It was a long trek down that dusty road, so she sat on the kerb and counted the stones from her worn-down, second-hand shoes, the blisters on her feet and a heartful of blues. Reminded of years of promises and lies by the tears on her face and the grit in her eyes, she never […]
From Raindrop to River to Sea
It starts with a perfect drop of rain falling from a cloud – and the future arrives just as water, rippling the stillness of a pond, releasing mayflies, dragonflies, and herons that flap their wings like broken umbrellas against spring rain. The gorged river glints, powerful and steadfast on its intrepid journey to the coast, […]
The Moment When You Realise
You have been a familiar landscape to yourself, all these years of seeing your reflection in mirrors, shop windows, the still surface of a pond. You thought you knew the prospect of your frown, the parallel lines of your smile and the curves of your hills and valleys. Until one day, at a family gathering, […]
Echoes of Christmas
Suspended on the air, the tang of dead leaves, breath of wood smoke, tingle of frost and echoes in twilight. A full moon, pearly white touches reflections splintering the night, tinged with bright Christmas lights. Twinkling headlights, streetlight’s glow, and intimate lamp-lit windows remind us that now it’s time to go home. In the darkening […]
Arroyo of Dreams
In sleep, I drift through unfamiliar landscapes, scanning rock formations for other signs of life, feeling like a space traveller, far from green fields and horizons lined with oak and birch. In the distance, a cow is screaming across the arroyo. Its powerful anguish metamorphoses into a dust devil, a column of sand towering above […]
Love in the Half-Light
His shadow lingers in the half-light among the lacklustre souls of previous lovers. His shimmering fingertips and lips penetrate the penumbra, candle flames of passion. One look from his eyes transforms the night into a brand-new constellation of glowing stars. Kim M. Russell, 9th December 2019 My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads: May the […]
Pharos
Waves scream at gulls, scribble chaos in their wake, sculpt rocks into skulls, pummel cliffs until they break. Boats struggle to resist, anchors taut against the tide, rollers and undertow persist, ragged sails and ropes untied. Cliff-bound in purple shroud, the lighthouse flashes behind clouds. Rays of hope and steadfastness guide sailors through the darkness. […]
winter woodland
now is the time to explore you in misty light so low you become one inky shadow birch, ash, beech and oak let go of leafy glamour long ago abandoning piles of copper and gold now your copses are barefaced and bold your glimmering gnarly branches hold mulchy aromas of moss and fungus I long […]
Metamorphosis
early morning snow landing on a fresh white page robins track haiku Kim M. Russell, 5th December 2019 My response to Poets United Midweek Motif: Changes Susan and Sumana bring us the aroma of change this midweek, with the sad news of their departure as hosts on 18th December. They have shared poems by Rilke, […]
Whoku
Irish soil stuck to his honest pen Seamus Heaney Kim M. Russell, 4th December 2019 I woke up this morning with this whoku in my head. Two things inspired it: Patricia’s Poetry Pea podcasts and the wonderful BBC2 programme about Seamus Heaney, which I watched on Saturday night and highly recommend. It’s called ‘Seamus […]
writing in north norfolk 