My box is made of cardboard,the largest of a trio I boughtfor myself: pale blue, adornedwith simple flowers, it hasa metal handle, and a whiteribbon to stop the lid from closingwhen I explore what’s inside.It’s a practical box. In my box are imagesin sepia, monochromeand colour, higgledy-piggledy,no order, like life. Theychronicle a family of fivegenerations […]
Category: Poems Inspired by Artists, Music and Other Writers
Leda’s Lament
I used to love the haunting songof low-flying swans, their trumpetinga welcome herald of spring,their wingbeats a gentle breath passing overhead. Now, they remind me of the threatof his yellow beak and wingsbeating me into submission. I wish I could fly away and hide my conditionuntil I become a mother,when I will no longer fear […]
Wish You Were Here
The Belvedere in Vienna has no beach towels,rows of deckchairs and rainbow parasols,sandcastles, sparkling water and beach balls. There is no beach, you know I like to go off track,but even at the museum I found a postcard rackfrom which to choose some artwork to send back. I saw this one and thought of you […]
The Frustration of the Teacher, the Magpie and the Ocean
Frustrationsaid the teacheris a class of geniuseswith fingers tappingon mobile phoneswhile I getno response Frustrationsaid the magpieis being an extraordinaryordinary thing of naturebut the only interest I getis when I perchon a horse’s head Frustrationsaid the oceanis using my stomach-churning powerto pick bits of a wreckedboat out of the blackfangs of rocks Kim M. Russell, […]
Red Moon, Red Coat
With their matching colours, red moon, red coat, it was just a matter of distance and perspective. She was small in its presence, but once in space she knew she would float. It was such a huge leap, from skin to moon rocks, even in new boots, gloves and thermal socks. But the colours matched, […]
Observations from a Hotel
I would love to observe the universein a hotel room almost touching stars.Spread-eagled on the bed,meteors and stardust in my head,the moon and her backing singerswould croon a lullaby, sleep-bringersand universal dream-weavers,rocking this would-be astronaut to sleep, breathless at an altitude of 10,171 feet. Kim M. Russell, 2nd April 2024 Photo by John McKaveney: Orion. […]
The Night Circus
It’s a circus of dreams, clouds,ice and magic, open only at night,in tents striped black and white. It appears to dreamers,sometimes joyous, often tragic,enraptured by the mystery and magic. Centre stage, two young magicians,well-matched in skills and wit,impelled by the shadowy circus to pit themselves against each other, discoverlove in circus shadows and maybe deathin […]
Golconda
City gents without umbrellasfall from the sky like rain; I feel sorry for those fellas,bowler-hatted, dressed in grey, early for work in the morning,late home at the end of the day. Disenchanted gents are fallingpast suburban windows where their perfect wives are waiting,aprons on, scent behind ears, in their hands a glass of something,a peck […]
View from the Ochre Room
In his studio in the asylum at Saint Remy,the artist sets up his easel, takes a sheetof paper the size of a street poster (maybeit was once a poster), and attaches it,smooths it flat, arranges chalks, oils,watercolours and brushes.He chooses carefully, black chalkto sketch the window, a little off-centre.Light passes through the glass of jars,bottles […]
Just Saying
It’s not just a cup of tea,it’s fragrant steamfrom a porcelain bowl,leaves inside blossoming outside. It’s not just a breath of air,it’s hundreds of yearsof leaves and latewood,Earth’s redemption. It’s not just the sea,it’s immeasurable depthsand creatures as mysteriousas aliens somewhere in space. It’s not just poetry,it’s time scrunched into a balland smoothed out again,words […]
writing in north norfolk 