Darkness is the murk
where monsters lurk,
the black gulp of sky
in the depths of night,
when no stars glisten
and no moon listens.
It’s the silent smother
under the cover
when you get it in your head
that something’s under the bed.
Kim M. Russell, 27th May 2024
Image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
This Quadrille Monday at the dVerse Poets Pub our host is Punam, who is appealing to our dark side, asking us to pull up the shroud of darkness and spill our darkest deeds/secrets in a small poem of 44 words. Yes, the word we must include is ‘darkness’.
Punam not only goes into great detail about the different types and qualities of darkness, she also gives us two example extracts, one from a poem by Edward Thomas, and from Robert Frost.
I have taken an old poem from 2019 and quadrillised it.
writing in north norfolk 
That something under the bed would frighten the life out of me when I was a kid. I love the rhymes and ‘the black gulp of sky’ especially.
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Thank you, Punam!
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My pleasure.
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What a wonderful little nursery rhyme… I hope it doesn’t scare your grandson too much when he is going to bed 🙂
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Thanks Björn. Lucas does go through phases of having nightmares, but they seem to be all about zombies!
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Love the rhyme and rhythm of this poem. Lovely.
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Thanks so much, Selma!
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Love the rhyme and rhythm in this lovely poem.
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Thank you, Marilyn!
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It’s a fun poem to say out loud, Kim!
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Thank you, Nolcha. I’m glad you read it loud; not many readers do that these days.
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I read mine out loud as I write them. That’s part of the joy of poetry, isn’t it?
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Ha…there is humour at the end…for me…..
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Ain.
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Hi Kim, I wish I could take credit for this wonderfully inspired prompt but your dark delving of things that go bump in the night but it’s wholly due to Punam! Like her I too was wowed by “the black gulp of the sky”. I can still remember “the silent smother under the cover” as a child – so aptly put.
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Thanks so much, Dora.
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You’re welcome! (I mentioned Punam only because you attributed her hosting the quadrille to me in your post. I promise I haven’t lost my mind. 😀)
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I must check that!
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I’ve changed it – and it’s me who has lost her mind!
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Not at all. Something subliminal going on there. I’m sure of it. 😂
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Oh beautifully done. Such a fun poem that brings back memories. I can’t remember the last time I did the big jump from the edge of the bed to make sure there was safe distance between me and the monster lurking under the bed.
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Thank you kindly, Dianne. I have so much under the bed, no monster would fit in there – and the cats would chase it away!
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Ah cats., they will get it for sure!
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Love the lyrical nature of your response! Beautiful!!
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Thank you so much!
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🥹and I was about to go to bed!
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My cats always check under the bed for me, before they jump up and settle down for the night.
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Kim, I love it. My sister often looks under her bed, as a little sister I taught her the Boogey Man.
..
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Thank you, Jim!
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I enjoyed the rhyming in this monster poem.
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Thank you, Maria!
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That darkness is the scary kind.
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I remember it well!
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‘black gulp of sky’
Love that image! And I do like the rhythm of rhymes too.
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Thank you, Jane!
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Fun rhymes, luv it.
Thanks for dropping by to read mine.
much♡love
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Thank you, Gillena, and much love to you!
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Our imaginations can be our worst enemy. 🙂
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It can, Susan!
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I was always scared of the dark as a kid, to be honest I think I still am! Great poem
💞Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne!
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Wonderful poem. My grandkids would love it. And a confession – I still feel a momentary hesitation to stick my foot over the edge of the bed.
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Thanks Debi!
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What a fun, spooky quadrille! And the Metallica song pairs with it perfectly!
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Thank you, Mary!
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Delightfully dark, creepily fun quadrille!
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Thank you!
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Goodness, these first three lines are just brilliant.
“Darkness is the murk
where monsters lurk,
the black gulp of sky”
“black gulp of sky” is particularly gonna stick with me for awhile. LOVE.
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Thanks so much, De!
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I too found the first 3 lines amazing. I do enjoy rhymes and murk and lurk fit so well together.
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Thank you, Truedessa!
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A fabulous write, Kim! Love it!
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Thank you, Carol!
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We had the same take on this Kim except you went for rhyme (which suits a poem about/for children) while mine was more alliterative…
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Cheers Andrew!
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Really love the rhyme in your quadrille, Kim. You could have written it for child-me who was terrified of the dark and all the awful things under the bed.
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Thanks Cris!
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Very Stephen King-ish! Love it.
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Thank you, Sara!
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I never did get it in my head, but those around me did, the sheer terror of the murk where monsters lurk – such a great line.
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Cheers Paul!
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