Demented April

She embroiders blossom
on a blackthorn’s bladed barbs,
pricking fingers frozen into claws
her face wet with spit
and spindrift of words
that writhe like water in a weir.
Language is drowned
by the thunder
of gushing water in her ears.

Kim M. Russell, 2018

Related image
William Morris and Co. Blackthorn pattern, 1892. In folklore, the Blackthorn tree is known as both the Mother of the Woods and the Dark Crone of the Woods, the dark face of the triple goddess. Image found on Pinterest

My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads NaPoWriMo: An Antic Disposition

Kerry says that, since today is the anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth and death, she has delved into the archives to read up on what he had to say about madness… a favoured theme in several plays and poems. She came across an interesting article, for which she has share a link, as well as a few memorable quotes, but they are by no means prescriptive.

Our focus for this prompt is The Mind: those troubles of the brain, shaping fantasies and antic dispositions which make us human.

30 thoughts on “Demented April”

  9. Wow! This is fabulous, Kim. When I got to the word ‘pricked’, I immediately saw Macbeth’ witches (by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes). Your language is so lush, every line is memorable. And I love the graphic element too.. that is so well chosen.

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    1. Thanks Bjorn. I love William Morris. When Ellen was still quite little, my father was caretaker at William Morris Middle School. I used to visit them quite a lot then, long before I moved to Norfolk, and Mum and I visited the library to find out more about him. Beautiful designs but, as you say, they could be lethal.

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