The mirror in the garden pond
is cracked with rushes, irises,
rotting leaves and watercress;
a single poppy lingers on,
pale petals promise oblivion.
In the mirror of the garden spade,
a toad with its glittering topaz gaze,
legs akimbo and puffed up body
dangles from the shiny blade,
toxin flooding warty membrane.
Mirror, mirror of tainted spells
misted murky with glabrous mistrust,
your gilt frame flakes with worm and rust.
The sorceress abjures her poisoned apples,
fills her hands with greetings not farewells.
Kim M. Russell, 2017
A poem for dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night; also linked to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads A Skyflower Friday: Goodbye
Magical indeed those mirrors of ponds and garden spades!!
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Thanks Rajani!
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Oh you know how to make a the fairytale glimmer. Love the concluding couplet… truly great
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Thank you so much, Bjorn!
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Wow. This is an amazing piece of writing and honours the original form so well. Dark and devilish.
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Thank you, Paul!
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I love your garden pond with that magical toad.
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Thanks Jane!
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🙂
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Startling, glimmering poetics, pushing fantasy into a macabre realm; really enjoyed it. I like your line /your gilt of frame flakes with worm and rust/.
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Thanks Glenn! Have a great weekend!
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A great fairy poem Kim, I love your ‘toad with its glittering topaz gaze’ :o) xxx
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Thank you, Xenia! 😊🎑
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You are very welcome! I hope David is keeping warm! :o) xxx
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Gave me a bit of the shivvers – wonderful!
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Then the spell worked! Thank you, Jill. 🙂
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Mesmerizing and magical Kim ~ I thought these lines were stellar:
Mirror, mirror of tainted spells
misted murky with glabrous mistrust,
your gilt frame flakes with worm and rust.
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Thank you, Grace.
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This is beautiful
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Thank you!
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Well done. I especially like the 2nd stanza.
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Thank you!
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There are so many interesting and intricate details here. They pair well with the illustration you chose.
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Thank you, Rommy.
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If you’ve plotting to make me fall in love with your poetized fairytales, well, lady… You’ve done it. I’m always taken by your descriptions, and love how I can see all sorts of wonders in a single one of your lines. This one, for instance: “your gilt frame flakes with worm and rust” is fun to look at, to say aloud, and to explore. My brain played with the word “gilt”, turning it into guilt that rotted. And “frame” and “flakes” make such a nice song in the mouth.
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You’ve made my Friday morning, Magaly. Thank you so much!
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Excellent closing.
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Thank you, Shawna.
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Glabrous – is a wonderful word – so oddly sinister – (glad + scabrous ha). Such a sinister, spooky piece – the toad’s ‘toxin flooding warty membrane’ is terrific.The rhyme says everything’s fine here – while the words say ‘run’.
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Thank you, Peter, I’m glad you appreciate the sinister tone.
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The opening description of the pond as a mirror is so well done. I could picture it so clearly. I loved how you utilised the same line and took the description further in the poem. I really enjoyed the read.
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Thank you, Kerry, I’m pleased you enjoyed it.
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I loved this: Though the setting is sylvan there is a toxic booding in the rooks, making us hunker down in expectation of the arrival of the witch: And yet we are treated to a smile not a curse, a greeting not a farewell. Does the image reverse in the reflection?
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Thank you Brendan. With reflections anything is possible!
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This is absolutely stunning, Kim!💞 I am enamoured with ‘a single poppy lingers on, pale petals promise oblivion’ there is so much meaning and depth in that single description. The threat of being plunged into the unknown and forgetfulness.. and yet its beauty striving to linger on… sigh..💞
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Thank you so much Sanaa – I’m blushing with pleasure. 😉
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Oh I love this. want to frame it and put it on my wall!
coal (Fireblossom)
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Now you’ve made me blush!
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tuning into Tennyson and magicked up some marvellous lines Kim – the topaz-eyed toad and the vivid picture of the pond –
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Thanks Laura!
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I’m glad to hear the sorceress brings greetings.
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Ah, she’s still a sorceress…
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WOW! This is spectacular! Fabulous magery, especially “misted murky with glabrous mistrust,
your gilt frame flakes with worm and rust.”
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Thank you so much, Sherry!
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Excellent! 😎😎😎😎😎🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
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Much appreciated, Dorna!
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Beautiful, I too would love to frame it.
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Thank you, Susie!
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This has the feel of decay that permeates this season in the garden – with w little wickedness thrown in for good measure
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Think you, Candy, I’m pleased you appreciate the wickedness. 🙂
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I love the imagery you created, Kim. And what’s this- a sorceress bearing greetings, not farewells? What’s the world coming to !?? 🙂 🙂
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😊💖
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🙂
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So imagistic and immediate, and you capture the essence of the fairy tale so well in it!
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Thank you, Frank!
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Fabulous as everyone attests above. Fairy tales lend themselves well to poetic reinterpretation – well done.
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Thank you, Margaret!
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I love that this enters a more macabre realm and the imagery is amazing. Lovely!
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Thank you, Angela!
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My pleasure, Kim. 💜
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Hi! I feature work from fellow artists and writers at my blog, Between the Lines. This month’s theme is ‘Magic’ and I’d love to include your poem. May I reblog this?
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Thank you so much for asking! Of course, feel free to reblog this poem. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Between the Lines and commented:
Maybe it’s just the fact mirrors star prominently in my WIP but I always think they’re a little underestimated. This poem by Kim881 captures the subtle power behind the looking glass beautifully.
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Thank you so much for the reblog!
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You’re welcome! 🙂
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