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A Risky Surfacing

Katie Frances Hartless

Saturated March sky,
the waterlogged stars
provide no passage.

A symmetrical grub
wriggles to the surface
of the sodden night.

Drowned by darkness,
the soft worm moon,
a cylindrical cyclops,
takes the night’s first gasp.
Exposed, without protection,
it may well be its last.

© 2023 | K. Hartless

dVerse Poet’s Pub | Quadrille #171: Poetry is a kind of Gasp

Cover Art: “Worm Moon” Artist: Liz Darling

32 responses to “A Risky Surfacing”

  1. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    It is always risky to surface. I really enjoyed this.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you, Dale. I am enjoying this full moon and the daffodils under the moon. Ours still have some stamina and hope that the frost won’t return.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dale Avatar
        Dale

        It is a beauty, I was looking at it shine on our snow banks… 😏

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Experience Film Avatar
    Experience Film

    Cold-hearted Orb!🌕 Beautifully disgusting Tim Burton vibes. Fear+Disgust+Joy. Now I want gummy worms and scary movies. Eww WORMS!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      I wanted to find an image of just one worm head poking through the black dirt sky. Epic fail. But this combo sounds fun. Way cooler, too If you go digging for a film, and find one. Be sure to share. 💜🪱

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Experience Film Avatar
        Experience Film

        Haha so it took a twist! This def turned out fun either way. Your improv inspires!✌️

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Michele Lee Avatar
    Michele Lee

    An engaging poem and presentation, K.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you, Michele. 💜 The full moon is dangerously bold tonight. I think if that worm pokes its head out a tiny bit more, it’s sure to get gobbled up. I really appreciate your kind words.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Michele Lee Avatar
        Michele Lee

        You are welcome. 🌚 Plenty of food for the worms; sometimes they are the food. 🪱

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Spooky and visceral descriptions, K – can picture the damp soil and mouldy darkness perfectly. Powerful poetry! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Tom. 💜 I had a nice view of that wriggly orb this evening. Now cosmic birds in sight for a midnight snack. Ah well, there’s always next year.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  5. ben Alexander Avatar
    ben Alexander

    Excellent, KK ❤ ~ I really like this line ~ it's cute:

    a cylindrical cyclops,

    ~David

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you. A sort of singleminded was we are all capable of (and I’m teaching the Odyssey, so it’s on my mind.)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. kittysverses Avatar
    kittysverses

    “a cylindrical cyclops”
    Nice line. Enjoyed the poem. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you. 💜

      Like

      Reply
  7. sanaarizvi Avatar
    sanaarizvi

    This is both scrumptious and spooky, K! I resonate strongly with the image of a bold moon ❤️❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you. 💜 It was on full display last night. I was grateful for the inspiration.

      Like

      Reply
  8. Gillena Cox Avatar
    Gillena Cox

    Wow you wriggeled that moon into scary mode. Interesting!
    Thanks for dropping by my blog, K.

    Much💜love

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thanks, Gillena. It may make it, still. Back on the sky’s surface this pm. I appreciate you reading and commenting on my quadrille. 💜💜

      Like

      Reply
  9. merrildsmith Avatar
    merrildsmith

    I loved this portrait of the worm moon–
    these lines could stand alone:
    “the soft worm moon,
    a cylindrical cyclops,
    takes the night’s first gasp.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Merril. I loved letting my imagination go and the “gasp” was just the hook I needed to catch this worm. 💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. merrildsmith Avatar
        merrildsmith

        You’re welcome. 💙

        Liked by 1 person

  10. utahan15 Avatar
    utahan15

    snow day after day
    reverse yeah
    bleech

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Slimy, squirmy wormies.

      Like

      Reply
  11. M Jay Dixit Avatar
    M Jay Dixit

    The last stanza is just so damn good! You rocked this prompt 🙌🌙✨️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      I’m glowing now right among with that bold worm. Thank you, Jay. 💜🌕

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. Bridgette Avatar
    Bridgette

    Oh, I love how you used the worm moon to create such amazing imagery. So good!

    Like

    Reply
  13. whimsygizmo Avatar
    whimsygizmo

    Love the visual of this. That image is haunting, and your poem is a wonderful match.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you. I enjoyed the worm moon in all its glory and also this lovely quadrille event. I appreciate you commenting.

      Like

      Reply
  14. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    Nature is indeed quite serious business. Everything is somewhere on someone’s food chain. Well done, K.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K. Hartless Avatar
      K. Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Bill. Such true musings. I think I may have fallen down the pecking order around here the last few months. Ah well, it’s sort of a good thing to be somewhere in the middle, I suppose.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  15. purplepeninportland Avatar
    purplepeninportland

    Loved the worm moon! Great imagery in this.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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Katie Frances Hartless

K.F. Hartless (she/her) is a free-spirited fiction writer and word trapeze artist. When she’s not juggling her career as a literacy specialist, she’s preparing her latest death-defying act on the keys.

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