Sunshine writes on each leaf
In a language I cannot read.
Nature connects to me, is my belief,
Granting succor, solace: things I need.
Golden leaves have much to say,
Dappled by daylight, joyful, calm.
Cheer and peace are mine today;
Nature’s beauty provide the balm.
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Today you are you!
That is truer than true!
There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
~ Dr Seuss
Used with kind permission of Ese at Ese’s Voice
We leave traces of ourselves for the future to discover, to know us from the fragments. My mother left me her diamond ring, her sewing machine, a scarf from Paris, her bible and a memory of love. Her love provided my place in the world, surrounding me with a sense of safety so deep I took it completely for granted. I had slid into place in her love with a click that still rings in my ears. I didn’t even realize what I had until it was gone, leaving its place in my heart empty, like an underground cave echoing the booming of the sea. When I lost her, my father created a new place for me in a new family, and I appreciate his doing that, but I never regained that deep sense of security or felt the click as I slid into my place.
I have tried to recreate that security for my family. For my kids, my man and myself. I hope they take their love and safety for granted, because then I know I’m succeeding. In my turn, I will leave my mother’s diamond and her sewing machine, with which I sewed their baby blankets. Perhaps I will leave some other fragments which are mine alone, not least my love. I am me, and she is me. Perhaps my words will linger.
one or two jewels
our connection to the past
left for the future
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Inspired by Haibun Thinking Week 6, the Seuss prompt in honor of his upcoming birthday and Ese’s Voice’s haibun picture prompt.
purple trumpets joyfully welcome spring, frantic sunshine music
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Note: This is my second ever American Haiku. I still have a few posts left to make from my warm vacation. Tomorrow we have a snowstorm due. 🙂 The American Haiku or American Sentence form was created by Allen Ginsberg, who brought it away from nature toward our modern, urban lifestyle and left it high and dry on one line, as more similar to the original haiku form, which was not broken into lines. My first is Silent Bathhouse.
Somehow, without my noticing, I have reached my one year blogoversary. WordPress let me know, and I was actually surprised. I’ve hardly noticed the year passing, I love the WordPress community and publishing. I even find myself thinking about attending BlogHer, although the likelihood is low, given my three kids need my time.
I started blogging without much clue, just putting stories up to make it easier to get copies to requesting beta-readers. Over the last year, I have been welcomed by other bloggers, who have become friends, you know who you are! To take a snapshot of progress, friendly fairy tales has 1379 followers and 36,293 hits since June from 103 countries. I have published nearly 50 fairy tales and over 110 poems. That averages about one story and two poems a week. I have had such fun sharing and hearing back from readers of all ages. I counted up all the likes laboriously some day after I passed 10,000 total and not since. No idea how many like I have now, as WordPress is keeping that knowledge pretty tight these days, but I know I have 8,123 comments. Holy Mackerel! Thanks WordPress, for all the information you do give, it’s more than I can process most days.
I have also collected well over a hundred awards, and I have even more thanks to share for these: Continue reading
fading afternoon
vacation memories stored
moss darkens the day
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
interconnected
twisted up and intertwined
family
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
proud snapdragons
bow and dance with raindrops
tasting clouds
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Don’t look now, but a tough looking bird is on our trail.
He’s pretending not to look at us, but he keeps turning up wherever we go!
Grumpy was overheard to say: “Flowers! Where did these come from! What a nuisance! They are making my brother sneeze!”
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
My prince has come!
My, he seems angry. And he has a hook!
Now that crocodile has eaten him! He must have gone down well despite the hook and sword, that croc looks so cheerful! What’s that mysterious ticking noise?
The End
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Inspired by the amazing horticulture at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. We have left the snow in New England, but we have found Snow White. 🙂 This was for all of you who’ve asked to see snaps from our trip…
joy radiates
in all directions at once
vacation week
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Hope you are all having great weeks!
Warmly, Brenda
Used with kind permission of Arthur Browne via Haibun Thinking
When I know a vacation is coming, I build castles in the sky of what amazing adventures are coming. Being a perfectionist, I imagine how it could be perfect, and work toward making it so, and worry about all the things that could go wrong.
My daughter was puking up her guts, going through copious bedding as the waves came, and then seemed to abate, and then returned, all through a very long night. The next day, Friday, was the last day of school before vacation week, and my older son tossed his cookies at school (yes, another vomiting euphemism).
Meanwhile, my laptop’s hard drive’s ever increasing crashing turned out to be its death throes. All weekend, I rotated the laundry and worked toward getting a new hard drive, integration of a new operating system and retrieval of all my work.
Still, I found time to continue dreaming of palm trees, blue skies, warm breezes and perfect, lazy vacation days. A snowstorm came through, dumping six inches. My kids were puking, the snow was falling, and my laptop was in the shop. And yes, I continued to aspire to the perfect vacation, especially while shoveling or driving to the apple store.
hope does not tire
dreams never leave
vacation, will come
Miraculously, vacation did arrive, a few days late. Saturday: endless snow, struggling with data retrieval, fighting off my own fever, preparing lots of invalid food. Sunday: on the phone with apple support for hours, successfully retrieved my data despite the backup partially failing, then ran a new backup for 12 hours. Monday: packing frantically, departing for the airport, long pacing at Newark Airport waiting for our connecting flight, getting in very late, exhausted kids and parents.
Here it is Tuesday, and we have lounged by the pool, seen lizards on palm trees, and drank champagne (ok, not the kids). We managed to get here in time for the best weather all week.
dreams blossom
green fronds unfold in sun
paradise found
Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham
Inspired by the Haibun Thinking prompt and the photograph above by Arthur Browne.
Friendly Fairy Tales 