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Breath & Shadow

Winter 2025 - Vol. 22, Issue 1

"Brain Fog"

written by

Samantha Carr

(After Denis Glover)


The magpies said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle
but what was I about to say?


The doctor said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle

I tried harder to understand.


My friends said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle

as though in disbelief.


My body said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle

and I didn’t listen.


The clouds said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle

as my lost thoughts became rain


The magpies said

Quardle oodle ardle wardle doodle

so I joined them.

Samantha is based in Plymouth, UK where she is a PhD Creative Writing candidate exploring chronic illness through poetry. Her work has been published in ArcAcumen, Room, Consilience, Disabled Tales, and Corporeal.

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