Hold Fast to Dreams

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Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams fade
Life is a silent symphony
That cannot be played.

Copyright 2020 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Orchid Wings

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daydreams of flying,
white wings, soaring, gliding
on every breeze Continue reading →

A Halloween Story

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Halloween Party Prep

The littlest Trick wept white, cobwebby tears when Lord Phantomdor chose potion-boiling witches.

Choose me! he thought. Too shy to shout, he stayed still as a pumpkin.

Trick’s cheery smile was not Halloweeny, but he couldn’t frown with a party coming. Nor could he let go of his wish.

Trick smiled despite tears trickling and tangling into a thick, stingy mess while Lord Phantomdor chose ghasties, spook-dashes, rook-chompers and bald-banters, until

Lord Phantomdor’s eyes fell on the scariest –

now looking like a funnel spider lair –

the littlest Trick had turned into the best party decoration of all.

And was chosen.

Copyright 2019 Brenda Davis Harsham

Notes: This 100-Word Story (not counting the title) was written for Susanna Leonard Hill’s spooky kids lit contest. Feel like crafting one yourself? Or witch-crafting one?

Writing Tip — first figure out what your main character wants and why s/he can’t get it. Then tell his/her story with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Hope you stay safe and don’t eat too much candy today!

Apple Blossom Breeze

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spring is certain
when squirrels chase each other in
an apple-scented breeze

Copyright 2019 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Inside the Poppy

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inside the poppy,
lies a dark purple pulse
a secret heart

Copyright 2019 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Anticipating

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anticipating,
the frisson of the unknown,
is better than knowing

Copyright 2019 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Daisy Days

 

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crowded banks of daisies
drowse and nod,
smiling

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Spring Rain

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rain plops
plink, plink
shiny drops
trees drink

squirrels scatter
flowers glisten
birds natter
i listen

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

#PoetryFriday — Starry, Starry Spring

Flowering Tree

starry petals,
snow foreshadowed
their fall

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

Words Keep Me

Pink Hyacinth in Rain

implacable rain
drenches skin, soil and stem but
my words keep me dry

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →

A Book by the Brook — Don’t Ask a Dinosaur

Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

— William Shakespeare

A Book by the Brook: Book Reviews at FriendlyFairyTales.com

This light romp from Deborah Bruss and Matt Forest Esenwine has loads of laughs as dinos try wrapping presents and baking cakes in Don’t Ask a Dinosaur. The text has loads of those tough dino names, all with dots to separate the syllables into pronounceable snack-sizes. And it scans smoothly and rhymes! I know, I couldn’t believe it either. Plus, Louie Chin did a wonderful job bringing the dinos to vivid but not-too-scary life. Continue reading →

Spring Greening

Blue scilla flowers

tiny shoots
break the brown earth,
rabbits are glad

tiny shoots of gladness
tickle my wintery skin

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading →