Short Story: Rapunzel - Prologue

The mothers arms clung to her small child. The little girl, not quite two, within her arms stroked her mother face and felt the tears the were wetting the cheeks. Her mother always seems sad. The songs that she sang were melancholy. Even her smile was tinged with sorrow. The child breathed her mothers scent in deeply, feeling secure and loved. The child's father was cold and distant, but her mother could never seem to get enough of holding her.

There was a sharp rap at the door and a woman with glistening white hair held rigidly in place with a hair stick entered the house. The child's mother clung to her more tightly. Her father entered and remained silent. The adults spoke to each other in strained voices. The child did not understand what was being said but sensed that something was amiss.

Her father pulled her from her mother and placed her with this new woman. The woman collected the child, turned heel an immediately left the house. The little girl heard her mother's screams and began to cry. This new woman took no notice, and faster than a human could move they were out of earshot of the only home the child had ever known. They seemed to travel through miles of woods. The child cried herself to sleep. When she awoke she found herself in a small circular room with walls comprised of cold stones. In the years that followed, Rapunzel never forgot her mother and cherished those early memories always.

Reflection: This year I resolve to write more

The morning of New Years Eve 2017, I checked my Facebook and saw the following status from a year ago

"I think I am supposed to reflect on the past year today. What can I say, for me this is has been a cold, harsh year of realities, emptiness, and personal failure. I have my health, my family, some wonderful friends, and shelter and for that I am grateful. I have learned to embrace the lessons in Ecclesiastes. I think that is enough to reflect on."


Last year I began the new year bleak and despondent. This year I feel even more hopeless. Life just has turned out well. My plans have crumbled to dust. Dreams are shattered at my feet. The path I was once following has been obscured by the blowing sands of the desert of life leaving me utterly lost. Each day is a chore and the evenings are filled with sadness. Platitudes have left me weary and nearly inconsolable.

So I have decided to resolve to do something. This year my resolution to write more. Perhaps along the way, maybe I'll eventually write something good. Doing so will not change my circumstances, but  it will provide an outlet to explore meaning. I used to be creative and I need to create again. Even if what I produce is the writing equivalent of a stick figure with a head and no body.

My resolution is try to produce at least 4 post a week. I expect many posts will be less than stellar but as I write more, I might get better. I will not be writing exclusively "blog" style posts. I want to explore writing short stories and poetry as well. So here are the types of posts I will be writing. The labels will be in the title.

Reflection: A standard personal blog post.
Health: A post on fitness or mental health, also written in a blog style
Short Story: Self explanatory
Poetry: Self explanatory
Response: Responding to another post or article
Prompt: A day I feel uninspired and need a journal prompt.
Spiritual: I will not write these here but these can be found at my other blog. I will include links.

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. So here one step towards that discipline.