Hi Everyone:

I hope this email finds you well.  Here are a few of my recent submissions.    I hope you enjoy them.  The first one is a poem.  The second story is a microfiction.   Enjoy.

I also took a few pictures of the cherry blossoms in my neighborhood.  

sincerely,

Marjan

fridayflashfiction

Feeding Time

Shallow holes cover the tree’s bark–
A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker feeds while
a Hummingbird beats its wings.

Copyright (c)

Page & Spine

Worth The Wait
She takes a deep breath, squeezes into a pair of skinny jeans, and tops it off with a chunky white sweater. She purses rouge-stained lips and practices a sultry pout in the hall mirror. She tucks her unruly red curls beneath a long black wig. Then she pulls on a pair of knee-high boots to give the illusion of longer legs but apologizes to her bunions.
One last time, she glances at her reflection in the mirror, gives a conspiratorial wink, and calls a cab.
After she walks into the restaurant, she spots him at their favorite table.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.” She leans down and kisses her forty- year-old husband on the cheek. “Sorry, I’m late.”

Hi everyone,

I hope you are doing as well as can be expected during these challenging times.  Stay safe.  Stay well.

http://www.everydayfiction.com published a fantasy story of mine yesterday on their site.  The title is “Flame.”  It is about a dragon who wishes to be a movie star.  No spoilers from me.  I would like you to visit the  site and see what you think.  I am sure there will be lots of other stories that will catch your eye.

My haiku: “Strike Three.”  http://www.fridayflashfiction.com  Feb. 27, 2021 was a runner up in a recent poetry contest.  The judge: Jan Jorgensen found the haiku, ‘vivid and clever.’ ‘The gaps between the words are a evocative as the poem itself.’  I hope you enjoy it.

I will say goodbye for now.  Off to do some more writing.

All the best.

Warmest wishes,

Marjan

Hi

I am going to post a few of my recent stories.  They have to be under 100 words and have been posted on www.fridayflashfiction.com.  The site requested that the stories involve one of three themes:  food, travel or sport.  Fasten your seat belts, everyone. See what you think.  Here we go.

Love at First Bite

(theme: food)

Red lips quiver

and her skin

starts to shiver

as her teeth bite

into the succulent red flesh.

Taste buds tingle

senses sing

while juices flow

down her chinny-chin-chin.

She licks the juice

off her fingers

and closes her eyes

while the moment lingers.

copyright: Marjan Sierhuis

A few of the comments to my story wondered if the subject was a vampire.  OMG.  I assured them NO, the subject is a strawberry.  They refer to the outer portion of a strawberry as flesh.  Hopefully, I have convinced a few of my readers that the person biting into the strawberry has red lips!

Story #2

Theme is Sport

The Run

The morning sun shines brightly on the water. It shimmers like millions of diamonds.

A flock of grey and white seagulls scream while they perform acrobatics in the sky.

Her powerful leg muscles pump like crazy while she runs down the sandy beach.

Her auburn-colored ponytail swings back and forth.

Sweat trickles down her face and exudes from her pores.

A gentle breeze off the water cools her warm cheeks.

Her pink lips curve into a smile.

Nothing like a morning run to blow away the cobwebs.

copyright Marjan Sierhuis

Story #3

Theme is Food

Hidden Treasure

Chester looks out from his nest in an old oak tree. His previous digs just didn’t cut the mustard.

He needs to gather enough acorns, seeds and nuts to see him through the upcoming winter months. But prying eyes could throw a wrench into the works by hijacking his food source.

His grey bushy tail swings as he scampers down the tree. Black, beady eyes scour the vast woodland for signs of Duke, his Archnemesis.

He breathes a sigh of relief. The coast is clear. Time to collect and hide his booty.

copyright Marjan Sierhuis

Story #4

Theme is Travel

This is no Shangri-la

He stops dead in his tracks. Walking for miles and exhausted, he craves something wet to satisfy his thirst. Head down, hands on his knees, he gulps mouthfuls of air. But bile rises from the back of his throat, and like an unwelcome visitor, it produces a sour taste in his mouth.

The blazing sun reigns down on his head and sweat pours off his back by the bucket-load while his tie-dye shirt and bell-bottom jeans cling to his body, like that of a long-forgotten lover.

Groggy and with no sense of direction, Hawke continues to inch forward on the uneven terrain.  Not an easy task in platform shoes which still need to be broken-in.

He stumbles and almost loses his balance, then blinks a few times to try and clear his vision. Barren landscape interspersed with stunted vegetation stretches as far as the eye can see.

He mutters and raises his arms in the air. “This doesn’t look like Shangri-la.”

The time-traveler realizes he must have entered the wrong coordinates once again.

“Back to the drawing board,” he says.

copyright Marjan Sierhuis

I hope you enjoyed my stories.  I will say good bye for now.  Talk soon.

Marjan

I would like to wish everyone a healthy and safe 2021.  Thank goodness 2020 is now behind us.

I have a story that was published today on www.fridayflashfiction. com.   Thought you might enjoy it.

The Medieval Warrior

Riding through the dense forest, clad in armor, the medieval warrior heard a rustling sound in the undergrowth.  Sudden flashes of movement among the trees made her aware she was not alone on her solitary ride.

Anticipating an altercation, she brought her horse to a standstill and dismounted.  After she withdrew her weapon from its leather sheath, she held it with a steady hand, ready to strike.

The enemy was surprised by her prowess as she brandished her sword.  They soon learned not to underestimate this woman who carried a weapon and engaged in combat.

All the best everyone in the coming months.

Kind regards,

Marjan

Hello Everyone.

I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas.  Of course it won’t be the same as in the previous years.  But I am hopeful that there will be a light at the end of the long tunnel.

I placed in the top six  in a flash fiction contest (friday flash fiction)  recently in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Although, I didn’t win, I was thrilled to have been nominated.

The following is the story:

Oxyphenbutazone:

She runs her tongue over her upper lip.  She tastes the salt fluid and wrinkles her nose in distaste.  Perspiration lines her brow.

She leans forward in her chair, elbows rest on the table, bloodshot eyes focus on the game board.

“I haven’t got all day,” he says.

“Please don’t interrupt my concentration,” she replies.

She arranges the tiles on the playing board.  “Eureka,” she shouts.  “Oxyphenbutazone.” “One thousand, four hundred and fifty-eight points.” “I keep the house.” “You get the tool shed.”

Her husband places his hands over his face and groans.

Please stay safe, strong and positive.  There is hope.

Copyright, Marjan Sierhuis

All the best to all of you.

Talk soon.

Marjan                   

I hope everyone is coping during these trying times.  I continue to write. I find it therapeutic and I like to keep my readers entertained.  It also gets their minds of today’s challenges in life. A few of my stories were recently published on different sites.    Please enjoy.

More Please

Hello everyone.  Pardon me if I don’t stand up, but sitting is much more comfortable.

Move up to the glass barrier.  You will see I am rather cute with my black and white fur coat.  I am also known for my docile temperament.  At least that is what the tour guide says.

Excuse me if I continue to eat my bamboo shoots during your visit.  They are very yummy, and I never seem to fill up.

I see you are getting ready to leave.  I would love you to stay.

PLease come again. 

Copyright:  Marjan Sierhuis

An Itchy Nose

“We’ll soon be out of here,” says Charlie, his booty in the air, while his nose sniffs around the fence post.

“Quit digging by the fence,” says Max, who sits on his haunches, as he patiently waits nearby.

“But remember the last time,” says Max. “Quarantined for fourteen days and no doggie treats for seven.”

“How can I forget,” says Charlie. “You wouldn’t stop whining the entire time, and I didn’t get a wink of sleep.” “Be quiet, I hear someone coming.”

Zoe approaches her precious animals.  She fits each one with an air filter facemask, attaches a standard dog leash, and leads them out of the yard for their morning walk.

Before long, an animal howls in the distance.  Charlie has an itchy nose.

Copyright (C) 2020  Marjan Sierhuis

Me Tarzan, You Jane

His leg muscles ripple, and night creatures cavort beneath a canopy of dense vegetation as he paces back and forth across wooden floor boards.

Sweat exudes from the pores of his body with every movement.  A loincloth partially covers his naked body as he looks out from the interior of his treehouse.

“Jane, come home, it’s getting late,” he shouts, cupping strong hands around his mouth.

Fingers suddenly massage his massive shoulders. He turns, looks down and his eyes light up with mischief.  Lips lock in a passionate kiss.  An evening of tree surfing can wait.

Copyright (C) 2020  Marjan Sierhuis

More of my stories can be found on www.fridayflashfiction.com;  www.pagespineficshowcase.com plus other sites.

Oxyphenbutazone

She runs her tongue over her upper lip.  She tastes the salty fluid and wrinkles her nose in distaste.  Perspiration lines her brow.

She leans forward in her chair, elbows rest on the table, bloodshot eyes focus on the board game.

“I haven’t got all day you know,” he says.

“Please don’t interrupt my concentration,” she replies.

She arranges the tiles. “Eureka,” she shouts. “Oxyphenbutazone.” “One thousand, four hundred and fifty-eight points.” “I keep the house.” “You get the tool shed.”

Her husband places his hands over his face and groans.

Copyright (C)  Marjan Sierhuis

So, set well everyone.  There will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sincerely,

Marjan

Hi Everyone

I hope you are keeping sane and well during these difficult times.  I apologize for not writing sooner.  I haven’t forgotten you.

I continue to submit to the various publishing sites.  Most of my work can be found on

www.fridayflashfiction.com 

www.fiftywordstories.com

www.101words.com

www.pagespineficshowcase.com

Twitter: @sierhuismarjan

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com

Bye for now.

Marjan

Dear Readers

I wish you a Happy Easter.

I hope you are all well and are coping with this tragedy of global proportions.  No one could have imagined that every country on earth would be affected one way or another.

I constantly hear about great displays of compassion and personal sacrifice.  And I do see us pulling through this and becoming stronger and more resilient as a result.

Perhaps you have always wanted to take up writing.  Well your solitude may present the perfect opportunity to be inspired.   Write about your feelings. Describe how being sequestered is affecting you both mentally and physically.  Don’t hold back.

In the meantime stay well. Stay home. I will be thinking about you.

Marjan

Hope

I long for the day I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face and listen to the birds sing.  I long for the day when I can spend time with family and friends and hold them close.  I long for the day when I receive permission to get on with my life. I long for a world that is slowly healing and this tragedy is all but a distant memory.

It is all I can hope.

Hello everyone

I apologize for starting my blog off in this way, but if you can, please stay home; if you must go out take extra precautions.

I continue to write my flash fictions.  If you have a chance to read them, I hope they make you smile.  They certainly bring me great joy and offer an escape.

I am posted on various sites.  Here is a list:

a. www.fridayflashfiction.com

b. www.fiftywordstories.com

c. www.101words.com

d. www.pageandspine.com

e. www.reflexfiction.com

f. www.polarexpressions.com

I hope to publish a book of short stories this year.  I will keep you informed.

Bye for now.  I hope you and your family stay well.  Remember that the adversities we face  in life tend to make us stronger. We will all survive this!

kind regards,

Marjan

Hello everyone:

I have neglected all of you, and I apologize.  It has been awhile since my last post.  But I have been busy writing my flash fictions.  I will provide you with a list of sites where I continue to be published:

www.fridayflashfiction.com– I post regularly on this site.  My stories are predominately 100 words or less;  www.page&spine.com:  I have had several stories published on this site in the last several months: they are under the section titled: “crumbs.” www.polarexpressions.ca;  www.101words.com. A few stories published on this site over the last year.  One of my short stories will also be published in Voices 2020 Anthology collection.

I plan to publish a collection of my short stories in 2020 which will vary in length from 100 words to 2500 words. I will try and include illustrations with some of my stories.  I will keep you posted of my progress.

I can’t believe that it has been four years since my book was published: Pardon Me While I Close The Door. It continues to be available in a few public libraries.

You can follow me on twitter: @sierhuismarjan   I love visiting libraries, museums, art galleries,  zoos, etc. so I will usually share some of my pictures with my followers.

Twitter is my only social media site.

Well, I shall say goodbye for now.   Keep well.  Talk soon.

Marjan