The young man’s hands were slender, quick and strong, composing sonnets to his unknown muse, creating worlds in drama and in song to challenge the emotions and amuse. The busy writer’s hands were stained with ink and words. His skin was cracked and raw with rhyme. The scratching of the pen spurred him to think […]
Selma the Cryptic Cryptid
A cryptic cryptid, Selma’s obscured in the icy depths of Lake Seljord through the long, dark Norwegian winters. She surfaces during hot, quiet summers, playing hide and seek in the fjords, searching for love with an elusive mate, another ferocious monster of the lake. Kim M. Russell, 17th January 2019 My response to Imaginary Garden […]
Tightropes and Stilts Revisited
The long and precarious tightrope walk stopped when I left the big top of teaching. Now I walk on creative stilts, sometimes teetering, sometimes tumbling into a safety net of words and rhyme. I don’t worry because I have the time. Kim M. Russell, 17th January 2019 My response to Poets United Midweek Motif ~ […]
Withered Leaves
withered and brown clinging to a sappy twig last leaf on the tree Kim M. Russell, 17th January 2019 My response to Carpe Diem #1586 withered leaves ‘Withered leaves’ is the modern kigo for today and it’s been taken from Jane Reichhold’s Dictionary of Haiku, section: winter, subsection: plants. We also have example haiku from […]
Icicles
naked branches spangled with light and music tinkling icicles Kim M. Russell, 16th January 2019 My response to Carpe Diem #1585 icicles (tsurara) In today’s episode, we have a classical kigo for late winter: Icicles (tsurara), and two example haiku: yûkaze ya yashiro no tsurara hi no utsuru night wind — the shrine’s icicles reflect […]
A Need to Know Basis
You need to know, I have a fragile muse fashioned from Venetian glass, blown out and close to shattering. Despite that, we climb aboard a gondola and enter the shadow of the Bridge of Sighs, sighing and shivering from the sudden chill. But Venice has its own poetry. The city knows which form to use […]
Full Circle
winter dawn sounds of blowing snow sleeping birds bare branches bough with the weight […]
How Strange the Change
How strange is the change from those heavy gunmetal days that fall in the cracks between Christmas and New Year? How sweet the shift of chord from minor to major as mornings become lighter strewn with white and purple crocuses and a blackbird’s song! Kim M. Russell, 14th January 2019 My response to dVerse Poets […]
Winter Seclusion
voices are dispersed with a flurry of snowflakes silence is resumed Kim M. Russell, 13th January 2019 My response to Carpe Diem #1583 winter seclusion (fuyugomori) Today’s classical kigo is ‘winter seclusion) (fuyugomori).
Apple Blossoms
branches fracture sun in spilling apple blossoms the valley awakes branches fracture sun awash with shiny spangles early morning dew in spilling apple blossoms a bumblebee cavorts with pollen’s sweetness the valley awakes a flood of pastel petals welcoming the day branches fracture sun they finger-paint the dawn sky with smudges of cloud awash with […]
writing in north norfolk 