I am bane to the blighted, a true mandrake,
an elemental, homeopathic hex
tethered to earth by the human shape
of my stemless roots crowned with leaf rosettes.
I’m a narcotic ingredient of the soporific sponge,
weird sister of henbane, opium and hemlock.
When my root has taken, it cannot be expunged
from the tear-soaked ground beneath the gallows drop.
I’m a visible scream from the depths of your dreams,
a silent echo in the hollows of my flower bells.
When the year sags with darkness at its seams,
the power of my magic can drive you to hell.
Kim M. Russell, 2018

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics with poisonous plants
Today Björn is hosting Poetics; he says that he sees poetic beauty in such lethal names as nightshade, belladonna, wolfsbane, foxglove and hemlock, which is why he wants us to use the names of poisonous plants in our poetry. The list is long, and plants often have many different names. All we have to do is include at least one poisonous plant to brew potions, stew roots and bring poison to the bar. We can also write about the beauty or the good in these plants., or use the flower and its poison as a metaphor. As inspiration, Björn has shared a poem by Charles Baudelaire from Flowers of Evil (Fleurs du mal).
What’s your poison?
What a recipe… I wonder of the effects, and love how you have used them so descriptive part: especially:
I’m a narcotic ingredient of the soporific sponge,
weird sister of henbane, opium and hemlock.
LikeLike
Ooh, freaky. I love, “a silent echo in the hollows of my flower bells.” As silent echoes must be most perilous of all.
LikeLike
I especially like these:
“weird sister of henbane”
“expunged
from the tear-soaked ground beneath the gallows drop”
“I’m a visible scream”
“When the year sags with darkness”
LikeLike
This poem makes me think of the witches scene in Macbeth. Love it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That makes me very happy, Jane!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Firstly this piece has great rhythm and like the definitive ‘I’ at the start of each stanza which underlines the growing force of the poem. My fav line ‘I’m a visible scream …’ Great take on the prompt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly, Paul 🙂
LikeLike
Ah, you are all so clever. I am but a dinosaur among Jedis!
LikeLiked by 1 person
But you write from the heart, Bev!
LikeLike
I love the rhythm and flow of this. I didn’t think of the witches in Macbeth, like Jane, I thought more of the woman accused of witchcraft.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Merril. I had that woman in my mind as I wrote the poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
WOW, Kim. This is fantastic. The visual you found is just killer, and your rhyme and rhythm are dead on (pun intended.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, De! Keep on punning!
LikeLike
Oh wow! Such Dark-Beautiful Grooviness.. 😎🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dorna!
LikeLike
Brilliant take on the prompt, Kim..my best bit -“I’m a visible scream from the depths of your dreams”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cheers Viv!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
May just have trouble sleeping tonight
LikeLiked by 1 person
can I interest you in a sleeping potion? 🙂
LikeLike
Completely spellbinding. Very nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Misky!
LikeLike
So much dark fun in this poem- I love the downward force of that last line, I felt like death metal music was going to start blasting from thunderclouds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
A wonderful brew – your last verse especially
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jae.
LikeLike
I like t h e title and the poem comes together well. Don’t think I’d stay for dinner though
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Walter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The silent scream will send you over the edge for sure! great job!
Dwight
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Dwight!
LikeLike
kaykuala
A bane to mankind but still a blessing to have been made available for its medicinal properties!
Hank
LikeLiked by 1 person
So vivid and haunting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Mary!
LikeLike
Wickedly good writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lynn!
LikeLike
There is much poetic beauty in this Kim. I knew of mandrakes but had never seen them and I don’t remember knowing of their toxicity. I want to learn more about them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Victoria. When I was a child and read about them, I thought they were made up. But they are very real!
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh, this is the stuff of nightmares!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you are suitable chilled!
LikeLike
perennial scream! and your poem lived up to its title Kim! my fave line “I’m a visible scream from the depths of your dreams,” you have magnificently made plants very sinister, and I feel the come alive with such vengeance. a very scary good read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Gina!
LikeLiked by 1 person