Early afternoon sun dapples the half-raised window blind, the part of my desk where the computer mouse sits on its mat, and my cold cranberry tea, ruby red and sparkling. Outside, crimson-berried honeysuckle and wilted orange lilies, wrinkled and raggedy, dance on the breeze, and a butterfly flutters by, tempted by potato plants and courgette […]
In the Frame
On this August day, the breeze ripples green leaves in the quince, plum and willow trees, buffeting an army of tall stinging nettles. Inside the shed, greyed by weather and age, the brambles are uprising, sharp-thorned and striving to escape; they’ve broken a window and are prising the door from its frame. A white plastic […]
A Taste of Southern Comfort
Fifty was a special birthday for me: I had a new teaching post to start in September, my daughter had come home to celebrate with us, and I had completed half a century pretty much unscathed. I opened cards and a few presents and was feeling good. I knew that my husband was planning something, […]
Strange Weekend
Saturday was my first outing, all masked up and nowhere to go but the supermarket, strolling with my basket, calm and clean, with civilised social distancing in wide aisles, touching the inhaler in my pocket, no panic, no fear, husband always near. The Sunday walk was leisurely, a lot of heat but a little breezy, […]
On the anniversary of your death
Only a few days away, and nine years on, I recall the luminous hope that opened like a flower in my heart, when you opened your eyes. Death had not got its way. You perched on the windowsill of life, not yet ready to spread your wings, still tethered by earthly things. Hope was still […]
Almost Harvest
no dawn chorus rising later every day sunflowers ripe wheat unmoving in the field a splash of poppies brittle with heat leaves already yellow awaiting release scarecrow silhouette leaning west towards the sun redundancy silent blackbirds in their annual moult counting feathers Kim M. Russell, 30th July 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Meeting […]
A Metaphor Senryu
in love and conflict edit the mood with rhythm and punctuation Kim M. Russell, 29th July 2020 My response to Poets and Storytellers United Weekly Scribblings #30: Writing as a Metaphor for Living This Wednesday, Magaly is hosting from New York, where things are hot, hoping we are ready to play with cool words. For […]
Brent Geese in Autumn
By mid-October, large flocks of dark-bellied geese grate and grumble across grey sky, ticking clouds with wings. They descend on the estuary and spend all winter pecking at eel grass and remains of corn. Their noisy nasal honks pierce autumn twilight like a foghorn, belying the beauty of their flight and the delicate embroidery of […]
Tales of Thorns
Hunched against twilight, unfurling brambles and briars arch with witch’s spite, wiry black liars that prickle and grasp. Night noises regale with twisted tales of thorns, the cost is just a drop of berry red blood to satisfy suckering roots. All is not lost. Kim M. Russell, 27th July 2020 My response to dVerse Poets […]
