Birch Trunk

The contour of an old silver birch is broken by a wood- pecker cocking his red-capped headand hammering holes,catkins ripplingin the wind,insect bores, clinging strands of ivy,bulbous fissures,thick bark, ledges cushioned with moss and lichen,sprouting fungi.Kim M. Russell, 1st April 2024 It’s Monday, Aril Fools Day and, at the dVerse Poets Pub, Lisa is hosting […]

No Longer Slumbering

With the scent of snow still lingeringdespite winter’s unbattening,all our senses are shiveringwith the familiar inklings of spring:cut-outs of birds silhouettingan anaemic sky; sparklingstars of celandines yellowingwinter browns; and quiveringsnowdrops and daffodils spring,no longer slumbering. Kim M. Russell, 4th March 2024 Punam is our host for the dVerse Poets Pub Quadrille this Monday, and we […]

Touchstone

You are my touchstone:you heal me;you alonecomplement me,make me whole. You lighten the minorchord of winter,ground mein the headinessof summer. By day my sun,by night, you’re stars,silver rivets holdingthe sky together —fierce gentleness. Kim M. Russell, 19th February 2024 Image by Olena Bohovyk on Unsplash Monday is Quadrille day at the dVerse Poets Pub, where […]

Goodbye January

Not long ago, sharp winter daysraised the curtain on January.Wary birds battled frost. Imagine nicotine dragon-breath clouds,shrouds of icy fog curling,whirling through the sky. Goodbye to the bitter cold.Bold spring blossoms will soon appear.Cheer February in its glory. Kim M. Russell, 5th February 2024 It’s Monday and, at the dVerse Poets Pub, Lillian is our […]

Old Man Winter

is no pinchpenny,his gifts are many: pinking our cheeks,        glazing the world,                 sprigs of icicles,        a landscape gift-wrappedwith ribbons of ice and snow. Even as light fades,        a flock of waders lifts,                dives and twists,        white wing tips flashin January slush. Kim M. Russell, 22nd January 2024 Image by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash It’s Monday […]

A Cormorant Flew Over the Lagoon

A cormorant flewover the lagoon,its primordial profile shoneback from waterblue-green as old copper. The cormorant landed silently on the shore, pecking at stonesand shells to crack,emitting a swallowed gruntas it took off again, backover the lagoon. Kim M. Russell, 8th January 2024 Image by Kristin Snippe on Unsplash It’s Monday, the day for writing quadrilles […]

Hibernation

Before hehibernates amongrusting crackles of leaves,a hedgehog lumbersinto the garden.A cross-sketching of prickles,he heaves himself through a fence,a hungry urchinsniffing out earthworms,slugs and snails,ready to makehis winter homein a pileof logs. Kim M. Russell, 28th November 2023 Image by K8 on Unsplash I wasn’t back in time to write a poem on Monday for this […]