I am named after a dragon carved on one of my rafters in fourteen twenty seven. I started life proud and tall, born from a thousand English oaks as a medieval trading hall. I was a shop, warehouse and meeting place for wealthy traders of wines and spices, worsted cloth and pottery, conjuring money in their finery. […]
Category: Poems
A poem to sum up my feelings in this post.
After the Clocks Go Back
Shadows spill into living rooms; at four o’clock, car headlights blaze, terrace windows glow and televisions flicker. The trees know: their sap retreats, they shed their leaves, drops of colour pooling where they stand, swirls of colour blowing in the wind. Every afternoon, well before three, I pull on hat, gloves and Wellington greens for […]
Demon
My response to Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo Thursday photo prompt – Creature #writephoto As this week will take us to Halloween, Sue has chosen a genuinely spooky photograph. This black creature with glowing eyes was captured on camera when she visited an ancient mine a few days ago.
Winter Ghosts
Bereft of winter ghosts, I dreamed all spring and sleepwalked through the summer until I noticed leaves and colours turning and suddenly the world was burning. Now tendrils of smoke are curling, twisting into shapes of ghosts and ghouls; damp rises from the earth each morning, creeping misty wraiths and lonely souls. All Hallows Eve […]
Elephants in the Room
Italy quakes in her boot and Roman ruins rumble: just gods playing games with ancient marbles! No Nero fiddling in the flames of the Calais Jungle: just men in hard hats […]
First Glimpse
We were new to the North Norfolk coast and couldn’t agree what we loved the most: the flatness of the landscape, the drama of the clouds, the wind so loud, the skies so wide and flaming with gorgeous sunsets and expansive star-filled nights. In the charcoal-shadowed garden, listening to the sea beyond the dunes, I […]
Night of Sparks
I remember my first 5th November: I was five, bundled up in coat, knitted gloves, scarf and hat, breathing smoke and stars, a fizzing sparkler in my hand, spellbound by the Catherine wheel spinning sparks on the garden fence – it cost Grandad sixpence. © Kim M. Russell, 2016 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Quadrille […]
Art Therapy
The child deconstructs her picture, scraping curls of black crayon; swirls of firework wraiths appear and a hive of red, orange and yellow bees swarms from the smoke of a waxy night. Opposite her, a woman, bright and bedizened in gold rings, ear hoops and bangles that glitter in the flecks of kind eyes, searches […]
The World Within
Like those painted Russian dolls, They organised her World within a world. Living out of suitcases, Tended like a hot–house orchid, Feeling like a caged bird, Everything was planned. She lived through music, The only language Everyone can understand, And danced late at night In her hotel room to her favourite Rock and roll band. […]
The Poet Answers
Answer Morning – Where is the moon – Where are the stars – Where are the dreams? Ah, said Morning – Where is the dew – Where are the birds – Where are the poems? Sparkled the Sun – Where is your pen – Where are the words – Where are the rhymes? Here, said […]
writing in north norfolk 