we called Sweet Grandma, I was rifling through papers and came upon letters from my father. One read so much like a poem that I had…
Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver 