Once, the pavement was a canvas
for colourful chalk on grey.
I was a street artist until
the rain washed it away,
became curious about what lay
beneath. Grass and weeds
promised a secret world of soil,
ants, scuttling beetles,
and an earthworm’s coil.
Kim M. Russell, 11th November 2024
Image by Morten Jakob Pedersen on Unsplash
It’s Quadrille Monay at the dVerse Poets Pub, where our host, De, is asking: What the What?
De would like us to write pithy little poems of exactly 44 words, not counting the title, including some form of the interrogative word she has provided: what?
We are allowed to get creative and whatnot, and she has given us poetical inspiration from Shel Silverstein and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
I have taken an old poem and distilled it into 44 words.
writing in north norfolk 
Goodness, the cadence of this is just perfection, Kim. The rhymes within. ♥️
And I love the idea of taking an old poem and turning it into a Quadrille.
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Thank you so much, Dee!
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Or maybe later turning a quadrille into a longer poem.
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Digging beneath the surface of your poem, Kim, I’d say the secret world of the subconscious or of nature has an allure all its own! Wonderful Q.
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Thanks Dora!
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You’re welcome!
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Love to find what we finds underneath… the earthworm’s coil especially.
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Nature is wonderful.
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“Grass and weeds
promised a secret world of soil,
ants, scuttling beetles,
and an earthworm’s coil.”
Everything holds mystery and hopefully some type of goodness in the end.
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As long as we remain curious and open to mystery.
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I love the contrast in your poem…
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Thank you, Judy!
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When nature says, here’s the real art and the artist knows when to step back and observe. Wonderful Kim.
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Thanks so much, Dianne!
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Love this! The heart of an artist lies in the beautiful natural order. ❤
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Thank you, Susan!
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The sidewalk ends and inspiration begins.
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Thanks Ken. We miss so much if we don’t look beyond the obvious.
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I like the sense of wonder and discovery you evoke as you peel off the layers. Lovely rhyme and rhythm.
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Thank you, Mish!
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I love that secret soil of the soil, your ending lines. What lay beneath is wonderful kind of life.
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Thank you, Grace. There’s always more to discover.
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Delightful Kim. The last line was perfect ☺️
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Thank you, Christine!
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Perfect writing, Kim!
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Thank you, Nolcha!
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I love this literally and metaphorically. It is a nurturing of curiosity. What is underneath the visible?
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Thank you, Ali. Thank goodness for inquisitive minds!
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Curiosity is a helpful state of mind❤️
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Lovely introspective poem, Kim. 🙂
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Thank you very much, Kitty!
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so much, Kim. So much is in this. Some of what you stirred up in me: ‘Under the cities lies a heart made of ground’, let me remain along I paved country lane, slickers can keep their city streets, their children know no rocks, just chunks of concrete or asphalt.
a fabulous quadrille.
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Thank you kindly, Eric!
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What lies beneath reminds me of tarot readings. A great distillation Kim…
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Thanks Andrew.
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Just like that sidewalk, Nature and life do have much to offer and there is more to it than what meets the eye indeed. I like the idea of creating a Quadrille from an old poem. Great take, Kim
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Thank you very much, Shweta.
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You’re most welcome 😁
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Took me back to my childhood, Kim, when curiosity revealed treasures unknown! What a lovely Q.
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Thank you, Punam!
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My pleasure, Kim.
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I read your quadrille through a child’s lense and fell in love…. as an adult too, promise.
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Thank you, Helen!
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A great write, Kim! Often beauty is found right under our noses, should we stop and look.
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Thank you, Carol. A good reason for slowing down.
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Love this quadrille, Kim, for how it makes the transition from artistry to investigation so seamless!
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Thank you, Chris. A childhood well spent.
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“The Secret World of Soil” could be the title of a David Attenborough documentary, and I’d watch it in a heartbeat.
Great poem!
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Thank you, Nicole!
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So beautifully crafted, Kim, really beautiful. You say so much in these few words. 💙
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Thank you, Merril!
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You’re welcome!
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Nice, odd rhyming pattern that still keeps a pleasurable rhythm.
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Thank you, Shaun!
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I love it: the Rhyme, the rhythm, the freewheeling tightness of the verse —
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Thank you very much for reading and commenting!
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Wonderful!
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