Free PDF Books Written by Alan Harris

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An Everywhere Oasis: Free PDF Books Written by Alan Harris

PDF Books Written by Alan Harris FREE for personal downloading and printing using Adobe Reader New PDF: Noon Out of Nowhere: Complete Poems and Aphorisms of Alan Harris Book announcement at Quill and Parchment Press
	Noon Out of Nowhere \| Download Complete Poems and Aphorisms of Alan Harris (7.7 MB, 389 poems, 511 pages) Table of Contents only Book announcement at Quill and Parchment Press This is an alphabetized complete collection of all poems and aphorisms written by Alan Harris from 1963 through 2021. Individual poems can be printed from the PDF. The table of contents in the PDF lists each poem title alphabetically, where clicking on a poem title brings up that poem. The book can also be read sequentially, starting anywhere. Forms of the poems are free verse, rhymed, haiku, and sonnets, including three sets of aphorisms: "Daresayings," "Pieces of Mind," and "Spared for Seed."
	Christmas Reflections \| Download Poems and humor (1.9 MB, 17 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents The poems, humor, and pathos here are out-of-the-ordinary probings into the spirit of this potent holiday season. You may relate to the near-silence of snow falling on snow, to the despair at having lost a loved one, or to the quiet majesty of a manger scene. Enjoy a tongue-in-cheek Christmas FAQ and probe below Scrooge's anti-Christmas crust to the hurting human within.
	Rhyming Poems \| Download Selections (1 MB, 49 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Although my poetry is mostly written in free verse, these poems are exceptions which rhyme only because the whim insisted. From across my collection of poems I have selected those written with traditional or original rhyme schemes. As a bonus, the book includes sheet music for my song "Lullaby."
	Figments and Flights \| Download Collected Short Stories (1 MB, 65 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Here are thirteen short stories by Alan Harris and two World War II Air Force stories by his father, Keith E. Harris, whose stories are true. Some of Alan's enter into spaces beyond the usual. The book's theme is "The reality that protects you also confines you."
	Prose Probings \| Download Collected Essays (1.1 MB, 44 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents 23 prose essays on such topics as love, the inner Web, trusting emotions, quality, decision-making, fame, truth, knowing, quiet meditation, and many others. Several have a humorous bent, while others take on serious topics, such as an examination of some motivations leading to suicide. Cover photos were taken in Australia.
	A Matter of Breath \| Download Poems of 2003 - 2007 (799 KB, 22 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Poems on meditation and the inner life.
	Sometimes a Glimpse \| Download Poems of Spiritual Inquiry (831 KB, 39 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Selected from the entire collection for relevance to spiritual inquiries and experiences, these poems seek understanding of issues beyond the mind yet strongly felt. They follow no denomination or established religion, yet may be found to be relevant to nearly anyone's spiritual questionings.
	Night Light \| Download A Collection of Nocturnal Poems (604 KB, 31 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems, all having to do with night, examine some of those strange but real feelings that can accompany darkness. A few are humorous (like "Santa's Interior Monologue" and "To Sleep") but the others give respect and homage to mysterious sounds and sights that come in the night.
	Fireflies Don't Bite \| Download Poems of 2002 (364K, 27 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems bow to the spirit of the firefly, which emits light without needing (or even being able) to bite. Recurring themes are reconciliation, understanding, healing, and new directions. Special thanks go to Mia Aasbakken of Norway for permission to use her art on the book's cover.
	Ponderables All Year \| Download A Birthday Book of Original Aphorisms (5.4 MB, 83 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents This birthday book collects some of my uncollected thinking and provides you with a space beside each day of the year for collecting the uncollected birthdays of your friends and relatives. Included are 365 of my ponderables, one for each day of the year, which range from the unabashedly wacky to the exploringly spiritual. Twelve of my seasonal poems appear here, one at the beginning of each month, and the book is decorated with my color photography.
	Being Well \| Download Poems of empathy and support w/photos (6.6 MB, 42 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Things go wrong. We suffer. Misfortune can cripple our bodies, frazzle our emotions, or fog our intellects. At times like these, empathy and support from others can be not only a comfort but a stimulus toward healing. 36 poems with photos. Please don't expect lightness and humor in these poems. They don't cajole, but they do invite serious thought.
	Lessons Out of School \| Download Ten droll anecdotes from childhood (1.0 MB, 15 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Growing up in a small Illinois town was neither as safe nor as dull as one might suppose. Intended for both musing and amusement, each of these ten anecdotes not only tells a story but also concludes with a lesson learned outside of school. Some of the lessons repeat themselves in different stories.
	Carpet Flights \| Download Poems of 2001 (1.4 MB, 40 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Each of these 34 poems can be felt as a carpet flight into an emotional area or era. There are three healing meditations and an encouraging poem entitled "After a Mostness of Hurt' for those who are waiting out pain. "A Hidden Sky" and "Leaf Dance" accentuate the whimsical with their close-up glimpses of neighborhood nature.
	Just Below Now \| Download Poems of 2000 (1.8 MB, 38 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Of these 33 poems, "Prayer for 2000" and "Benediction for 2000" celebrate the beginning and end of the year in solemn, thankful tones. "Freedom Grounded" explores free will, error, and consequences. "Quiet" is an invitation to anyone who feels major stress to see if just sitting quietly may ease life a bit.
	Flies on the Ceiling \| Download Poems of 1999 (1.9 MB, 18 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents 1999 was the year of millennial fear for many. Of the 13 poems in this book, "A Millennial Date" and "A Haiku Quilt for Y2K" address the year's prevailing uncertainties. "Shopping Cheap" takes jabs at the hollowness of shopping in a huge discount store. "Graduation" is a poetic snapshot of a typical graduate's relief and uncertainty.
	Knocking on the Sky \| Download Poems of 1997-1998 (3.1 MB, 25 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These 18 poems address metaphysical and theological questions obliquely and suggestively. "Five Definings" takes on "Sky," "Earth", "Heaven," "Hell," and "Friendship," allowing 6 short lines to define each. "Passing Through" suggests that we can relax our hold on "things" to ease our sojourn on earth.
	Heartclips \| Download Poems of 1996 (1.4 MB, 31 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents What your heart may feel or do with these 26 poems is up to you. Many of them approach the topic of love: "Analogies for Love," "Good Friday," "On Leaning," "seeing you," "Walk," "War Baby," "Washing Windows," and "A Younger Friend." Grief and healing are addressed in "Griefs That Stay" and "Sharing Copedom."
	Writing All Over the World's Wall \| Download Poems and Aphorisms of 1995 (2.6 MB, 29 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Much of this book is devoted to humor and whimsy, but there are some introspective poems here, too. Aphorisms included in "Needlework" were first published in Thinker's Daily Ponderable and haven't worn out yet. "A Wiggy Sopsty" is a puzzling poem consisting of mostly made-up words, but it scans and rhymes.
	The Wheel of Yes \| Download Poems and Essays of 1994 and 1995 (881 KB, 25 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents A variety of poems and essays, all of which plunge into the psyche, are offered here. The title poem "The Wheel of Yes" offers an outlook broader than that of fear and materialism.
	Thunderbolt Blooming \| Download Poems of 1994 (732 KB, 24 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents For the inner life three poems cover meditation and Christmas, while other poems and aphorisms offer psychology and sardonic humor.
	Pieces of Mind \| Download Brevity and Levity - 1994 (707 KB, 14 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Pieces of Mind offers 61 short quips and rhyming verses--some on the lighter side, some with jagged edges, and many that poke fun at ego.
	Blue Sky in Buckets \| Download Poems of 1990 (621 KB, 21 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents From the suffering people feel with empty personal "buckets" to the ecstasy of being nothing during a Saturday walk, these poems grapple with root human issues.
	Inward in Words \| Download Poems of 1990 (619 KB, 19 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents This book contains meditative or contemplative poems, and also some wry ones, with the direction being generally inward. Until we understand silence, we only partially understand words.
	Echoes of the Decalogue \| Download Poetic Interpretations of the Ten Commandments (628 KB, 16 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Intelligently followed, the Ten Commandments engender love and growth, steering us away from blunders which might later bounce back upon us as pain or illness.
	Splashes and Breezes \| Download Poems of 1988 (851 KB, 32 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems cover such topics as love, death, college nostalgia, illusion, marriage, satire, changeable moods, and a view of freedom.
	Sparks from the Flame \| Download Poems of 1985 (795 KB, 26 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents In this volume "Seed Thoughts" is a collection of 21 haiku suitable for meditation. "Night Thoughts" is a poem of despair with some light at the end. "America the Beautiful Revisited" takes some pokes at trivial living and lack of ethics in modern America. There are many other poems on widely varied topics.
	Poems That Search and Poems That Question \| Download Poems of 1982 (522 KB, 21 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents The poems in this early volume grapple with puzzling questions and strive for clarity. The book's dedication reads: "To all who search and question: may they find and know." Enjoy the search.
	College Poems \| Download Poems of 1966 (441 KB, 14 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These early poems were written at Illinois State University from 1962 through 1966, and several of them were published in various issues of ISU's literary magazine, The Triangle. The card below the poem A Sonnet to Igor Stravinksy is a scan of his written acknowledgement of receiving the poem in 1966.
For all of the above books you need Adobe Reader (it's free).

Oasis Home Page

PDF Books Written by Alan Harris FREE for personal downloading and printing using Adobe Reader New PDF: Noon Out of Nowhere: Complete Poems and Aphorisms of Alan Harris Book announcement at Quill and Parchment Press
	Noon Out of Nowhere \| Download Complete Poems and Aphorisms of Alan Harris (7.7 MB, 389 poems, 511 pages) Table of Contents only Book announcement at Quill and Parchment Press This is an alphabetized complete collection of all poems and aphorisms written by Alan Harris from 1963 through 2021. Individual poems can be printed from the PDF. The table of contents in the PDF lists each poem title alphabetically, where clicking on a poem title brings up that poem. The book can also be read sequentially, starting anywhere. Forms of the poems are free verse, rhymed, haiku, and sonnets, including three sets of aphorisms: "Daresayings," "Pieces of Mind," and "Spared for Seed."
	Christmas Reflections \| Download Poems and humor (1.9 MB, 17 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents The poems, humor, and pathos here are out-of-the-ordinary probings into the spirit of this potent holiday season. You may relate to the near-silence of snow falling on snow, to the despair at having lost a loved one, or to the quiet majesty of a manger scene. Enjoy a tongue-in-cheek Christmas FAQ and probe below Scrooge's anti-Christmas crust to the hurting human within.
	Rhyming Poems \| Download Selections (1 MB, 49 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Although my poetry is mostly written in free verse, these poems are exceptions which rhyme only because the whim insisted. From across my collection of poems I have selected those written with traditional or original rhyme schemes. As a bonus, the book includes sheet music for my song "Lullaby."
	Figments and Flights \| Download Collected Short Stories (1 MB, 65 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Here are thirteen short stories by Alan Harris and two World War II Air Force stories by his father, Keith E. Harris, whose stories are true. Some of Alan's enter into spaces beyond the usual. The book's theme is "The reality that protects you also confines you."
	Prose Probings \| Download Collected Essays (1.1 MB, 44 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents 23 prose essays on such topics as love, the inner Web, trusting emotions, quality, decision-making, fame, truth, knowing, quiet meditation, and many others. Several have a humorous bent, while others take on serious topics, such as an examination of some motivations leading to suicide. Cover photos were taken in Australia.
	A Matter of Breath \| Download Poems of 2003 - 2007 (799 KB, 22 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Poems on meditation and the inner life.
	Sometimes a Glimpse \| Download Poems of Spiritual Inquiry (831 KB, 39 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Selected from the entire collection for relevance to spiritual inquiries and experiences, these poems seek understanding of issues beyond the mind yet strongly felt. They follow no denomination or established religion, yet may be found to be relevant to nearly anyone's spiritual questionings.
	Night Light \| Download A Collection of Nocturnal Poems (604 KB, 31 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems, all having to do with night, examine some of those strange but real feelings that can accompany darkness. A few are humorous (like "Santa's Interior Monologue" and "To Sleep") but the others give respect and homage to mysterious sounds and sights that come in the night.
	Fireflies Don't Bite \| Download Poems of 2002 (364K, 27 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems bow to the spirit of the firefly, which emits light without needing (or even being able) to bite. Recurring themes are reconciliation, understanding, healing, and new directions. Special thanks go to Mia Aasbakken of Norway for permission to use her art on the book's cover.
	Ponderables All Year \| Download A Birthday Book of Original Aphorisms (5.4 MB, 83 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents This birthday book collects some of my uncollected thinking and provides you with a space beside each day of the year for collecting the uncollected birthdays of your friends and relatives. Included are 365 of my ponderables, one for each day of the year, which range from the unabashedly wacky to the exploringly spiritual. Twelve of my seasonal poems appear here, one at the beginning of each month, and the book is decorated with my color photography.
	Being Well \| Download Poems of empathy and support w/photos (6.6 MB, 42 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Things go wrong. We suffer. Misfortune can cripple our bodies, frazzle our emotions, or fog our intellects. At times like these, empathy and support from others can be not only a comfort but a stimulus toward healing. 36 poems with photos. Please don't expect lightness and humor in these poems. They don't cajole, but they do invite serious thought.
	Lessons Out of School \| Download Ten droll anecdotes from childhood (1.0 MB, 15 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Growing up in a small Illinois town was neither as safe nor as dull as one might suppose. Intended for both musing and amusement, each of these ten anecdotes not only tells a story but also concludes with a lesson learned outside of school. Some of the lessons repeat themselves in different stories.
	Carpet Flights \| Download Poems of 2001 (1.4 MB, 40 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Each of these 34 poems can be felt as a carpet flight into an emotional area or era. There are three healing meditations and an encouraging poem entitled "After a Mostness of Hurt' for those who are waiting out pain. "A Hidden Sky" and "Leaf Dance" accentuate the whimsical with their close-up glimpses of neighborhood nature.
	Just Below Now \| Download Poems of 2000 (1.8 MB, 38 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Of these 33 poems, "Prayer for 2000" and "Benediction for 2000" celebrate the beginning and end of the year in solemn, thankful tones. "Freedom Grounded" explores free will, error, and consequences. "Quiet" is an invitation to anyone who feels major stress to see if just sitting quietly may ease life a bit.
	Flies on the Ceiling \| Download Poems of 1999 (1.9 MB, 18 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents 1999 was the year of millennial fear for many. Of the 13 poems in this book, "A Millennial Date" and "A Haiku Quilt for Y2K" address the year's prevailing uncertainties. "Shopping Cheap" takes jabs at the hollowness of shopping in a huge discount store. "Graduation" is a poetic snapshot of a typical graduate's relief and uncertainty.
	Knocking on the Sky \| Download Poems of 1997-1998 (3.1 MB, 25 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These 18 poems address metaphysical and theological questions obliquely and suggestively. "Five Definings" takes on "Sky," "Earth", "Heaven," "Hell," and "Friendship," allowing 6 short lines to define each. "Passing Through" suggests that we can relax our hold on "things" to ease our sojourn on earth.
	Heartclips \| Download Poems of 1996 (1.4 MB, 31 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents What your heart may feel or do with these 26 poems is up to you. Many of them approach the topic of love: "Analogies for Love," "Good Friday," "On Leaning," "seeing you," "Walk," "War Baby," "Washing Windows," and "A Younger Friend." Grief and healing are addressed in "Griefs That Stay" and "Sharing Copedom."
	Writing All Over the World's Wall \| Download Poems and Aphorisms of 1995 (2.6 MB, 29 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Much of this book is devoted to humor and whimsy, but there are some introspective poems here, too. Aphorisms included in "Needlework" were first published in Thinker's Daily Ponderable and haven't worn out yet. "A Wiggy Sopsty" is a puzzling poem consisting of mostly made-up words, but it scans and rhymes.
	The Wheel of Yes \| Download Poems and Essays of 1994 and 1995 (881 KB, 25 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents A variety of poems and essays, all of which plunge into the psyche, are offered here. The title poem "The Wheel of Yes" offers an outlook broader than that of fear and materialism.
	Thunderbolt Blooming \| Download Poems of 1994 (732 KB, 24 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents For the inner life three poems cover meditation and Christmas, while other poems and aphorisms offer psychology and sardonic humor.
	Pieces of Mind \| Download Brevity and Levity - 1994 (707 KB, 14 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Pieces of Mind offers 61 short quips and rhyming verses--some on the lighter side, some with jagged edges, and many that poke fun at ego.
	Blue Sky in Buckets \| Download Poems of 1990 (621 KB, 21 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents From the suffering people feel with empty personal "buckets" to the ecstasy of being nothing during a Saturday walk, these poems grapple with root human issues.
	Inward in Words \| Download Poems of 1990 (619 KB, 19 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents This book contains meditative or contemplative poems, and also some wry ones, with the direction being generally inward. Until we understand silence, we only partially understand words.
	Echoes of the Decalogue \| Download Poetic Interpretations of the Ten Commandments (628 KB, 16 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents Intelligently followed, the Ten Commandments engender love and growth, steering us away from blunders which might later bounce back upon us as pain or illness.
	Splashes and Breezes \| Download Poems of 1988 (851 KB, 32 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These poems cover such topics as love, death, college nostalgia, illusion, marriage, satire, changeable moods, and a view of freedom.
	Sparks from the Flame \| Download Poems of 1985 (795 KB, 26 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents In this volume "Seed Thoughts" is a collection of 21 haiku suitable for meditation. "Night Thoughts" is a poem of despair with some light at the end. "America the Beautiful Revisited" takes some pokes at trivial living and lack of ethics in modern America. There are many other poems on widely varied topics.
	Poems That Search and Poems That Question \| Download Poems of 1982 (522 KB, 21 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents The poems in this early volume grapple with puzzling questions and strive for clarity. The book's dedication reads: "To all who search and question: may they find and know." Enjoy the search.
	College Poems \| Download Poems of 1966 (441 KB, 14 pages) Front Cover \| Back Cover \| Contents These early poems were written at Illinois State University from 1962 through 1966, and several of them were published in various issues of ISU's literary magazine, The Triangle. The card below the poem A Sonnet to Igor Stravinksy is a scan of his written acknowledgement of receiving the poem in 1966.
For all of the above books you need Adobe Reader (it's free).