Beneath a sky as clear as an icicle, blasted nests sway in a bitter wind that tugs at the coat of a girl on a bicycle, wrestles her handlebars and steals her hat, gives the bell a cheeky little tinkle, and stings a face already chapped. They say only the south wind flattens grass, but […]
Tag: Tuesday Poetics
Listening
Last night I didn’t gaze at lights in the November sky. Long beyond midnight, even longer into early morn, lingering solitary, lids drooped as I listened to legendary sisters’ songs. Leaning against the willow, lulled by silver harmony, lovely cosmic chords became laments for a lost sister, lugubrious Pleiades lilting quietly to me. Kim M. […]
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 […]
While we are otherwise engaged
In the solitude of lockdown and the peaceful safety of a village on the Broads, news drips in slowly. If it wasn’t for social media and local TV news, we might forget for a minute that the sea is creeping ever nearer, destroying sea defences, toppling homes from cliffs, and eating up the coast while […]
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 […]
Autumn’s Folly
She paints the landscape red and gold,cossets fruit, more than we can hold, silvers webs and tinkers with the lightonly to plunge us into wintry night. Her leafy folly flutters and decays,the fruits of her labour last but days, winter haunts her with ghostly mistand bids her goodbye with an icy kiss. Kim M. Russell, […]
Dreams by Candlelight
I fell asleepin the pale heatand candle salve of twilight,nodding to an open book. In a pellucid questfor hallowed rest,my yellow dreamsploughed lucid farrowstowards the sunriseof my tomorrow. Kim M. Russell, 20th October 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: The Charms of Samuel Greenberg Laura is back to host Poetics this week, with […]
Maybe It’s Because…
I stared at stars printed on the sky, the solar system in all its glory, and thought back to another time, a different city when Wren designed the dome that stands so proud beside the Thames, the best of London’s pride. I wondered about all who stood inside, who marvelled at the golden Byzantine oculus, […]
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 […]
Tired But Thankful
You woke me upin the early hourswith your persistenceand your words. Now I’m upbefore the birds,brain whirring,fingers tapping, slave to the emphatic vatic. I’m tired but thankful,but an image would be useful,something ekphrasticto brighten up my dreams. Kim M. Russell, 29th September 2020 My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: The Vatic Voice Lisa is […]
