I think I want a
red one. Wrapped in plastic.
Sticky sugar treat.
Plastic never comes
clean off. Always a remnant
to pick, flick away.
Remember not to
run, paper stick hanging from
a happy red grin.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
It usually surprises people when I tell them, “I do not care for the Christmas season.”
“Arn’t Christians supposed to love Christmas?”
I guess most of them do, but I can’t help but feel an emptiness behind the brightly covered packages and glitz this world throws around during the holiday season. Expectations are high, but things never seem to pan out the way I mean them to. So why write about this now that the Holidays are over, and becoming a memory?
Because the light of Christmas is not supposed to stay locked into a few weeks of the year. The person of Jesus Christ grew and walked away from the manger, taking his flame of light to the very valley of death.
So today I choose to remind myself that though a modern Christmas leaves me empty, and ancient Christ fills me with light.
Look beyond how culture paints things to deep roots.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Photos sourced from unsplash.com
Blue is like
the rising tide.
A constant,
holding certain pride.
Its hues are cold,
sharp as glass.
They give life
as by they pass.
Both deep and dark
vibrant shades,
are gentled when
with time, they fade.
Leaves a kiss
of chilling bliss,
that lingers
bluebells mid mist.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Ordinary. It’s a word we dismiss, and a state of being we overlook. We search for the special spark of the EXTRAordinary. In doing so, we miss so much.
The gift of an ordinary love.
The strength of an ordinary family.
The hope of an ordinary marriage.
The protection of an ordinary house.
The wealth of an ordinary life.
The seeds of an ordinary faith.
For when ordinary built and maintained, storms reveal how it has grown the extraordinary. Don’t cast aside your ordinary.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Photo sourced from unsplash.com
Toes, dressed against
cold. Still chilled and damp, remind
movement is a must.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
“Paddler Press is a new poetry and art mag based in Peterborough/Nogojiwanong, Ontario.” – From Paddler Press Home Page
It excited me when the editor of Paddler Press tweeted he was expanding the call for Issue Three to include Creative None Fiction. I had a piece I felt would be a great fit and jumped at the opportunity.
Deryck N. Robertson felt the same way and blessed me by including it in this great third issue of Paddler Press, All Together.
“Deryck is an elementary teacher, outdoorsman, composer, poet, husband and father.” – from Paddler Press Mast Head Page
“Winter’s Harvest” closes out this issue by inviting its readers to visit the world of my early childhood. It was great fun writing this piece and reliving the details when I called my parents to make sure I remembered correctly.
The Cover features “Unknown Terrain” by Julie Francey.
Paddler Press is a great edition to the Canadian and international word of literary magazines. I hope to see many more issues from them and Deryck.
All three Issues are available HERE. Enjoy the free digital download or order a print copy and support this great small press.
Mary Grace van der Kroef
For healthy development, both emotionally and physically, an infant needs touch. Though many of us hide our longing for intimacy that doesn’t involve sexual contact, adults need touch as well.
A hand to hold. A shoulder to hug. Playful jostling while laughing with friends. These things are important. Give them generously. Receive them gratefully.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Photo sourced from unsplash.com.
It’s a difficult thing
coming about.
Shifting position,
turning around.
Humbling questions,
confusion galore.
But brave souls
can also restore
An off kilter compass,
foot steps astray.
Brave hearts holding
pride at bay.
Utter “I’m sorry,”
cry when they pray.
Know, failure
is more than okay.
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Short stories bring moments to a sharp focus.
It’s challenging to wrap a whole beginning middle and ending into 3000 words or fewer, just as it’s challenging to write a 150,000 word novel. In fact, I am not sure if one is inherently easier than the other when done well. The latter takes planning and perseverance. The first, a lot of word skill. I see both as equally valuable.
It’s addictive and helps propel one forward to the next project with vigor and a sharper focus.
One thing short forms have going for them is time economy. I am a slow writer, and sometimes I take months to craft a short story draft. But I can do it. Whether I take a day, or a few months, I have tasted the flavor of finished work. For a writer, that is huge.
It’s addictive and helps propel one forward to the next project with vigor and a sharper focus. If you struggle to never finish a writing project. Try a short story on for size.
What is difficult to do in short forms is world build. Only that which moves the story forward can be present. Only enough detail as to not confuse the reader should be used. Focus, a sharp point to stay within the intended word count.
Short stories come in many forms. 10,000 words, 5,000 words, 3,000 words and anything in between. Under 1,000 is generally referred to as flash fiction. These brief flashes of creativity seem a natural fit to our modern busy lives. I see them becoming more and more important as our world spins faster and faster.
Then there is the micro-story, anything under 300 words. I particularly enjoy dribbles and drabbles, 100, and 50 word stories. You can read my latest contribution to the drabble world here.
To weave a story with words that are implied, but not written, takes skill.
The shorter your word count, the less the story becomes about the words on a page or screen, and the more in becomes about what is not there. Reading in between the lines, writing with emotions that are not spelled out. It’s truly an art form.
To weave a story with words that are implied, but not written, takes skill. It’s a skill worth honing for any writer as that word economy can be what lifts a full-length novel apart from all the other books on a shelf.
Short stories written about the same people, or place, can be used as building blocks to larger projects. Use them as bridges between your dreams and reality.
But we should never forget the power of the standalone short piece. Their honed narratives and pointed emotions can drive truth and learning into our busy hearts and minds.
When was the last time you read a short story? Did you enjoy it?
©2022 Mary Grace van der Kroef
Mary Grace Writing 