Courage

“Give me my bag!” His bag rustle from hand to hand just out of his reach.

“Come and take it, you dumb kike!” Laughter.

“Give me my bag, the books in it  belong to the library, give it to me!” He reaches for the bag when  it passes through the air.

“Ooh, the kike has been to the library, the kike can read, the kike thinks he is better than us!” The bag lands on the snow. Books all over the snow. More laughter.

A rustle of clothes. Silence.

“Leave him alone!” Hands help him pick up the books.

“Thanks.”

—

This is part of the Reflections at the Magick Tree 12 days of Yule Blog Party

Winter Solstice

She grabs her two children and her small pack from the deck beside her. The cold winter wind rips through her clothes. Looking down the gangway she follows her husband into this new land. So many noises, smells and sights batter her senses. Fear ripples through her heart and mind. Ezra has a commission to build a cathedral in the spring. What will there be for her and the children? she wonders. What good will her calendar be, here in the far north where the sun either never rises or never sets? She takes a firmer hold of the pack, hears the candlesticks clatter against each other. Tomorrow is Shabbat. Will she get everything ready in only six hours of daylight? “Shekinah”, she whispers as she steps onto the snow-covered dock , “Bearer of Burdens and Eternal Presence, just get me through the cold, that will be enough.”

This is part of the Reflections at the Magick Tree 12 days of Yule Blog Party

 

Mother’s Night

She’d dug the den just before the ice broke, it’s her first. It’d had been a good year. Plenty of seals. Now she’s waiting, half asleep beneath the snow. They should be here any time now, her body’s rhythmic signals tells her this. Within the rhythm of her half sleep she wonders what they will be like. She knows they will be two. She’s known since she dug the den. Here comes the first. So small! She moves a little to give him room to find her teat. He smells funny. She didn’t think he’d smell so…real. Here comes the other. A little girl! She too smells funny. It is done. She has completed the task given to her by her mother and her mother before her. Drifting down into the layers of her inner den, she smiles contentedly.

This is part of the Reflections at the Magick Tree 12 days of Yule Blog Party

Here’s my Wife’s corresponding post:

Blue Annis

Poetry Prompt 3 – part 1

Write a 26-line poem using all the letters of the alphabet, where the first line starts with the letter “A,” the second “B,” the third “C,” etc., culminating with the final line starting with “Z.”

Hm… how about making this HARD? 26 Haikus – each line starting with the letters of the alphabet – sounds interesting, right?

a-g:

A  1
arms holding too tight
acorns sprinkled on the path
approaching safety

B  2
bones scattered across
burning sands of the desert
bringing tears of rage

C  3
cat rests on doorstep
caring for nothing in sight
contemplating food

D  4
door sliding ajar
demons gnashing their sharp teeth
drowning in cold sweat

E  5
evening by the pond
early fireflies playing tag
entropy arrive

F  5
fingers over keys
fragments of music reach G-d
fortuity sighs

G  6
growing seeds break soil
grasping sunlight fearlessly
grateful for being

Writing Prompts

Thanks Daphne for helping with the syllable divisions:)

Fancy WORDS

Wherefore avail oneself of an uncomplicated appellation whereas oneself possesses the ability to behold heavenward an additionally flamboyant linguistic unit?

Translation: Why use a simple word when you can look up a fancier one? (from Merit Badger)

Yet… at times synonyms are GOOD, as each one will add a slight flavor to what I am writing. After all, there is a difference between ‘naked’ and ‘bare’. To one who speaks English as their first language, the difference might not be as tangible as for one who has just two words for ‘without cover’.

If I want to say that someone is completely undressed, ‘naked’ will do, yes. But if I want to make a note that someone’s standing in the snow without shoes, ‘bare’ will say a little more, at least to my ears and mind.

But sure, most times the simple word is the best way to go. Also for the writer who does not speak English as their first language.

December 17…and nothing to write about ‘Writing’…

so… I’ll borrow: from Best Colleges Online…

From poetry to lengthy prose, creative writing can be a great way to express yourself. Of course, even the best students and writers can use a few tips, a little inspiration and a whole lot of help getting their work out there. These blogs offer all of that and more. From blogs that focus on writers still trying to make it in the publishing world to those providing updates from best selling authors, you’ll find all kinds of information geared towards improving and informing your creative writing.

A few from the section Aspiring Authors

1. The Desperate Writer: This writer and cosmetologist shares her stories on this blog, both personal and creative.
2. Incurable Disease of Writing: Blogger Missy is getting her degree in creative writing and posts about her experiences on this site.
3. Emerging Writers Network: If you’re just getting started in your writing career, check out this site to learn about the ins and outs of writing and about other writers working towards success.
4. Ficticity: Check out this site to find posted stories, writing tips and even a few book reviews.
5. Authors’ Blogs: This isn’t just one blog, but a collection of numerous aspiring writers sites, so you can take your pick of reading material.
6. Plot Monkeys: These four bloggers talk about everything from their everyday lives to the books they love.
7. Maternal Spark: Moms who love to write or create on the side

a few from the section Improving Your Craft

1. Men With Pens: Whether you’re a writer freelancing or just writing for fun, you’ll find tips on how to do it better on this blog.
2. Write a Better Novel: Make sure whatever you’re writing will get the attention it deserves when time comes to get it published. This blog provides all kinds of information on creating a better novel, no matter the subject.
3. Write Better: Here you’ll find a wide range of writing tips to get your creative writing in top shape.
4. Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity: Learn to get to the point and write clearly and concisely whether you’re writing a letter at work or working on a book.
5. Mike’s Writing Workshop: This blogger is all about posting things that can help writers get better and get inspired.
6. Kim’s Craft Blog: Learn about writing fiction, memoirs and other creative writing from this writer who teaches courses at The Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

a few from the section Grammar and Editing

1. GrammarBlog: Laugh at the grammar and spelling errors of others while getting tips on improving your own skills on this blog.
2. Evil Editor: This editor might be evil, but the tips provided on this blog can really help you refine your stories.
3. Blue Pencil Editing: This blog is both a good resource for working editors and and writers in search of a little guidance.
4. Editing and Proofreading Hints and Tips: Get simple tips on improving your editing process from this blog.
5. Headsup: the blog: Here you’ll find posts about the sometimes frustrating world of editing and learn what not to do.
6. Grammarphobia: This site offers readers the chance to ask their own grammar and language questions and get answers.
7. Apostrophe Abuse: Think you know how to use the apostrophe? This blog might teach you otherwise.
8. Daily Writing Tips: Get some daily advice on how to improve the basics of your writing.

Yeah, I know what a lazy bum I am – but guys – my head is empty, hollow, bare, dead, echoing with the sounds of uninspired SILENCE.

And I still have to come up with a piece on Honor for the 12 Days of Yule Blog Party…

The Fire–messy pile of Embers

Cover of The Fire: A Novel

I just finished reading Katherine Neville’s “The Fire”, the sequel to “The Eight”.

I am disappointed. I not only liked The Eight – I loved it. It had a clear story with characters that had both personality and depth. I even liked Lily Rad’s dog! (I usually despise anything canine smaller than an English Bullterrier) When I had finished reading The Eight I felt I knew the characters, and I missed them once they had disappeared behind the back cover.

When I reached the last page of The Fire I felt relieved. The story starts off well enough with a murder  and an unexpected party. All the usual puzzles and clues and such are there – but where is the personality and depth of the MC? Unfortunately it doesn’t help that the majority of the MCs from The Eight are there, some way or other. Cat Velis’ daughter just isn’t written strongly enough to take hold of either the story or me, the reader. I found myself longing for the parts where the characters from The Eight would speak, act and lead the story.

I can extend a limited amount of understanding for Katherine Neville wanting to inform new readers, who has not read The Eight about the events there. However, I felt like she was using something like a quarter of the book to re-tell The Eight, albeit from a slightly different point of view (new but related characters speaking), but it did take away speed and intensity from the story. She would have gained a lot from simply adding footnotes with references to the first book.

Just as in The Eight she moves between two different time-lines, only this time that ‘take’ is only confusing, because there is no direct connection between the ‘historical pieces’ and the ‘present pieces’. In The Eight the historical pieces were either carried by an MC’s telling the story or through discoveries made by the MCs in present time. In The Fire those ‘links’ are missing. It’s a pity, because without the confusion this creates, the book would be so much more enjoyable.