After the Smog Came

Nobody listened to the warnings, so when it came, it was a shock. The atmosphere was so badly poisoned by toxic smog from burning forests, exhaust fumes and waste, it leaked into space and discoloured the face of the moon.  It just disappeared. After a number of years, older children had forgotten about it and […]

A phoenix poem must first burn

one ember ignitesinto undaunted new linesphoenix wings aflamepoems learn to fly againleaving their ashes behind Kim M. Russell, 9th September 2020 My response to Poets and Storytellers United Weekly Scribblings #36: ‘a phoenix first must burn’ Magaly is back this Wednesday, inviting us to birth new poetry or prose inspired by the phrase ‘a phoenix […]

Sudden Joy

The bay tree’s gone,chopped to let the sunlight in,but fighting back with fresh shootsand a surprisefluorescent yellow evening primrosegrowing at its roots.       Yesterday, I walked in places new,soaked my idle boots in dewdodged overhanging branchesand brambles still heavy with plump fruit,past haystacks,  across recently ploughed fieldsto sudden joy – a crop of […]

Eavesdropping

i am eaves- dropping on the rain dripping and the leaves whispering spiralling autumn secrets in a richly coloured helix hoarding them in gutters leaving them in piles to rust disintegrate into delicate skeletons cart- wheeling into winter colliding with snowflakes and falling stars Kim M. Russell, 7th September 2020 My quadrille for the dVerse […]

Armageddon Revisited

The man said global warming was fake news,a conspiracy, a feeble attempt to screwa thriving economy. The man said it was fine to own a rifle or handgun,as long as it was just for fun, to carry onhunting without a care. The man said he needed more electricity,forget turbines, solar panels and the sea,go nuclear. […]

On the Soft Skin of the Underside

In the days of physical elasticity,instant sparks of electricityand youthful hunger,whether in daylight, twilight or moonlight,lips and teeth tended to tattoo and collide on the soft skin of the underside. Now I love to tangle in the copper hairon forearms, chest and belly, wherewinter frost has started to appear,but it is on the soft skin […]