Give the Devil Enough Rope...

DEVIL'S ROPE
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones

Devil's rope
that's what the old timers called it
in the late 1800s
while taming the West
Those rugged men
in their fencing wars
found a dozen ways to wind wire
To make sure sheep, cattle
and stockmen got the point
they added barbs
Pooler Jones was sold
by the pound, a straight rod
with double twist barb
Deckers Parallel's
two single wires carried a C barb
The WF Johnson Corn Planter
featured a long trip wire
with button tied in
Uphams Snail Barb twisted
its hooks around twisted wire
Hodge's Spur Rowel borrowed
from the horses for a double strand and inset
Kelly's Thorny Fence sported
a double arrowhead barb, thorny indeed
The Burnell Four Point twisted two barbs
in a double twist wire, all points armed
Scut's "H" Plate used a crimped H-shaped barb
Curtis Twisted Off Set held small barbs
set in a tight double twist
while Reynolds Necktie no man
would wish to wear next to his skin
The Brinkerhoff Factory Splice
twisted broad bands between wicked
large double barbs—pity the hide
caught on those spikes
Crandal made a zig zag double twist
with arrow-shaped barb
and even the miners in Virginia City
had their own cable
Today developers carve up the West
with chain link and plastic

_______________________

Patricia Wellingham-Jones will read with Joel Fallon at Copperfield's in Napa (3500 Bel Aire Plaza, Hwy 29 & Trancus Street, 707-252-8002) this Sunday (10/23), 3-5 pm. Patricia, a former psychology researcher and writer/editor, is a three-time Pushcart nominee. Her work is published in numerous chapbooks, anthologies, journals and Internet magazines, including a rattlechap (Voices on the Land). A resident of Tehama, she has a monthly poetry column in East Valley Times and has been featured poet in several journals. Patricia is also publisher of PWJ Publishing and edits and produces books by invitation. Her website is www.wellinghamjones.com.

Joel Fallon went to sea at seventeen, enlisted for the Korean war and spent most of his military life overseas: Korea, Japan, The Philippines and Germany. He retired from the Army in 1970 to build boats, but soon returned to Germany as a Department of Army civilian employee and spent another 20 years overseas. Now "really retired," Fallon lives in Benicia, California where he practices T'ai Chi daily, gardens and writes. Joel has written six chapbooks and regularly reads in the Bay Area.

The Central California Art Association & Mistlin Art Gallery announces a poetry reading/booksigning and reception this Saturday (10/22), 4 pm, 1015 J street, downtown Modesto. Gillian Wegner will be reading from her book, Lifting One Foot, Lifting the Other (In the Grove Press), and arriving from the Bay Area to join her are poets Helen Wickes (Lives of Clouds), and Murray Silverstein (Any Old Wolf) (both forthcoming from Sixteen Rivers Press). All three poets were recently anthologized in Cloud View Poets (Arctos Press), which will be available for purchase and signing. (Info: Gordon Preston, 523-8916)

Lots of local doin's this week, too:

Tonight: Sac. Poetry Center presents Claudia Epperson, 7:30 pm, HQ (25th & R Sts., Sac). Info: 441-7395. Claudia has worked in the education field for more than 30 years; her book, The Warrior King Women Long For, was recently published by The Zoe Life Publishing Co.

Tuesday (10/18): Third Tuesday Poetry Series presents Alfred Arteaga and Eve West Bessier, 7 pm, La Raza Bookstore, 1421 R St., free. Info: 743-5329.

Wednesday (10/19): Urban Voices presents Todd Walton at the South Natomas Library, 2901 Trexel Rd., Sac. Note time change: this reading now begins at 6:30 pm instead of 7:00. Also Wednesday: Mahogany Urban Poetry Series presents Sharkie Marado at Sweet Fingers Jamaican Restaurant, 1704 Broadway, Sac, 9 pm. $5 cover. Info: 492-9336.

Thursday (10/20): Poetry Unplugged presents Julie Reyes at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sac, 8 pm. Also Thursday: California Lecture Series presents Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, American Book Award winner, poet and bestsellling author, in conversation with Jeffrey Callison, Capital Public Radio Host of "Insight". 7:30 pm, Crest Theatre, 1015 K St., Sac. $23.

______________________

More from Patricia:

PAINT JOB
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones

She rises out of moss-stains,
wooden decks and worn concrete.
The old overgrown cottage
glows in new paint
like a young woman
coming into her prime.

She is gorgeous in her fresh
and flouncy new skirts.
Same hues as before—rich blue
with trim the color of redwoods—
her satin finish picks up the light,
bounces it around.

Chimney proud as a cocked hat
with greenleaf feathers
she winks her sun-flashed gabled eyes
at the friend whose finger rests
on a rainbow trout doorknocker.

Walls expanding in satisfied sighs,
front door open in a wide smile,
she settles with flower-strewn lap
on her patch of earth.

_______________________

Thanks, Patricia!

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry and announcements of Northern California poetry events to kathykieth@hotmail.com for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets.