Early raindrops
patter
and the black
matter
of the forest exhales,
rich
and slow,
happy spores that spread and grow.
Exquisite
mother-of-pearl,
puff-balled and ink-capped
mushrooms twirl
a polka with scarlet dotted toadstools,
at the annual fungus festival,
tripping psychedelic
happiness with fly agaric.
Kim M. Russell, 2nd October 2020
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Monday Quadrille: In Need of a Happiness Project
Lille would like us to be happy on this second day of November.
Image by Lisa P. on Unsplash
writing in north norfolk 
LOVE this psychedelic forest party! Happy spores and mother-of-pearl mushrooms. Would LOVE to take a walk to this special place….happiness is a bit of forest bathing as the Japanese say 🙂
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Thank you, Lill! 🙂
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I love the ‘annual fungus festival’ and the thought of everyone tripping psychedelic!
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Thank you, Linda!
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Ha… I wouldn’t risk a mushroom like that, though it sounds like a lot of happy colors.
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Yes, I’m no good at mushroom picking at all!
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I want to be in that forest right now!
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We’re so lucky to have a mini forest garden. I just walk out the back door…
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I’ve seen so many mushrooms this year, and I love the thought of them having a psychedelic fungus party! All those bright colors–what fun! I’m imagining some tripping squirrels and worms and other creatures.
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Thanks Merril!
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Hahaha, I love this! I especially adore these lines:
“at the annual fungus festival,
tripping psychedelic
happiness with fly agaric.”
If you’re not trippin’, you’re flippin’. Hehe.
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🙂
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Back to the 60’s, far out, sister, summer of love. I haven’t thought about magic mushrooms in 50 years–thanks for the smile.
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I’m glad my mushrooms made you smile, Glenn!
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The faerie rings are out front and out back right now, frolicking in the sun while it lasts. The fungi do grow happy at this time of year 🙂
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Thanks Lisa. It’s a great time of year. 🙂
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You led us to psychedelic fantasy in a most enjoyable way. You must know a fun-guy!
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Thanks Bev!
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A great poem Kim… Cute mushroom ! Sporous happiness! That’s trippin’
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Thanks Dwight!
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Lovely wander down to those wet woods and those blind inevitable fungi. I thought of Sylvia Plath’s Mushrooms – “…We shall by morning / Inherit the earth. / Our foot’s in the door.”
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Thank you so much, Peter. I must revisit Sylvia’s mushrooms.
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This is exquisitely drawn, Kim 😀 I love; “Exquisite mother-of-pearl, puff-balled and ink-capped
mushrooms twirl,”.. and can almost picture them. 💝💝
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Thank you, Sanaa! 😉
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You’re most welcome! 😍
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Ooooo…mushrooms! Yes, PLEEEZE!!!
And the meter & rhyme in Stanza 1 blast this off perfectly, KR. Well done.
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Thanks Ron. I just had to get this one breathing. 🙂
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This is wondrous, imaginative, I can sense that forest exhaling. Well done.
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Thank you, Francis.
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Seriously, how often /does/ one read poetry about happy little mushrooms. Well done!
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Thank you, Xan! 🙂
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A magical piece expressing the joys of a magical world.
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Thank you, Eugenia.
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Most welcome!
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This makes me happy. Love the polkadot toadstools!
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Thank you, Mary!
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Ah yes rain does the forest happy
Happy Monday
Much💙love
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Happy Monday, Gillena!
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Lovely description
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Thank you kindly.
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Very evocative and creative, Kim. Good writing!
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Thank you!
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Delightful, Kim. Fun and fungi together in happiness. I especially liked,
and the black
matter
of the forest exhales,
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Thanks Ali!
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I love the vivid details in this piece! The psychedelic mushroom at the annual fungus festival is great! Nature knows how to party 🙂
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Thank you, Tricia. Yes, Mother Nature is a party girl.
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A rich paean to fungi, Kim: I am impressed at how you manage to capture their nature in so few words with your powerful imagery. Fungi are fascinating when you stop to think about them, ranging from deadly poisonous to psychotropic.
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Thank you so much, Ingrid. There is a mushroom explosion this autumn, even in our garden. I love discovering them, especially the colourful ones, although I don’t pick them.
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I love wild mushrooms but I live the picking to the experts! Luckily they are quite easy to get hold of here.
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this made mushrooms more magical. ❤
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That makes me so happy – my work is done!
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yay! ❤
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lol magic mushies … you old hippie … well written!
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Thanks Kate! That’s me, an old hippy!
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lol I had wondered, thanks for the confirmation 😉
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They always do look magical. A home for anything you could imagine. (K)
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😉
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