A Series of Sunflowers

my daughter’s gardenbeneath giant tournesolsa smile of sunshine Vincent’s sunflowersthe only remaining lightin a grey landscape October raindropsthe last of the sunflowersdisappearing Kim M. Russell, 13th October 2020             My response to Carpe Diem Celebrates Its 8th Anniversary October 2020: Carpe Diem #1834 sunflowers Today’s flash-back into Carpe Diem’s rich […]

Ogden’s Extraordinary Observatory

Posters were plastered all over town, filling us with expectation: ‘OGDEN’S EXTRAORDINARY OBSERVATORY – ONE NIGHT ONLY’. We had to go. It’s in an abandoned factory that was closed when we were children, the year my best friend Rachel discovered astronomy. I’m glad I remembered to bring a torch. Ogden is a creepy man, clown-like […]

Mouth Agape

Never worn, just hangingthere,eyeless and mouthagape,an emptiness thatspeaksvolumes of historical festivityand plague,the drunken pox, depravity,appetites and follyof the age. Kim M. Russell, 12th October 2020             My response to earthweal weekly challenge: Earth-Masks Brendan has given us a detailed background to this week’s theme: masks, something we wear now as […]

Grammar of Happiness

I remember you remember me remember when I lost my mind I remember it well making music making bread making money making my way downtown and then what and then the sun rave song and then we danced and then he kissed me poet for our times poet for hire poet for love poet wife […]

Ballad of Dark Beauty

Her dress of bombazine was wrappedaround her mottled body like a shroud,her hair was winter-dark, a raven trappedin the violent weir, so cold and loud. She lived apart, contemptuous and proud,believed to be a wanton witch, a lonelywanderer on the heath, at one with cloud,rain, moon and stars. She was the only night dancer on […]