Abandoned at the Railyard

still sidecars 
no schedule or passengers, 
just ghost conductors 

Copyright 2022 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading

November on the Brain

The first startling snow melts. 
The evidence of an odd year 
disappears into wet puddles 
and sodden soil, cold and drear. Continue reading

Maple Down Ditty

autumn rain 
slapping five with maple leaves, 
pitter-pat splats  

Copyright 2020 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading

Halloween is What?!

Image Courtesy of Unsplash

At first, Kelly can’t believe the news. But when dragons puff angry fire, she knows it’s true. Trick-or-Treating is canceled!

Something must be done.
Monsters need some fun. 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!

Harvest Happiness

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harvest
heavy and round,
happiness

in fall, even the apples
have stars

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading

Nearly Happy Halloween

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Nearly Halloween,
time to see the unseen:
alligators in the milkweed,
cell bars in the pavement,
and everything spooky In-Between.

Copyright 2018 Brenda Davis Harsham Continue reading

Be safe!

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Happy Halloween!

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Flour paste and
a smile sewn
hide an orange face
because hiding
one’s true colors
is the monster way,
today of all days. Continue reading

October O’s

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October is a month of O’s:
orange gourds, ogres, owlets, oracles,
octopuses, otters and orangutans on
odysseys with outstretched hands, Continue reading

Halloween Color

 

Halloween
haunted in harvest reds
summer’s fallen

Note: Here’s a happy halloween haiku for you!

October Blooms

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October blooms are
heavy under gray skies.
Summer is a faded smudge
on the hydrangeas. Continue reading