It’s that time of year again! All the fun kidlit contests are swinging back into season, starting with the marvelous Fall Writing Frenzy.
This year’s donor list is full of amazing authors, illlustrators, editors, and agents, so definitely swing by to check them out as well as the rest of the entries. My entry, clocking in at exactly the maximum 200 words, is below, inspired by the following image:
Forewarning
by Meg Winikates
Beware where you wander on a foggy fall day
when there’s no hint of wind but the branches still sway,
where time stretches strangely and your watch makes no sense:
there’s no morning or evening, just a long present tense.
Where a tune through the trees seems to beckon you on,
towards a glow that’s not moonlight nor starlight nor dawn.
If you cross the pale bridge in the shimmering mist,
the land feels familiar with an uncanny twist.
If you follow the whispers of the pine-needled trail
you might find a mystery, a garden, a grail.
If instead you try tracking the dragon’s wingbeat,
you’ll need all your courage, so stand firm on your feet.
If you dance with the Fair Ones, don’t forget how to breathe–
to remember you’re mortal is the passport to leave.
Close your eyes, take a step, and believe you can fly—
in a blink you’ll be back under homelier skies.
When you’re home safe and sound, getting warm by the fire,
you may find your heart filled by a fog-born desire—
for a toll must be paid when you cross that pale span—
and you’ll never quite be the same you that began.
Sea Dreams and Time Machines 