Last Glow of the Dying Season

solitary quinceamong semi-bare branchestoo few leaves to hidethe only source of sunshinefloodlights the dying season Kim M. Russell, 19th November 2020           My response to dVerse Poets Pub Meeting the Bar: Jisei (Japanese Death Poems) Frank is our host today for Meeting the Bar, inviting us to revisit the Jisei (Japanese […]

Feline

Orbs of honeyed trustglow in the darknessat the end of the bed,incandescent torchessearching in the nightfor human heat.In the morning,after breakfast and a treat,blue-eyed companionrelinquished for the day,the owner of the amber eyesgoes out to hunt and play.   Kim M. Russell, 17th November 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Tuesday Poetics: Look into […]

Zig Zagging

Winter sun slants low, cold, white gold, casting faint shadows across the frosty fields, prettifying furrows and hedges and rusted plants around the edges. Is it possible to backlight a hare’s ears, making them glow pink as it zig-zags its way home this morning? Kim M. Russell, 16th November 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub […]

Something in the Walls

“There’s something in the walls,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me through the front door. We stood in the hallway, listening, my mother with her ear against the wall. Outside, the wind was dancing a mazurka, spinning branches in its embrace, lifting the door knocker and tapping to come in. “See,” I said. […]

November Monday

Monday is the colour of sky,the first day of the weekas fresh as washing on a line. This November Monday,there’s a musty yellow scent,an ochre aroma of decay, like a pumpkin or a melon,overripe and mushy mellow,not citrus-sharp like lemons. This Monday’s weatheris washed into a muddy green,sun and wind and rain together, mixed up […]

November Burning

Leaf-flame disappears from trees,doused into a sodden massbeneath my boot-clad feet,kicked until the limp leaves liftand fall – again. Drizzle develops into steady rain,but neighbours are intent on rakingand burning. Pungent billowspermeate lank laundryon the washing line. Boots off, safe and dry indoors,the first fire of the season roars,releasing smoky memoriesof the November mornwhen she […]

Sporous

Early raindropspatterand the blackmatterof the forest exhales,richand slow,happy spores that spread and grow. Exquisitemother-of-pearl,puff-balled and ink-cappedmushrooms twirla polka with scarlet dotted toadstools,at the annual fungus festival,tripping psychedelichappiness with fly agaric. Kim M. Russell, 2nd October 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Monday Quadrille: In Need of a Happiness Project Lille would like us to […]