Unearthly shapes drifted like ghosts,
crawled from the sea along the coast,
crept along ditches, streams and rivers,
unravelling with damp clouds of shivers.
They entwined their foggy limbs with mine,
misting my sight and nibbling my skin,
dissolving my bones as they made a start
on feet and legs, then up to my heart.
It was already frozen, a glacial knot
of long-dead emotions that I forgot
and I dared the fog to devour the rest
of the life contained in my icy breast.
I opened my lips and breathed a curse,
willing the vapours to do their worst.
The sound that escaped was the song of a bird,
the sweetest tune that I’d ever heard
that melted the icicles in my heart:
the springtime melody of a skylark.
Kim M. Russell, 15th May 2018
My response to Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge: Flora Borsi also linked to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Tuesday Platform
writing in north norfolk 
Argh, the strong rhymes here made this all the darker.
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😊
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This is beautiful with a twist…from darkness to light. I followed the fog’s path right to the end. This is one of those moments I feel the power of words….the imagery you created was haunting.
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What an awesome ekphrastic poem!!!
My favourite lines
“and I dared the fog to devour the rest
of the life contained in my icy breast.”
much love…
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Hopefully a song of renewal and redemption.
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That image is so stark…. the end of the poem so unexpected.
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I think this is how it feels after a long and overbearing winter… all that darkness can still be mended with the song of that skylark
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We have one in our garden. It sometimes sounds like it’s giggling.
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a wonderful poem that leads down a dark path and ends with a sudden surge of light
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Thank you!
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I love the birdsong in this poem, especially the song of a skylark.
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Thank you, Sherry!
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As Marian noted, this poem is ever the more powerful for the rhymes – and the darkness builds and builds on itself – so skillfully you’ve read this image – and then the unexpected burst of song and light is like a miracle – a true gift – and it’s hardly a disappointment at all. Really amazing poem Kim!
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Thank you, Pat!
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kaykuala
that melted the icicles in my heart:
the springtime melody of a skylark.
Must have suffered the cold shivers for sometime. Great close Kim!
Hank
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Thank you, Hank!
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This poem is like wandering down a long black hall and suddenly, a door opens filled with hite light. The rhymes made it all the more compelling.
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Thank you, Toni. I love picture prompts.
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Your words are truly beautiful, rival the bird’s song. Interesting selection of image…a modern present-day Frida.
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😊
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Kim, this reminds me of a flesh eating virus attack. Those birds were a wonderful, good tasting, antiviral potion.
..
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