Elizabeth Russell Poems

There’s something inside me at last
For a long time there was nothing
I gaze at the reflection of my baby’s mother in the mirror
She raises her glass, drinks
...

I wasn’t always a drunk
Once I was a child - a little girl
Who wanted love
Which she found - in a bottle
...

“Miracles flourish from tragedy”
I believe it
With all my heart
And soul
...

My little dog
Who has spent her whole life loving us
Is dying
Her heart which has loved so freely
...

Your hand in mine
Makes me feel whole
Encourages me
To continue
...

I remember seeing a photograph of a mother
Holding her daughter -
In a town called Minamata in Japan
Where mercury had been dumped into the water
...

The icy, menacing ocean that once tried to lure me
To seek solace from my pain
In its dark, grey, churning waters
Has now become a thing
...

Eyes bright with tears
Peering down dark depths into my soul
A heart broken by careless comments
Sobs against my breast
...

You’ve seen so much of my boy
Been with him for so long
Wrapped yourself around him
When he was sad, or when he had a hurt
...

Sitting with you on our verandah
Amidst a jungle of ferns, palms
And emotions
Looking out over the tops of red roofed houses
...