Pencil in His Hand: A Mother's Journal of Poems, Thoughts, and Stories.

  Brightston: The Beginning. Author's note. This is a sequel story to "A Bright Tale." Here is the link, if you'd like to read it first.  A Bright Tale *** Grandpa Hiram’s gaze rested on each cheerful face before him. Here were Roda and Romi, Bennie-Bright, Linna, Sunny, Lacey-Dell, Dinnie, Holly-Ann, and Yoan. Yes, Yoan, who had once yearned for love and joy. His face now reflected that he was at home. Grandpa Hiram’s own ruddy cheeks grew brighter as he thought of the boy’s happiness. The group sat once more on the velvety hill where he’d previously warned the children of the dangers which lay beyond the kingdom. He’d felt anxious that day: deeply concerned for the well-being and safety of the young ones. Today, however, hope and happiness soared through his being. “Why did you bring us up here, Grandpa?” Roda asked. She and all of the children waited eagerly for his reply. Perhaps Grandpa Hiram wanted to hand out some treats from his bakery, Bennie Bright thought. ...

  Cassie's Calling: Version Two Prologue The proud mother strapped her little one into the stroller, then tucked a baby blue blanket around her. They were all set for a walk around the sun-bathed garden. Baby wore a cute sun hat as well as a bib for any unexpected mishaps. She made a slow circuit around the swimming pool, being careful to dodge any bumps as well as Arthur the cat with his proud stare and Tessie, the white bull terrier, with her understanding doggie smile. “No, Tessie. Don’t come too close. Baby is sleeping. No doggie kisses either. You can walk along with us if you want to though.” The faithful pet happily agreed and walked beside the pram as Cassie did another lap around the pool. When Arthur placed an exploratory paw on the blanket, Tessie nosed him out of the way and was rewarded with a “good dog!” by the little mother.  When Cassie had determined that her infant had absorbed enough sunshine for the day, she headed back to the house with Tessie ever vigilan...

  Foxy's Christmas *** Dear Readers, I am just popping in quickly with a Christmas present for you and your children. If you don't have any young children, don't go away, as it is also for anyone who is young at heart! *** Foxy was proud to have been chosen to sit next to the row of books on Mom's bookshelf. From the bookshelf, he had a grand view of the room and of all who passed by, for Mom's room was at the centre of the house. Foxy had heard her call it a "thoroughfare" in an irritated tone. But Foxy was glad that he hadn't been placed in a quiet corner. From his lookout, he could listen to Lyddie and Ruby tell Mom all about their stories and games. He was admittedly, a bit jealous of two characters named Mr Mushroom and Giraffe, who both seemed to have many adventures. Foxy was not a store bought toy. Mom had lovingly made him from brown, black, and white wool. He had a little black nose, brown button eyes, and a print bow. If truth be told, he wa...

  Where Light Reigns Neo shouldered his pack and stiffened his shoulders. He locked the door of his childhood home and wondered whether he would ever return. It was unlikely. He'd grown up on the nourishing stories his father and mother had told him about the City of Light which lay at the centre of the world. If he could somehow make it to that city, he might  never return to the Gray Kingdom. But first, he'd need to travel through the Gray Kingdom and on to the borders of the Kingdom of Darkness. His only hope of survival would be to find the secret ways which led to the centre of the world. To journey through the neighbouring empire of evil would mean certain death. Neo shuddered. The thought of traveling so far only to be viciously murdered by thugs or thieves was more than he could bear. His steps faltered. "Neo! Neo! Wait for me!" The familiar silky voice brought him to a complete stop. Mira. How like her to turn up just when he was feeling weak. "Hi Mira....

  The Mansion: A Short Story In our time, and in our world, there lived a man in a palatial and ostentatious home. He had inherited a vast estate, and lived off of its benefits as well as the investments he had made.  The mansion  was so large, that one could easily lose count of its bedrooms when walking through its hallways. Each bedroom was luxuriously and vibrantly furnished with welcoming beds of various sizes, cozy seating, lush plants, and entertainments. The over-sized home also boasted large living areas, as well as a library and study which were any bookworm's dream. As for the grounds, they were a fantasy land, which beckoned one to stroll, play, and swim. An elite army of servants saw to it that efficiency and near perfection were maintained. But their job was made more challenging by a strange oddity of the man of the mansion. You see, he had no wife or children. Instead, he had collected many, many pets. And these pampered and spoiled pets filled the luxurio...

  The Searchers: Anja "Would you call yourself a good person?" The street preacher seemed to be looking directly at Anja. She was about to go into the clothing store, but something made her halt before a display of winter jackets in the window instead. Even the manequins with their tilted heads seemed to ask the same question: "Would you call yourself a good person?" Would she? Anja pretended to be deeply interested in the pumpkin coloured creation before her, but in reality, her ears were tuned to the preacher instead. He was quoting from the Bible. Something about no one being good. Only Jesus was truly good, he said. Well, I go to church regularly , she wanted to interject. It's something our family has always done. I give to charities, I even read my Bible from time to time.  Anja mentally added up what she felt were points in her favour. And, she thought, as her gaze shifted to a display of boots, I've never stolen anything, let alone taken a life. Tha...

  Less Is More "So, you're a minimalist now are you?" Zena glanced over at Clarissa. "I've heard of that channel you're watching. Seems to me, everyone's busy de-cluttering." The two women were on their lunchbreak, and Clarissa was watching one of her favourite You Tubers. "I'm not sure I'm a proper minimalist, or if I even like that term. I've done a lot of de-cluttering though." She chuckled. "Seems like everyone's holding de-clutter-a-thons or packing parties these days." Zena rolled her eyes. "It's just a fad. You'll see, they'll just go back to hoarding again after a couple of weeks. So, tell me, are you going to paint all your walls white and get a neutral coloured sofa?" Clarissa grimaced. "Definitely not. I don't want to live without colour, and I don't want to be the kind of minimalist who throws out everything only to splurge on a bunch of new stuff." "Yeah. Th...

  Romantic Moments "I just don't know don't know if I can take it anymore, Mom. Did you have the same trouble with Dad?" "In the beginning. But after a while, I learnt to accept Dad as he was, Lyddie, and that no amount of nagging would change him." Lyddie pulled a face. Mom would say something like that. "But he did change." "Yes, but that was God's doing. I can't take any credit for it. I prayed of course; and kept on loving him and helping him. God did the rest." "Well, I sure hope that Tim comes right soon." They chatted for a little longer, then Lyddie ended the call when baby Zara woke from her nap. She couldn't help smiling as she cuddled the chubby infant. Zara was such a bright spot in her day. If only Tim would be the husband she needed. She thought over her mother's words. Her parents marriage was good and strong now, but things had been pretty tough in the early years. Lyddie's Dad had been a drin...

    (This story was written primarily as a world building exercise. Islamondo, A Poetic Fantasy, was created using this story as a basis.) Read it  here: Islamondo: The Island World. A Short Story In Seven Parts By Alison Lawrence Part One: Unos. It was a hard climb to the top of Mount Una, but the two strong, young men barely broke a sweat on their upward journey. Once at the top, Venturer put down his pack and just stared. His grin was as wide as the valley below and he could not contain his joy as he let out a whoop. His friend, Emir clapped him on the back and laughed. "This view has stolen your tongue hasn't it? All you can do is holler. It's a wondrous creation, isn't it?" "Words truly fail." Venturer agreed. *** The people of Unos were called Adventurers. They were strong and fit with brown complexions, suited to their adventurous life. When an Adventurer became twenty, he or she would embark on a sea-faring adventure, either alone or in pairs. Ve...