Palinode to a Birds-Eye View

A journey doesn’t have to beginwith a fluttering of wings;I would rather not fly –I want to leave the skyand walk. I am not a rising larknor an owl that swoops in the dark;I prefer to skitter like a turnstoneamong limpets and cuttlebone,dashing up and down the shore.I don’t want to feather salt-washed air!I would […]

A Flower That Grows Through Solid Ice

Blue moonwort in the throesof autumn: leathery leaveshug earth, awaiting winter snows. But with spring comes rebirth:melt trickles down to rootlets,sparking growth, and a flame of energy ensues,warming floral tissues,melting ice-encased uprising buds. Stems push up as waterflows to roots. Boring throughremaining ice the moonwort bluesair, greets sun, entices bees. Kim M. Russell, 4th April […]

Red Moon, Red Coat

With their matching colours, red moon, red coat, it was just a matter of distance and perspective. She was small in its presence, but once in space she knew she would float. It was such a huge leap, from skin to moon rocks, even in new boots, gloves and thermal socks. But the colours matched, […]

The Night Circus

It’s a circus of dreams, clouds,ice and magic, open only at night,in tents striped black and white. It appears to dreamers,sometimes joyous, often tragic,enraptured by the mystery and magic. Centre stage, two young magicians,well-matched in skills and wit,impelled by the shadowy circus to pit themselves against each other, discoverlove in circus shadows and maybe deathin […]

Sketches of Delft

The Dutch master at his canvas,holding palette and brush,is bathed in February gold.Delft rooftops are drenchedin the light of the golden dawndripping like honeyfrom a golden goblet.Skaters on still-frozen canalsbecome ice folliespainted in the lemon beautyof the sun’s split corona,a celebration of the fragility,the thin veil between winter and spring. Kim M. Russell, 12th March […]

Assignation with Apples

Nature’s fruits and their aromas are laden with sweet memories: a windfall of sparkling baubles or a bird café of dulcet squabbles over worms in russet orbs that end as feasts for our feathered friends. Each bite of your acidic sweetness arouses a harvest of ripe blushes in an orchard under cover of night. ‘We […]

I followed Emily’s steps in Haworth

I didn’t realise we had so much in common: birth and baptism (of couse) attempts at gardening books and reading (of course) juvenile writing and poetry (naturally) novel writing and a diary (love of) art and music imaginary world and depression teaching contentment at home stay in Brussels I lived in Cologne and Ireland) return […]

The Rooks of Rapture

The moon, like a cataract in the eye of night, casts her milky tract of light on a rookery of nests; their twiggy bulks seem to rest in the fingertips of branches. Below, the night’s chill breath petrifies fierce arum spears still clenched tight like fists where death has left its earthy taint among bits […]