Carolyn Thomas

Checking it out 😊

But you must take the credit for translating so beautifully 😊

Pleasure, Paul. It brought a huge grin to my face 😊

Before the Wake After У гроба (“Beside the Bier”, 1904) by Russian Symbolist poet, Innokenty Annensky (1855-1909) Mirrors gleam whitely in an Apartment swept and clean. Stately as a steed under a Fly sheet stands the grand piano. During visiting hours yesterday, Death left the doors wide open. Time has long ceased to be Torn off the calendar - but Parlour, kitchen, bedroom Clocks tick on regardless. Hushed in the corner: Fool’s pig-bladder of an oxygen bag, Blue-lipped cannula - Eyeless, agog at the final agony. In a funk-trance of disgust, I peel back the shroud - As if I were Certifying the death. Horror - then Bewilderment: Is Being’s mystery Already at home in the Vacated sanctuary of a Face so alien? Free adaptation from the Russian: ©Jan Peters/Solivagant Wisdom, 2025

©Jan Peters/Solivagant Wisdom, 2007 Highly contrasted black-and-white image of sculpted marble on a tomb at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

🙏 to @hool415.bsky.social as #PromptCombo #visitor host

#adaptation / #photography: ©Jan Peters/Solivagant Wisdom, 2025/2007

#poem #RussianPoetry #Symbolism #spooktober #Death #PoetryInTranslation #PereLachaise #Shroud

One word - stunning! Love it 💙

A Lincoln Imp Tell you why I'm motionless here, grinning down at you. Satan let us out to play. Mate and I sat on a church spire twisting it. Chesterfield never had better days. Next we blew through that door. Tripped up Bishop. So serious. In the Angel Choir broke chairs and tables till angel out a hymn book told us to stop, so I lobbed stones at bloke while mate scarpers to Grimsby, where angel catches him, smacks his arse, turns him to stone as he did to me. At least mate can waggle his smacked arse at visitors I'm alone. Need a bit of fun in this God given place packed full of all praying and hymning.

Morning @hool415.bsky.social Ju. Here's my first response to your marvellous #promptcombo #visitor. It's from my ImpSpired collection "As Folktaleteller." Have a great week:

Really love this, Paul 😁 Impish fun!

Loved it, Sue 😊

🤣🤣🤣 don’t we all? 😉

My pleasure, David 😊

For #PromptCombo #Visitor with most-nominated-ever host @hool415.bsky.social a poem I don't think I've posted before (Ju will know), which only got its temporary title this morning, and is, for me, remarkably long. Will catch up with others later.

Glorious, Sue! Gentle humour beautifully conjured. Love the warmth in this piece 💙

Many thanks @hool415.bsky.social for a great #PromptCombo #Visitor. Here's a something from a few years back about visiting my Mum in her final weeks

Heartbreakingly tender, David. A really beautiful poem

The first book I wrote from my father' notes etc. He weren't half lovely. He worked with Ian Fleming, met Noel Coward Karen Blixen among others and took tea with the man who led those who killed Rasputin

My goodness! You have some real material there, Bernard! What a source for writing - fantastic 😊

An absolute pleasure and very much deserved 😊

My #LifttotheSky today goes to the lovely Bernard Pearson @bernp.bsky.social , a fine poet and generous supporter of #poetrycommunity #BlueskyPoers #PoetsSupportPoets
@alanparrywriter.co.uk
@thebrokenspine.co.uk

You’re very welcome, Peter 😊

😊

Small boy urinates
in a city-centre bowl —
police do nothing.

#poem #poetry #skypoets #blueskypoets #poetsofbluesky #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #senryu #poemsabout #mannequin
@alanparrywriter.co.uk
@thebrokenspine.co.uk

Perfect capture 😊 Love the headline style - splendidly witty 😁

You’re very welcome 😊

Thank you, Sue 💙 It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like for him. He hated working undergrad and went on the railways as soon as he was old enough but I think he was proud he was able to contribute

As you do 😊 Loved it

😊

Pleasure 😊

I have a vague memory - horrible! Wax museums are so sinister!

😁

My pleasure - it deserves as wide a readership as possible 😊