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 […]
Tag: NaPoWriMo
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 […]
The Poet Gives Up
Vincent might have felt differently when he tried to paint a starless night in Saint-Remy: the poet detests the pungency of words stagnating in her mind like a humid day. She sees them fall, lumpen and heavy flocks of birds that scratch her with censorious claws as they ascend again into phonemes, oscillating with unsatisfactory […]
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 […]
Gráinne Ellen
Her names originate from myth and legend, and she bears them with a graceful nonchalance. From the Celtic word for sun, Gráinne, daughter of Cormac, was promised to the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill. She could be a descendant of Gráinne Ní Mháille, landowner of Mayo and Irish pirate queen. It’s hard to pronounce, even if […]
[when i think of you]
after e.e. cummings i see your bike left haphazard on the edge of the forbidden cricket pitch fringed with golden hued birds-foot trefoil and clover, sky overhead cross-hatched with vapour trails, like the lines that sketch your face now; your face then was freckled, your breath sweet with bubble gum, lips stained orange with the […]
Reviewing a Pomegranate
We purchased it for mixingwith garlic and honey, a dressingfor grilled halloumi and sourdough toast. Its orb glowed crimson,the blade split smooth skin,spilling the ruby jewels within, and stained our fingers with fruity blood.Its sticky flesh held heavenly food,the luscious seeds tiny surprises crushed between our incisors,trickling juice upon the tongue,a fecund fruit with a […]
The Flats by the Playing Field
1. Too many stairs to the top floor, and yet I ran up them, brave and unafraid of falling, but more scared of the piss-scented lift that always stopped between floors. 2. If you bumped into a neighbour, leaping downstairs was easier, even on the way to the grocery store. it was an escape, the […]
writing in north norfolk 