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April 1, 2014

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April Fool’s Day by Kenn Nesbitt

I found a hilarious poem on allaboutmanners website, but the post was deleted. Here is a stanza and a link to the whole poem (5 stanzas) you can follow and read it elsewhere, if you like:

April Fool’s Day
by Kenn Nesbitt

Mackenzie put a whoopie cushion
on the teacher’s chair.
Makayla told the teacher
that a bug was in her hair.

To continue reading, click here.

allaboutmanners

Mackenzie put a whoopie cushion
on the teacher’s chair.
Makayla told the teacher
that a bug was in her hair.

Alyssa brought an apple
with a purple gummy worm
and gave it to the teacher
just to see if she would squirm.

Elijah left a piece of plastic
dog doo on the floor,
and Vincent put some plastic vomit
in the teacher’s drawer.

Amanda put a goldfish
in the teacher’s drinking glass.
These April Fool’s Day pranks
are ones that you could use in class.

Before you go and try them, though,
there’s something I should mention:
The teacher wasn’t fooling
when she put us in detention.

–Kenn Nesbitt

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

April 1, 2014

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Tales for Kids of All Ages

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Sparkles in Nature

Sparkles on the ocean are magical indeed. Here is a great magical pairing of photo and quote from our friend, White Rabbit’s Gallery. I hope you enjoy! Warmly, Brenda

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

April 1, 2014

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Holiday, Humor, Photography

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Summer has arrived in New England!

April Fools! We had hail, sleet and rain yesterday: what the weather professionals call a “wintry mix.” I prefer my wintery mix to include a fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate, a foot rub and my dinner delivered by the culinarily gifted. I wonder if that will ever happen. At least the pizza place delivers. 🙂

Here are some brave early flowers, just poking up their heads and drinking some rain. The oak trees have started dropping leaves, and new green leaves are sure to be along any day. Warmth and sunlight are predicted, but who knows if the weather professions are just joking or serious.

Have a fun First!

Warmly, Brenda

Note: For any not familiar with the U.S.A. April First tradition, I will explain. The goal is to get someone to believe something diabolical, and wait for them to interject: “What!?!” Then you yell “April Fool’s!!” And laugh a lot while they groan.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 30, 2014

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Fairy Tale for Boys, Fairy Tale for Girls, Tales for Kids of All Ages

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The Red String

By Anja at Oh Pithy Me

As Megan wove sprigs of lilac into Bella’s black hair and then pinned her veil in place, she asked: “Bella, remember the witch and the red string?”

Bella was hooking pearls into her ears, but she stopped for a moment as memory overtook her. Megan and she had been friends their whole lives. One spring day, Megan’s mom had bribed Megan’s big brother, Stefan, to take the girls to the ice cream parlor. They passed the witch’s house on the way.

Peeling paint and rotted gutters had festooned the ancient Victorian behind the low juniper hedge, and all the neighborhood children believed a witch lived there. The three had stopped and looked up, Megan with a delicious shiver. Crows flew out of a nest by the chimney, cawing loudly.

“I dare you to go ring the bell,” Megan liked baiting her older brother, Stefan, to do things that got him in trouble.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 29, 2014

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

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The Path toward Spring: Haiku Kai

past barren trees
path leads toward evergreens,
spring in infancy

earth still hard from winter’s cold
pine needles soften, endure

tender green shoots
entwined with fall memories
struggle toward sunshine

dream of golden summer warmth
tiger lily hearts leaping

Note: These two tanka are inspired by the Carpe Diem Haiku Kai,
and I dedicate them to Kristjaan, on the birth of his new grandchild.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 29, 2014

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Photography, Poetry

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Tenacity: a Visual Haiku

blue dormancy
bitter winter winds cease
lavender in March

HAIKU INVITATION! Please feel free to leave your own haiku here, in the comments, to celebrate spring and the tenacity of all creatures who survive the bitter winds of winter. So much more could be said, perhaps by you!

Note: The photograph is a visual haiku: a photograph suggesting more than is there. In this case, the photograph made me think of the tenacity of life, to go dormant, slumber throughout the cold, and then wake to sunshine and spring. Another Visual Haiku is at Come and Gone.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

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March 28, 2014

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Flash Fiction, Photography, Tales for Kids of All Ages

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Fae Flash Fiction: Catkin

Early one spring, a wood elf named Jake darted here and there with warming sparkles. He nearly got caught by two humans and a beagle. The beagle spotted him, gave chase and barked. Jake flew up into a tall shrub.

Before the humans even turned their heads, quick as a wink, he swirled his dandelion coat in tight and held to the pussy willow branch. Just another catkin, hiding in plain sight. Which one is the bud and which the wood elf?

Only the beagle knows. Jake wiggled the branch when the humans passed by, and dropped some raindrops onto the waiting beagle’s nose. He hid again, and then peeked at the wagging tail of the beagle, happily walking away, christened by the wood elf. Jake grinned, then merrily went back to warming forsythia buds and catkins.

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 27, 2014

Posted under

Tales for Kids of All Ages

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Mystical Place

Take a brief vacation among the magic in this hidden Florida gem of a garden. Thanks to White Rabbit’s Garden for the great picture and quote from Shakespeare. If you don’t know White Rabbit, you should give it a visit, it’s a magical blog with beauty, wisdom and music. Have a great day! Warmly, Brenda

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Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 26, 2014

Posted under

Poetry

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Let Your Voice Ring Out

To have the sense of one’s intrinsic worth …
is potentially to have everything.
~ Joan Didion

Insight is nurtured within quiet souls. When released, it has the power to change lives. Many of my writing students have been quiet, hardworking people all their lives, devoting themselves to their families and their jobs. Many of them tell me they loved writing in high school or college, but they stopped afterwards. I encourage them to tell their stories in their own words. Today, I asked them to let their voices ring out.

Let My Voice Ring Out and Over the Earth

Let my voice ring out and over the earth,
Through all the grief and strife,
With a golden joy in a silver mirth:
Thank God for Life!

Let my voice swell out through the great abyss
To the azure dome above,
With a chord of faith in the harp of bliss:
Thank God for Love!

Let my voice thrill out beneath and above,
The whole world through:
O my Love and Life, 0 my Life and Love,
Thank God for you!

– James Tomson (1834-1882, only 48 years old…)

They do not voice complaints, and instead share their stories with trepidation, some afraid to be considered complaining or unfortunate. I don’t perceive telling the truth as complaining. I don’t greet their words with pity, but with joy. Joy to hear how strong and thoughtful they are. And joy that I have contributed in some small way to helping them find their voices.

From your well-spring of self-worth, from the source of your voice, comes all the things that make life worth living, despite the hardships, the mishaps and the worries.

let your voice ring out
let the birds startle and fly,
into the trees

Blue sky and a tree in the shape of a heart.

Do you see the heart?

Inspired by the Haibun Thinking Week 10, Quote Week. Thanks to the people volunteering their time to help motivate others to write.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 26, 2014

Posted under

Poetry

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Birthday Parties

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.
– Mae West

We’ve had big parties, and we’ve had small. We’ve had tea parties, tumbling, laser tag, jungle gyms, hikes, fairies, butterflies, sleepovers and even a party bus that pulled up out front. One thing I’ve learned from having parties for my kids: they all make me smile, and are moments to remember.

Candles on cupcakes,
Lungs filled with air,
Wishes outnumber
Cares, on kids’ birthdays.

As the number of kids we have increases, and the number of kids’ birthdays celebrated has passed twenty, I look back with most appreciation on the smaller parties. The greater intimacy allows for capturing more of that reflected joy, bottled forever in my memory. (And fewer numbers of presents to find places for.)

For me, March is the month of spring and birthdays (two of my kids and my dad).

packages wrapped
explosions of colorful paper
expressions of love

Inspired by the Ligo Haibun Challenge (Quote week) and Paint the World with Words (Naani poetry prompt). Thanks to the talented people volunteering their time to help motivate complete strangers to write.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

March 26, 2014

Posted under

Tales for Kids of All Ages

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Fairie Dance

I hope you have a moment to visit High Five and Raspberries, who’s written a fabulous tale for her grandson, Finnegan Owen. I’m related to the Hatfield’s by marriage, but I still honor this magical moment in the day of a McCoy. May you see fairies dancing! Warmly, Brenda