God's Flashlight

Last week I wandered upstate and visited Poet Patricia Wellingham-Jones at her lovely estate in Tehama, outside of Red Bluff. She graciously invited some other poets, including Ray Dunn from Red Bluff and Joy Harold Helsing from Magalia. A wonderful time was had by all. Yes, there is a poetry life north of Roseville!—and maybe poets find each other even more precious when distances have to be traveled…

Anyway, here are two from Ray, who has been in every issue of the Snake since its inception:


THE BEST
—Ray Dunn, Red Bluff

You won't ever own
A ranch in Argentina.

You won't ever own
The Nobel Peace Prize.

You won't ever own
A home in Beverly Hills.

You won't ever own
A Picasso painting.

You won't ever own
The Los Angeles Lakers.

You won't ever own
The Hope Diamond.

But you should own
Something that is the best,

So what does it matter,
If it's only your love life?

_______________________

KENTUCKY HUNT—1935
—Ray Dunn, Red Bluff

Persimmons—black,
Ripe and sweet;
Ready for eating.

Hickory nuts—
Scaly Barks,
Big fat ones,
Down by the creek,
Beginning to fall.

Moon—coming
On full—hanging
In the sky,
God's flashlight.

Air—cold enough
To hear a dog barking
Ten miles away.

Last chicken eaten
A month back—nothing
To eat but sop and biscuits.

Possum hunting time;
Going possum hunting;
Fill the larder;
Fill the bellies;
Me, Maw, and the kids.

_________________________

Thanks, Ray! Also, Pat Simonelli sent me this letter; Pat lives in Citrus Heights and has an on-line journal, LitVision (www.litvision.org), which is very cool:

I'm a small press publisher (LitVision Press) out in Citrus Heights. We recently released our first book, Bukowski Never Did This: A Year in the Life of An Underground Writer and His Family, by Jack Saunders. Bukowski Never Did This is essentially a slice-of-life memoir, a combination of Novel and Diary entries with some very interesting poetry mixed in. It's about Jack's struggle to balance his writing vocation with professional career, while raising a family.

Jack is a Florida writer who's been writing novels nonstop for 34 years! He has a small "cult" following of underground readers, but has mostly been ignored by the mainstream. He's written over 265 books, 9 of which have been published...3 by small presses like mine, and 6 self-published. Please check us out at http://www.litvision.org/buk.html for reviews, excerpts, and purchasing info. I'd also like to chat with you and find out what's going on in the local small press scene, so even if you don't dig the book, please drop me an email!

Thanks,
Pat Simonelli
LitVision Press

________________________

—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. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.)