Category Archives: personal blog

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Thirteen

#Thirteen

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

A Dedication (#Thirteen)

He didn’t know, but we shared given names. We also shared deep sadness and a need to express ourselves through words. He introduced me to thirteen word poetry. Daily, he provided a word and I drafted a poem using that word. My first published book is an illustrated collection of these poems. I also helped him illustrate a cover for his ballerina stories. While we lost him from this world, I still have so many treasures to remember him by.

Dedicated to the memory of Scott Christopher Beebe

Also, if you’re interested in reading some of my thirteen word poetry that Scott inspired, here are the links:

Thirteen Words (Volume 1)

Thirteen Words (Volume 2)

Thirteen Words (Volume 3)

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Thirteen

#Thirteen

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

A Dedication (#Thirteen)

He didn’t know, but we shared given names. We also shared deep sadness and a need to express ourselves through words. He introduced me to thirteen word poetry. Daily, he provided a word and I drafted a poem using that word. My first published book is an illustrated collection of these poems. I also helped him illustrate a cover for his ballerina stories. While we lost him from this world, I still have so many treasures to remember him by.

Dedicated to the memory of Scott Christopher Beebe

Also, if you’re interested in reading some of my thirteen word poetry that Scott inspired, here are the links:

Thirteen Words (Volume 1)

Thirteen Words (Volume 2)

Thirteen Words (Volume 3)

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Letter

#Letter

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

I Wrote a Letter Once (#Letter)

I wrote a letter once,
To myself,
I said I no longer wanted a relationship,
That I didn’t feel a connection anymore,
That our love had waned to nothing,
That I was leaving.

I wrote myself a letter once,
I asked to please give me a reason to stay,
Any reason,
Even just one,
But I never got an answer,
Just silence.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Empty

#Empty

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

The Feast (#Empty)

I wrote a feast in words,
Then gobbled them up.
I gnawed at each sentence;
Crunching them to the beat of the punctuation;
Swallowing them down syllable by syllable,
Until the page was empty,
And my soul full.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Reverse

#Reverse

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

How to Write in… (#Reverse)

End
Soon to
Repeat a refrain
Entertain
Vary it up
Ease in
Read in reverse

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Lock

#Lock

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

Between the Walls (#Lock)

Stuck between the walls,
Limbs shackled to the studs
With old irons locked by bent nails,
Rusted red from sweat and tears now dry
Evidence of a time long gone,
When I cared enough to struggle.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Sponge

#Sponge

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

Her Last Night (#Sponge)

It was her last night, but we didn’t know that yet.
She smacked her lips, the sign that she was thirsty.
We took turns rubbing her lips with a wet sponge, the water dribbling into her mouth. But it was never enough.
She kept smacking her lips in frustration. I’ll admit we were frustrated too. No matter how much we tried we couldn’t quench her thirst. Her lips kept smacking. The machines beeped incessantly. The nurses were bored by just another day. But it wasn’t any other day. It was her last.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Prayer

#Prayer

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads
Last Night (#Prayer)

As if in prayer he knelt before her,
She pressed her heel deep,
Twisting until he broke his vow of silence,
With a concealed smirk, she dug deeper,
Chastising him for his transgression,
Her warmth spreading with each twist,
Getting off on seeing him bent-kneed,
And knowing there would be no safe word tonight.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – #Glitter

#Glitter

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

Mama (#Glitter)

Mama passed about 18 months ago, shortly after Baba’s passing. They both got caught by the wave of Covid when China reopened. So when a photo reel popped up on my phone this morning named “Mama Through the Years”, my heart sank a moment. But I clicked. There she was with a big smile and glitter in her eyes enjoying a rare ice cream treat (as diabetic she didn’t get these treats very often). And then here I was smiling along with her, with glitter in my eyes.

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty

Monty’s Very Short Shorts – Tent

#Tent

Bad Fiction: olliefrancis @ Threads

Two Boys (#Tent)

Two boys, ten days, far too many miles
Booted feet, blistered toes, brothers side-by-side
Ramen dinners, rain drenched socks, rocky trails and piles
Packs so heavy, peaks up high, pissing streams outside

Starry sights, tented nights, sleeping side-by-side
Lost footings, lightning strikes, limping along with smiles
Hot dog noodles, hollowed trunks, human stink with pride
Two men, ten days, far too many miles

If you enjoy these very short stories, you can also check out one of my earliest books – MONTY’S VERY SHORT SHORTS which includes 366 illustrated pieces (one for each day in my life of 2020).

Monty’s Very Short Shorts

Be well,

Monty