Why do you follow me,grasp my hand, pulling constantlytowards a perpetual downpour? I don’t want to drown with you and yourblack felt hat, from which rain spillsin dank cataracts or rills. How does it feel to never dry?Although your fish-eyesare closed, I feel your stare. Slippery as an eel,you swim nightmarishly throughmy restless sleep. I […]
Category: Poems Inspired by Artists, Music and Other Writers
I Put a Spell on You
Time has wound down to a stop—just like your heart, no ticking clock.Lightbulbs flicker,the air vibrates,becomes viscous,until you cannot breatheand heat burns scarlet on your face.Outside on the street, life is a race,while inside, everything has s l o w e dright down.Thoughts buzz frantically, like a beeand you’re trapped in amber honey. I put […]
Weary Waders
We are filling the air with everything:our piping calls, the feathers welose on our weary flight. Seehow overhead cloud hidesus from one another,as we herald the arrival of autumn. One thingyou must remember is that we return from our northern nests alwaystogether, while some just wantto stop off on the way south, others long tostay […]
Mother’s Love
My mother’s love is red and gold,the vibrant love of sunset,a kiss before I bid the worldgoodnight. Under the silhouetted tree,the sky the colour of her heart,holding me close, she says to me,“Sleep tight!” Kim M. Russell, 6th October 2026 It’s Tuesday and, at the dVerse Poets Pub, our host for Poetics is Lillian, with […]
Boar Lane by Lamplight
The evening has already drawnacross the town moon-silvered cloudslike a sky-filled eiderdown.Boar Lane is coming to life, crowdstread cobbles that seemto hold on to sunset with the lightstreaming from windows. Like a dream,gas lamps, candles and lanterns brightentice carousers and romancersinto the pubs to escape the long haulof the working day, while dancersand singers are […]
Hallowed
The silence of the woods is contagioussap seeping under our skin. Outrageousstrings in minor key rise in a sorrowfulbreaking prayer in an arboreal cathedral. No birds sing in bare branches, gunmetal laceagainst an ashen sky; no clouds to embracethe unabashed nakedness in this hallowedplace that nature reigns, we’ve only borrowed. A doe and her faun […]
Between the Falling in Love Parts
Between falling love and other parts of life,things happen: spring blossoms come and go; waves crash on beaches; parts of mountains c r u m b l e ; skies change colour. We grow up,take on responsibility, land with both feeton the ground. Kim M. Russell, 10th September 2026 It’s Thursday and time for Open […]
Nothing is Permanent
You always said to tryto do my best, togrow into the person I wanted to be. You come to me as words, arevenant, urging me to be good,and remain in my heart as a guest. In owl-light, I have learnt to treadcarefully, my feet landing lightlyon the right side of memory. Remember – nothing is […]
Houses with Laundry
In the suburbs, the sky is muted greys;layered clouds merge with beigepost-harvest fields – a train passes by.Houses are prominent, earthy, weak lightreflecting in windows, the inhabitants’washing strung out on lines like brightbunting criss-crossing the landscape.This is life outside the city, awayfrom Viennese high society, an escapefrom pressures and scandal. The dayis almost over, laundry dances […]
Tiger in a Tropical Storm (Surprised!)
They brought brushes, paints and canvas,so that he could spend his sacred leisurein the light, truth and happiness of paintinga surprised tiger and other wonders of nature.When I extend my gaze beyond the vivid huesof yellow, orange, red and tropical verdure(I’ve looked and found hardly any blue),I am thrilled by the way Rousseau capturedthe movement […]
