Letters from Eros: Hometown Anthology

By Mary Elizabeth Lee

After the fictional village of Eros is destroyed by a cyclone in the 1920s, some residents remain, rebuilding and maintaining their friendships. Others are not so happy but remain there until death.

In her third collection of poems, Mary Elizabeth Lee shares the fascinating perspectives of the deceased residents of Eros as they describe their lives and challenges. Nellie Blight is a cook who takes pride in creating delicious pies and cakes. But when she becomes a scorned lover, she stops baking and carries out an unimaginable act. Cleveland Spongy is an undertaker who realizes too late that his profession is a lifetime challenge. Gulliver Black is a frisky store clerk who never married or dated and instead receives his jollies from from looking and touching. Mr. Leonus Stampers unpainted house does not hide the kindness inside, for he loves feeding sweetened evaporated milk and biscuits to hungry neighbor children.

Letters from Eros offers a lyrical glimpse into the residents of a make-believe village as they each leave their mark on the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532050343

Mary Elizabeth Lee

Mary Elizabeth Lee earned a masters degree in liberal arts (English) from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana. Her poems have appeared in Black and Rouge Review (2008-2010), and she is author of the poetry collections Beveled Edges and Mitered Corners and Shards of Light and Threads of Thought. Mary currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Copyright © 2018 Mary Elizabeth.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-5035-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-5034-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018906839

iUniverse rev. date: 07/09/2018

For my love

CONTENTS

The Village of Eros

Nellie Blight

Peggy Sims

Amos Dandy

Attitus Fullback

Betty B. Stone

Beverly Clements

Billy Bound

Billy Glower

Clarence Stassi

Cleveland Spongy

David Floss

David Forth

Deanna Floss

Dianne Maxtime Tooms

Dolly Hummer

Elsie Black

Evelyn Stonewell

Frank Darrow

Gladys Hummer

Gulliver Black

Harold Sanford

Harry Flores

Henry Cockerham

Henry Wadsworth

Lady Dash

Martie Maxtime

Mattie McCain

Mattie Smith

Melvin Mouser

Miniver Clanks Cockerham

Miss Fanny Farmer

Miss Ida

Miss Kellie Collins

Miss Mattie Hearne

Mr. Leonius Stamper

Myrtley Crass

Nadine Adams

Ol’ Jim Osbourne

Dr. Raymond K. Odom

Ronnie Dash

Rufus Smith

Sallander Winters Smith

Sally Downs

Sally Perry Brown

Samantha Green

Sammy Tully

Sheriff Tom Akal

Stan Tooms

Ted Knafe

Tumble Tully

On Valentine’s Day

The Village of Eros

Eros was the winged Greek god

of love, a name chosen by the founders

of the growing village. For those

knowing the meaning of the name,

the old mysteries swirled around

in their heads, making them

light-headed and passionate,

filling their hearts with love.

So many letters to the post office, at first,

seemed overwhelming, but gradually

after years of receiving the letters,

postal workers sent letters back

to sender. Several bags

of letters remained from over the

years. The sender at least thought

Eros had received them, the letters

forever beseeching the god to send

an arrow to touch the heart of the beloved.

The residents’ lives who follow

are some of the lives of the people

in this small town destroyed by a cyclone

in the 1920s. The residents rebuilt

and maintained their friendships,

as you will learn. Others were not

so happy but remained until their death.

Nellie Blight

I had been fooled, and it was

too much to take at