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11 September: The Goatherd #8
The Stirring of Clouds She says the stars are raining,and clouds are stirring in her belly. to sleep.to wake. to dream.to hope not to live for oneself, says the man. She tells him she doesn’t sleep when she dreams,that she only sees trees that never leaf,and sparks that burn the wind. The air snaps with…
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10 September: RDP’s Disguise
The Disguise of Economic Buoyancy The neighbour runs from the gardeninto her house, closes the windows.She’s burning years of paper receipts. Things once had. Things she still has.Things eaten.Broken.Busted.Forgotten. Consumerism,and an emergency bucket of waterto put out the fire. Sparks rise and sail,and shred the skywith smoke the colour of sheep. She watches ash swirl…
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10 September: A Haibun SOCS and RDP
The Water Back then, the village pond was for washing work horses. A few years ago someone put carp in there. And the pea soup came, a peculiar kind of dark downward vegetating mush and grass that pressed against the fish. It sucked the oxygen out the water. The carp floated to the surface like…
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9 September: RDP – Ink in Bits
Ink In Bits thin skinned leaves are fallingand mum’s fighting gravitylike Godzilla taking on the sky. I wave goodbye it’s the first day back to school.red metal lunch box, a salami sarnie,and milk money in my pocket. I’ll buy ice cream back then,I’d never heard of a llama,but I knew A was for aardvark. And…
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8 September: for Ragtag Daily Prompt
A Short-lived Conversation About Skulls I have half an ear open, and Mum says, “Don’t underestimate the trouble you can find yourself in.” And I’m watching a bee bump its head against the window, over and over and over again, and I say, “It’s weird, a skull always seems to smile, but a skull needs…
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7 September: This Heat
This Heat Look at it,our garden is insatiable thirstwhile Spainand Greeceand Turkey’s streetsare rivers. This is heat, thick as darkness.Words ringing unfamiliaron your tongue, and thoughts erasedas if graffiti.This is heat. It bewildersyour brainwith levitating dizziness. This heat is the new Babel. Written for the new prompt site at What’s Going On. Some artwork is created…
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7 September: A Thursday Door
This door is the entrance to St Marien Lutheran Church, Osnabrück, Germany. It was first mentioned in records in 1177. Gothic construction finished in 1440. The figures around the door frame represent the Clever and the Foolish Virgins. On the left-hand side are the figures of the five Clever Virgins, led by the “Ecclesia”, and…
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6 September: Submitted for VV’s Last Issue
Transitions Sleep. Sleep your deep wintery sleep,and when you wake, you’ll be a bright little star. Children will think you can grant their wishes.Twinkle twinkle little star, they’ll sing. Or maybe you’ll return as some tiny pink godfrom whom new civilisations will descend. Are you here, or are you gone – have youfledged with time,…
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5 September: dVerse Quadrille #183
Under My Skin You are under my skin,when you sleep, when you breathe,when I press my lips against your skin You smell of snow, and sliced gingerbread,slivers of moonlight, and waves of grass you are strawberriesand earthshine greenand my years in paradise. Written for Kim’s dVerse Quadrille #183 “Sliver”. Some artwork is created using Midjourney…
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4 September: The Goatherd #7
In Couplets It was more like a chairthan a stone that yields itself, and he sits, fatigue pursuing himinto the shade of argan trees, while his goats sleep close as leaves that cling to a branch. And he watches the womanstrike her stick on the ground, goats turning left, turning right,and then the man realises…
It's Still Life 