Whispering Branches

Through the window I can seeand hearmy corkscrew willow tree;it whispersancient storieson a blossom-scented breeze,but secretsgathered in its rootsare only ever sharedbetween the writer and her muse. Kim M. Russell, 7th April 2021   My response to Poets and Storytellers United Weekly Scribblings #64: Beloved Companions Rosemary is hosting today and sharing a photograph of […]

Ghost Cats and Magpies

Will’s eyes followed the shadow while his fingers untwisted the last ribbon. He took off after it, swiftly but stealthily, slipping behind tree trunks and bushes, not once looking behind him to check if everything was as it should be. The shadow was moving away from the green, towards the other end of the village, […]

To Unravel a Maypole

From his hiding place behind the throne, Will watched until every villager had dropped off to sleep, including the May Queen and her attendants. Silence fell like a curtain on a theatrical performance. He wasn’t sure what to do: stay and keep watch over Willa’s sleeping neighbours or return to the cottage to help her. […]

Daisies Everywhere

The villagers were not surprised when the stone goblin disappeared from beneath the willow tree, or when Will moved in with Willa. What might have bothered them was that he was less than half her size, although his face looked older. Willa was quick to point it out when she released him from the weather […]

Back Under the Willow

Time passed under the willow. The weather witch did not return and the stone goblin, believed by the villagers to be a sleeping gnome, was still propped against its trunk. Over time, dogs and cats sniffed at him, robins perched on his head, but no magpies visited. He soon disappeared beneath a clump of brambles […]

The Willow Tree Goblin

Long ago, a goblin lived beneath a willow, where daylight was green, and leaves rustled in the breeze. His name was Willow – Will for short. He was friends with a magpie that landed on the topmost branch each day to share gossip. One day, as Will watched a robin build a nest, the tree […]