Susanna Leonard Hill, a true kidlit treasure, hosts these amazing holiday contests that challenge writers to think creatively and efficiently. With a limit of 100 words, I wanted to try some free verse this year. But then I wanted to see it rhyme. Rhyming is SO HARD!! I won’t even tell you how many “practice” stanzas I wrote but it was definitely fun.
The Contest: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under), using the words potion, cobweb, and trick. Your story can be scary, funny, sweet, or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words (you can go under, but not over!) Get it? Halloweensie – because it’s not very long and it’s for little people. You can read more about the contest here!
THE ITSY BITSY WITCH
By Nicole Loos Miller (93 words)
Bitsy frowned on her web,
Eight eyes and a scowl.
The bugs flew right by,
And her stomach did growl.
“A potion,” she thought
“Should do just the trick!”
She gathered ingredients,
Her cauldron, her stick.
“A special new spell
To make escape tricky.
My cobweb will glow.
It’ll be extra sticky!”
Dawn started to creep
As the brew came to a bubble.
She hoped it’d be ready
And worth all the trouble.
“I did it,” she yelled
As the silk threads did twitch.
Not hungry, but happy,
Was the eight-legged witch.
Leave a Reply