Autumn spoils us with its music,
a seasonal soundscape
of rain-swollen becks,
leaves fluttering
from the oaks
and raucous,
cavorting rooks
echoing
through the mist
before winter’s deep silence
grips the landscape
and days stretch ahead
taut as a tightrope
above cold iron earth.
Kim M. Russell, 19th November 2018
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Quadrille: Spoiler Alert!
Lillian is spoiling us as host of the quadrille today with any form of the word ‘spoil’.
writing in north norfolk 
ooooh….love everything about this! The illustration is magical! Love the differences you point out between autumn’s song and winter’s cold silence. Well done!
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Thank you, Lill!
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This is marvelous… love the way I can hear the rooks through your words… this is an excellent description of the last heart beats before winter.
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I’m glad you hear the rooks, Bjorn. 😉
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Beautiful scene.
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Thank you, Ken.
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I bet you get rooks in winter too 🙂 Lovely atmospheric poem, Kim. Do they use the word ‘beck’ in your part of the world too? I thought it was strictly north east, Norse origin.
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I’m not sure if it’s used in Norfolk dialect but it is a word that I have used. I don’t know where I got it from – definitely not Tooting Bec! 😀
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No, I don’t suppose it is! Maybe you have Yorkshire blood 🙂
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I do love Yorkshire but I’m not sure if I have any Yorkshire blood. 🙂
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Must be Viking then 🙂
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days stretch ahead
taut as a tightrope
above cold iron earth.
Love that! What a great image ending this poem.
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Thanks Sarah!
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All the beautiful reasons to throw our arms around autumn. I particularly love how you’ve captured the sounds. Lovely, Kim.
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Thank you, Jo-Anne!
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Oh this is so lovely Kim. I love the sounds you have captured, the last heartbeat before autumn goes to sleep. The picture is great!
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Thank you so much, Toni. It seems that cold weather has arrived in the UK now.
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And you have the flu….pooh!
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Such a perfect picture.
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Thank you, Carol. So nice to see you back at dVerse.
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Wow, wow, wow! ❤ This is incredibly exquisite, Kim 😍 I love how you describe the gradual shift in season as we bid farewell to autumn 🍁and prepare for the arrival of winter ❄
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Thank you so much, Sanaa! This morning it is dark and dreary, much colder than it has been, and the clouds are threatening.
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A grandiose use of 44 words, dear lady. Yes indeed, and your last line is killer X 2. I loved this one. I have not ever read a better tribute to autumn.
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Thank you so much, Glenn, for such a wonderful compliment.
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Excellent erite Kim. I was smiling, and shivering, as I read it… 🙂
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Thank you kindly, Rob. 😉
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I heard it in the wind last night
It sounded like applause
Chilly now
End of summer
No more shiny hot nights
It was just the arbutus rustling
And the bumping of the logs
And the moon swept down black water
Like an empty spotlight,
Thanks Joni,
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Its coming on Christmas,
They’re cutting down trees…
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Autumn spoils us for sure! Love the cavorting crows.
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Thank you, V.J.!
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Love the word ‘soundscape’ and what would a Kim Russell poem be without a rook or two as ornament 🙂
Your last two lines are brilliant! Always enjoy your work.
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Thank you so much, Jill. 🙂
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Got the shivers reading this. There’s a reason I moved Equatorward. The illustration added to the effect. May have the sniffles now!
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Outside it is dark, wet, windy and oh, so cloudy – and it’s only just 7.30 am!
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Sometimes the worst part of this time of year is the lessening of the amount of natural light we receive. The flaming chariot arises too late and spans the heavens, back into the stables way too soon.
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I like those days stretching ahead like a tightrope.
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Winter is here…
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“and days stretch ahead / taut as a tightrope” – excellent! Perfect image.
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Thank you!
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I love this! I think Autumn is most favored of all the seasons. Maybe it is the music! Just live the picture!
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Thank you, Mary!
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I like your contrast between the music and colour of autumn and the cold tautness of winter in the closing lines.
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Love this Kim, and the graphic is a perfect choice!
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Thank you, Linda! 😊
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lovely – all the way through, I enjoyed it so much – especially liked:
cavorting rooks
echoing
through the mist
and
days stretch ahead
taut as a tightrope
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Thank you, Christine.
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Love your poems on seasons. So apt!
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Thank you, Viv!
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🙂
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As said, wonderful tribute to Autumn, but you have especially riveted winter:
“taut as a tightrope
above cold iron earth.”
Coming into a winter life soon. Enjoying Autumn until then. Masterful quadrille Kim!
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Thank you so much, Lona!
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oh autumn is pictured so beautifully in your poem Kim, just love the way you describe how it can spoil us before a cold winter frost.
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Thank you, Gina. The temperature has definitely dropped this week.
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