Liminality

A rank of poplars, vertical in a horizontal
landscape, coruscate before they blend
into the leonine golden beige of land
coming to rest. So many different shades
on parade: sunlight gilds the roofs
with sumptuous shafts that fade
through pink and scarlet blushes,
purple, then indigo, and twilight rushes
into a moody half-light. Something haunts
the landscape with a whiff of mud
and grass and leaf. Twilight is a drug
that permeates skin and infiltrates blood
to guarantee that no two evenings
have the same kaleidoscopic dreamings.

Kim M. Russell, 28th April 2021

Avenue of Poplars at Sunset, 1884 - Vincent van Gogh - WikiArt.org

Avenue of Poplars at Sunset, 1884 by Vincent van Gogh, found on WikiArt.org

My response to Poets and Storytellers United Weekly Scribblings #67: Liminal Space, also linked to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night Live

Rommy says that even before she knew there was a phrase for it, she loved the idea of liminal space: times and places where things are not strictly one thing or another. .For today’s prompt, she’d like us to dive into the idea of liminal space. 

62 thoughts on “Liminality”

  1. Pingback: Liminality – Fae Corps Inc

    1. Thank you, Michael. The poem came first, from the poplars that line my favourite walk just on the edge of our village. It was only when I’d written it that I remembered van Gogh’s picture. I had to search for it because I couldn’t remember its name.

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  13. Poplar tree lane linings are beautiful, we wish they wouldn’t end. I liked your van Gogh find, I was not familiar with this one. He painted it in 1884, probably part of between1880 and 1884, while he had relocated to Brussels and began learning the skills he needed to become an artist. Between 1888 when he cut his ear off and then he left in 1890, he was at St. Rémy where his olive tree orchard and the sanitarium were, they bordered each other. He also killed himself in 1890. We were in St. Rémy for a week in 2006 and visited both. We did not go into he Sanitarium.
    ..

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  14. This is good stuff. Excellent blend of enough difficult words for the curious mind to search, but not too many to scare someone away. Clever inter-sentence punctuation too. Look forward to reading more.

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  19. So very sensual and colorful; it even works as a “blue” poem. I think most of us have written several “blue” poems. I hope your adventure turns out well. I’m missing you already.

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    1. Thank you so much, Glenn. I will miss you too, and will drop by the Poets Pub from time to time to catch up, otherwise I will suffer from withdrawal. I know what you mean about the blueness of this poem. The mini adventures to Bronte country, Linidisfarne etc, in July and the Isle of Wight in September will give me plenty of material for poems when I return. I still have my jury service to do, as well as editing David’s book, and will be kept busy. David finishes work on 30th June, so I will have to get used to having him at home full-time – a new beginning for both of us.

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  20. This is gorgeously worded, Kim 😀 I am swooning over “sunlight gilds the roofs with sumptuous shafts that fade through pink and scarlet blushes, purple, then indigo, and twilight rushes into a moody half-light.” 💝💝

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  23. that permeates skin and infiltrates blood
    to guarantee that no two evenings
    have the same kaleidoscopic dreamings.

    Very true Kim! It makes it all the more interesting with a variety

    Hank

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  28. KIm,
    I like the way you describe colors in this poem. The ending is wonderful.
    “Twilight is a drug
    that permeates skin and infiltrates blood
    to guarantee that no two evenings
    have the same kaleidoscopic dreamings.”
    Twilight is my favorite part of the day.
    Be well,
    Ali

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