Author: nhpureandsimple

My name is Nahla. I am a wife and mother of three children. I have been living in the UK for so many years. My first degree is in English Language. I also earned two Master’s degrees; one in Religious Studies and one in Creative Writing. I started blogging because I love reading and writing; both are more than hobbies for me. I read to learn, to understand, and to improve myself. I write to tell stories, to express my views, and to share my thoughts. I hope you enjoy my blog, and thank you for visiting.
Daily thoughts, Just writing

Readingship

nhpureandsimple

Which relationship has taught you the most about yourself?

So before starting this post, I’d like to announce that Readingship is my new addition to the English Vocabulary. Perhaps one day, it will be accepted and added to English dictionaries. If that happens, I hope I will  be credited with full rights for making up a new and special word that connects readers and books.

Now back to this post. 

Readingship is a wonderful sort of relationship. It not only opens the door wide to let you learn about different things, but it also helps you more than you can imagine. This Readingship can help you improve yourself, your life, and even your way of thinking. This readingship offers you the kind of good company that you have almost lost faith in finding through friendship. 

And you know what? Readingship makes wonderful company; pure, simple companionship that can be better than friends who may, out of the blue, disappear or give you the cold shoulder for no sensible reason or even an insensible one. But then Readingship comes not only to the rescue, but also with comfort, reassurance, and a sense of safety. 

If you believe in Readingship, why not come aboard?

It’s all about getting into the reading ship and pretending to be its sailor.

You will find a vast sea full of different books.

You may explore here and there, or a pick a story.

A book might make you laugh, cry, or scared.

It might give you a headache or soothe your troubled soul.

You might love it or hate it.

But as you engage in this Readingship journey, you will never feel the same as when you first stepped onto the ship.

You no longer feel lonely.

You feel more and more excited.

And you surely feel safe; remember you’re the sailor aboard the reading ship.

You stop worrying  about who gets on and who leaves.

You’re on your ship, sailing into many different worlds.

With readingship thoughts,

Nahla 

Just writing

That’s Pure Hokum

nhpureandsimple

This post was inspired by Weekend Writing Prompt #487: write a poem or a piece of prose in exactly 34 words using the word “Hokum.”

Father works and talks to the camera.

Mother cooks and talks to the camera.

Children play and talk to the camera.

Friends visit and talk to the camera.

The camera screams:

“STOP!”

What hokum! 

With hokum thoughts,

Nahla

P.s. Finally, my piece hits exactly the 34 words! 

daily prompt, Just writing

My First Encounter With Karma

nhpureandsimple

Do you believe in karma?

My first acquaintance with the word Karma was through a Drama lecturer whose name was Karma. Back then, this name was not as popular as it is today. I was so occupied with my studies that I didn’t care much about its meaning or origin.

But, of course, a few years later, everyone seemed to be an expert on the word, including myself. We have been repeating it quite a lot.

Now, back to the real concept of karma.

It is not about whether we believe in it or not.

I think its meaning just … echoes a universal belief.

If you hurt someone out of cruelty, one day someone else will hurt you for the same reason.

What you do will come back to you. 

Does the word retribution fit into this context?

Or does justice fit better?

I’ll go with justice, because the gate of justice is open to mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

And karma is more open to kindness than punishment 

But the gate of retribution is different. It opens when there is a hopeless case that calls for urgent, unmistakable punishment.

So, I believe in justice, which may also be called karma

With karma thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

Readers and Writers

nhpureandsimple

How do you write what people actually want to read?

Why would I write what people want to read?

The idea seems a bit out of place. 

Well… at least for me.

For academic or teaching or other scientific forms of writings, it certainly makes perfect sense to write what people want to read and what they want to investigate.

But for a personal blogger or an emerging writer, writing is all about inspiration, imagination, freedom of style, a unique voice, and perhaps an escape, or better put, a short break. 

If you choose to think this way, would you first think about what others want to read, or about what you want to write?

By the way, that doesn’t mean you don’t care about your readers. But of course, you do.

My point is that… different readers will find you, but you can’t satisfy all of them. 

Or, in other words, let readers continue on their journey of exploration until they find your piece.

Let them like it or not like it.

Perhaps they will feel it was written just for them.

Perhaps they will feel it wasn’t for them.

And you smile, happy, for at least your piece was read somewhere by someone.

With reader and writer thoughts,

Nahla

daily prompt

Spontaneous Moments

nhpureandsimple

What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?

You know, the most spontaneous moments are the funniest.

True.

Imagine yourself, or perhaps that happened to you too, when out of nowhere you remember something funny and burst out laughing. Things would be okay if you were by yourself, but when you’re walking along the road and suddenly start laughing, things turn from a spontaneous moment to an embarrassing moment.

But no worries, there’s always a solution.

Grab your phone and pretend you’re on a funny call.

Things could happen in social gatherings too, and your laughter would make sense if it followed a funny comment, joke, or story. But when there’s a fight, not that violent one, but those childlike adult arguments, some people fall into this spontaneous laugher.

But again, don’t sorry, you’ll always find supporters

And, there’s this spontaneous laugher that comes when one of your children is deeply emotional, angry, or sad. You sit or stand still, waiting for the storm to pass or clam down, and when that precious moment arrives, your spontaneous laughter makes this quick, bouncy landing that wipes away the weight of those last long, hard moments.

With spontaneous thoughts,

Nahla

Weekend Prompt

An Interview with Mr. Bugbear 

nhpureandsimple

This post was inspired by Weekend Writing Prompt #486: This weekend challenge is to write a poem or a piece of prose in exactly 75 words using the word “Bugbear”.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Bugbear, may I ask you, sir, why behind every problem, every fight, or pardon me, every catastrophe, your name is always involved.”

“Ask Mrs. Bugbear?”

The interviewer looks right and left, back and ahead. There was no sign, no glimpse of Mrs. Bugbear. 

“Excuse me, sir,… but where is Mrs. Bugbear?

“She’s there, camouflaged behind that big tree.”

Oh, really? I can’t… I can’t see or hear any bear, sir. May I ask what she’s doing there exactly?”

“But of course there’s a bear. She’s been bugging into his head and ears for years until the poor thing turns into a bunny, hiding here and there.”

“I’m really sorry, sir, but how any of this related to my former question?”

“I told you ask Mrs. Bugbear

“But what if she turns me into a… dog.”

“Ahaha! Then we can swap lives. I don’t want to be a bunny.”

With never-be-like-Mrs Bugbear thoughts,

Nahla

P.s sorry my piece went over the limit.

Daily thoughts

Which Fictional Character?

nhpureandsimple

If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?

I’ve read too many fictional books that it’s hard to think of a certain character to swap lives.

Some of those characters stayed with me, like Jane Eyre. 

By the way Jane Eyre was the first novel I read and studied for my English degree. I loved this book, and later I read more by Charlotte Bronte. 

I liked other fictional characters too: Anne Shirley, Judy Abbot, and others I can’t remember right now. 

But honestly, I can’t imagine swapping lives with any. My imagination can’t work on this idea. 

Perhaps it’s because these characters belong to someone else; their authors. 

I believe writers temporarily swap lives with their characters, to make them come alive on the page.

And as you read, you become an invisible guest hiding under a magical cloak; seeing things, but not seen. 

So perhaps the best option is to write a book and create your own story.

Hopefully, one day, I will.

With fiction–and–characters thoughts,

Nahla

Daily thoughts

On the 14th of September

nhpureandsimple

Every day since… I think the beginning of this year, I’ve been receiving a notification about my old posts from the same date.

But I haven’t received any today, which means I didn’t post on the 14th of September last year, or even before.

By the way, I’m not that regular with blogging, but I try my best. 

But this no post day just caught my attention.

Why?

I have no idea.

It’s hard, if not impossible, to remember exactly what you did on a specific day last year unless it was something memorable. 

And here I am, scrolling through last year’s photos.

Perhaps there was a photo on that day that explains things.

There was none.

Isn’t that strange?

No, not really.

I don’t take pictures every day.

So I think I should fill this gap. 

Shouldn’t I?

I’m looking out of the window, wondering what to write.

And what’s better than today’s four seasons weather?

It began warm, breezy, and cheerful.

An hour later, or maybe even less, it turned grey, but sill warm and cheerful.

I took the laundry out, and the rain gave me a light, gentle shower as a welcome.

I took the laundry in, and the rain shied away and left.

I’m not trusting her.

Could I have been thinking the same last year?

Maybe!

And now it’s all sunny again.

With almost-mid-September thoughts,

Nahla.

Weekend Prompt

Can Your Heart Be Your Screen?

nhpureandsimple

This post was inspired by Weekend Writing Prompt #485: This weekend challenge is to write a poem or a piece of prose in exactly 21 words using the word “Screen”.

My heart is my inner screen

Not the black and white screen,

but the colourful screen.

It’s big,

it’s wide,

it’s always on.

A little scratch would pass.

A big scratch would ring an alarm,

A smash would turn it off,

until recovery,

until the moment my heart nudges me:

“hay, I’ve got a new screen, 

and true, pretty colours again.”

With heart and screen thoughts,

Nahla

P.s. As always, I went over the limit, but I couldn’t disturb the flow of my thoughts.

Just writing

Nobility

nhpureandsimple

Some people glow by effort,

while others glow simply by their presence.

Some strive to glow,

while others glow naturally.

Some want to glow,

while others are born glowing. 

You could say it’s simply a divine gift.

This post was inspired by this quote: 

“Common souls pay with what they do, nobler souls with that which they are.”

Sometimes we need to pause for a moment as we read to contemplate, breathe, and discover the beauty hidden behind bare words.

With noble thoughts,

Nahla