It must be fifty years since
I visited your craggy heights
beside the majestic Rhine.
It was another life and time
on your now distant ridged rock,
where I thought I’d find
a mythical winged creature.
All I found was a twilight cave
with reptiles and spiders padlocked
in glass prisons, so easy to release,
but too reckless and dangerous.
Kim M. Russell, 1st September 2026
On this first day of a new month, at the dVerse Poets Pub, Dora is hosting Tuesday Poetics with lyric petrologies.
Dora says that she is hoping to tempt our poetic muses to “sing songs of stone, be the stone as small as a pebble in a macadam pavement and a gem set in jewelry, or as towering as a mountain and cavernous as a canyon.”
Dora has given us a comprehensive explanation of the word ‘petrology’ and explained the title ‘lyric petrology’ as a study of rocks that revolves around our relationship with them. She has also shared a list of examples of lyric petrology to get us started. I especially enjoyed the two poems by Gillian Clarke’s ‘Ichthyosaur’ and ‘Hearthstone’.
writing in north norfolk 
Such a gothic landscape (“our craggy heights/beside the majestic Rhine”) and so alluring to the imagination that it’s a disappointment no dragons or at least a Bronte character or two doesn’t stalk its heights. Love it, Kim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s not too far from the Lorelei, Dora, Thank you!
LikeLike
I thought about Wagner in your poem… dragons or river-gods it sounds like this was a wonderful place to visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is indeed a connection to Wagner, Björn. There’s more than one legend of Drachenfels, including the hero of the Niebelunglied, Siegfried, who killed the killed the dragon Fafnir, who lived in a cave there, which is why it’s called the ‘Dragon’s Rock.’
LikeLike
Kim, such a mystical place, where dragons have been known to frequent. Too bad you didn’t find one of their fossilized eggs. Creepy crawlies under glass is a great metaphor.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lisa!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was hoping you found a mythical creature, Kim! But I also love spiders, lizards, and creep crawlers…Beautiful photo and sounds like a magical place! 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Cara. It was very cold in the cave, I was with friends, and one of them was keen on busting those creatures out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha crazy friends, gotta love ’em! 💙
LikeLike
That part of the Rhine is quite marvellous – as is your poem.
LikeLike