Simple Treasures

These I have loved:
half-light stealthily tip-toeing through gaps in blinds,
mottled with shadows; mist and fog that drifts and creeps
from field to field, muffling the rumble of traffic on damp streets;

hues of leaves clinging tightly to autumn trees, the crunch
underfoot of those already fallen; lacy cobwebs woven
across garden gates, strung with diamond drops of dew,
sparkling in the weak rays of a new day’s dawning;

a thrush cracking snail shells on a path, scrawls of silver trails
leading nowhere; scent of petrichor and autumn lingering
on a shrugged off coat long after hanging it up; the tingle
of the first cup of peppermint tea in a mug that says

‘Cats are cool’; and a cat’s purr as it sits by its bowl.
All these have been my loves.

Kim M. Russell, 21st July 2026

I’ve just got back from spending a week with my daughter and, today, I’m hosting Poetics at the dVerse Poets Pub, with Rupert Brooke and ‘The Great Lover’.

Rupert Chawner Brooke was an English poet whose work was a reflection of the mood in England during the years leading up to World War I. After a mental breakdown in 1913, Brooke spent several months in the U.S., Canada, and the South Seas, where he wrote some of his best poems, including ‘The Great Lover’.

My challenge was to read lines from the second stanza of ‘The Great Lover’ and then springboard off one or more to write a list poem that begins with ‘These I have loved’, details things that the speaker of the poem has loved and ends with ‘All these have been my loves’.

28 thoughts on “Simple Treasures”

  5. What a wonderful poem and prompt today Kim!! I was touched and inspired greatly by the Brooke poem. This poem of yours is a beautiful collection of small wonders. This poem reminds me that love is not only found in grand moments, but also in foggy mornings, fallen leaves, warm tea, and the comforting presence of a familiar companion. I also had peppermint rea in my list of wonderful things! 💜

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    1. Thank you so much, Cara. I’m just up and have my peppermint tea here next to me as I type! I’ll be reading and commenting when I return from aqua aerobics, and look forward to your poem.

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