Aloft

July 9, 2025Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Hard times, hope, Micro-fiction, New Beginnings, saying goodbye 43 Comments

“When, Mammie?” Sally fidgeted on Bella’s lap. Bony butt on bony thighs on a hard bench. It hurt, but Bella ignored the discomfort.

“Any second now,” she responded. The crowd’s hum amplified the thumping in her chest. Heart to ribs. Heart in throat.

A rumbling started. Imperceptible at first, then a rattling that shook the ground, and a moment later, sound.

Two beams shot up. Lit the night sky.

“Goodbye, Eric,” Bella mouthed, tears overflowing. She held Sally so tightly that the child protested. “Find hope, my love. Find life. Then come back for the rest of us.”

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Roger Bultot

Urban Sprawl

April 13, 2025Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Growth, hope, Micro Fiction, New Beginnings, Photo prompt, Plant Life 20 Comments

Photo prompt © Nancy Richy

The day the sun returned, the roots found joy.

It’s been an endless dreary time, asleep under the solitary plant light in the basement, curled in, unwilling to release new leaf into confinement.

Then came the roiling movement, the rumbling monster that made Earth wobble under ground. A quaking that woke ancient worries, but also a forgotten hope.

For new space can manifest after the earth moves.

New like this sill. This glorious comfy ledge. This daily warm caress.

The tendrils leapt, crept, grown. They found a mirror – of themselves – reflected in the glass.

A happy urban sprawl.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Aloft

February 21, 2024February 21, 2024Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Historical fiction, Micro Fiction, Migrant Children, Migration, New Beginnings, Wagon 47 Comments

It was the opposite of everything. No more the steady breath of fire in the hearth. No more the solid oaken walls that Grandpa hewed and Grandma charred. No more the steady view that only seasons marked.

She was aloft atop the bedding, swaying on the ruts, the creaks of wooden wheels squeaking out of step with the team’s heavy clip-clop.

Another place awaits, Ma says, though where or what Faith couldn’t tell. How when all who’d gone before hadn’t returned?

Pa’s steady shoulders hitched with the reins. “Prepare,” he said. “We’ll circle wagons and there’d be chores ‘fore long to tend.”

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Alicia Jamtaas

Starburst

September 30, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Meditations, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: Birth, Energy, Imagery, New Beginnings, Poetry, Radiate, Star, Universe, Weekend Writing Prompt 4 Comments

(Photo: Casey Horner on Unsplash)

They gathered in formation. Pressed close against each other, every atom tight, compressed, readied for flight.

The energy reverberated. Excitement climbed.

“On your mark!”

They huddled to the center.

Bright. Bright.

“Let go!”

Radiate out!

For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt of: Radiate in 35 words

A Table For Two

June 17, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Best friends, Creative writing, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Just for fun, Making do, Micro-fiction, New Beginnings, Photo Challenge 24 Comments

She placed the heavy chairs just so. Added a table that was dumped in front of the Crumble Cafe when the owners changed and the new management did away with all the old stuff. Staff included.

All of them kicked to the curb.

She had no job, but could be a foster mama to a table.

Especially as she had already two chairs waiting. Cast iron to pair with the castoff.

“A table for two,” she told Harriet.

Harriet made herself comfortable. On the table.

“Really?” Mattie laughed.

Harriet swished her tail in feline approval.

Cream and crumpets.

Perfect pair.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt © Rowena Curtin

Another Step

June 10, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Life and love, Muse and Flow, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Escape, Flash Fiction, Getting Away, Micro Fiction, New Beginnings, Perseverance, Poetry, Trauma, Weekend Writing Prompt, Writing Challenge 19 Comments

(Photo by Volkan Olmez on Unsplash)

Her legs were lead.

Her arms were stone.

She could not take another step.

The weight around her neck,

Shackles

She could not

Discard.

She was so tired.

But she’d gotten them away

And he was breathing still.

So she shifted the child in her arms.

Walked on.

For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt of: tired in 48 words

To The Naga’s Protection

April 22, 2023April 23, 2023Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Things Kids Say, Writing Tags: 100WordChallenge, Difficult decisions, Family, Friday Fictioneers, grandparents, Gratitude, Loss, love, New Beginnings, Thailand 26 Comments

“The Naga will protect you, Laang Chaai.”

“Yes, Yaai,” the boy swallowed tears and nodded to his grandmother. Even at his tender age he knew that his Yaai’s love would not be enough. Her body bent over like a broken bamboo, the shape of rice-paddy work even with no paddy to bend over.

The wrinkled hand touched boy’s head, devastated to give up her laang chaai. His mother had died in childbirth, yet she never thought of her grandson as an orphan. Till today.

The monks will raise him now.

“Khawp khun khrap” the boy bowed, palms together over heart.

For Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers

Photo prompt: © David Stewart

Glossary:

Naga – semi-divine dragon-serpents in Thai culture which possess supernatural powers and are the patrons of water

Laang Chaai – grandson

Yaai – grandmother

khawp khun khrap – thank you (when said by male)

Annum

July 16, 2022Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Poetry, Reflections, Writing Tags: Baby, cycle of life, Family, Micro-fiction, New Beginnings, new year, Newborn, parenting, Poetry, Weekend Writing Prompt 20 Comments

(Photo: Jill Sauve on Unsplash)

They named her Annum.

For being born just as the year turned time onto its head

To start anew.

Just as the numbers tumbled from the duos to the singles

To the very first

Of firsts.

A new beginning.

Just as she was,

Finally,

For them.

For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Year in 46 words

An Opportunity To Gamble

July 1, 2022Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Poetry, Reflections, Writing Tags: Attitude, Creative writing, Life Lessons, New Beginnings, Opportunity, Poetry, Resilience, Stream of Consciousness, Writing prompt 18 Comments

(Photo: Inbar Asif)

As she rose out of

Her previous life’s bramble,

She knew there was going to be

The opportunity

To gamble.

With the way her life

Could turn.

With costs and possible

Return.

On what she’d have to do

Again.

And yet, there was, she hoped,

So much

To gain.

So when once more her choice of cards fell

In a shamble,

She laughed because it was

Just a preamble,

To craft herself a new

Ensemble.

Written just for fun, for Linda’s SoCS prompt of “amble”

Wild Away

December 5, 2021Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Breathing Space, CCC, Childhood Adversity, connection, Finding a way, Flash Fiction, Foster Care, healing, Home, Micro-fiction, New Beginnings 12 Comments

ccc160

Margot leaned closer to examine the stake. Her smile grew.

The child should be called Gretel, with such clues.

Then again, Margot was no evil stepmom. Or at least, not evil … The two of them couldn’t help not being biologically related.

Not any more than the girl could help being wild.

The social worker believed the latter a hindrance. Understandable, perhaps, given how many placements the child had lost. The system found it inconvenient to have a lass with more wilderness than tameness, who needed space and took it. Knowing Grenadine’s history, how could they not see why she’d tolerate no leash?

“This child will run away,” the social worker had warned when Margot said she’ll have her. “You’re so rural, you’d have no help keeping her contained.”

Margot had no plan to do so.

The child was free. The sticker meant that she’d be home by dinner.

For Crispina’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge