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 →