Kissing the Apple

THE LETTER TO A HOMELESS PERSON
—Sinh Quang Le, Sacramento
English translation by Le Si Dong

Awakening in the early morning
Through the window
I look at the foliage shaken by some light wind
From the distant freeway, I hear harsh sounds
Generated by vehicles
Reaching towards pompous cities
Los Angeles, New York, Chicago
San Jose, Las Vegas, Reno
Where the high buildings spread their shadows
Making shelters for the homeless.

Hey Carlos, my homeless American friend
I want to send you a world of prayer
Not to tell you pity
As you need nothing like this
I think you surely understand
Human-beings are equal before the Creator
But discriminated against in human society
People say you are lazy, drinking, smoking
Wanting to wander from street corner to streeet corner
Like a beggar.
They don’t want to see you hold out your hand
Asking for charity
They want you to seek a job
And not to be supported
Yet they want to look for justice in you
Whereas human society is full of crimes, injustice
Because of money.

Hey! Carlos! Don’t worry please
Even though the life is miserable
You aren’t alone
In a war-sadness-pain world like this one
For it had one Bui Giang—a poet
A Vietnamese intellectual
And homeless like you
You are different from each other
As Bui Giang—a victim of communist dictatorship
And you—one of capitalist civilization
But you both are alike
In leading a miserable life
And being equal before Almighty God.

_______________________

Sinh Quang Le of the Vietnamese International Poetry Society (VIPS) sends us two poems and tells us that he is helping to organize the Fifth Biennial International Poetry Convention in Houston for September, 2006. (See Snake 6 for a wonderful article by Be Davison Herrera about VIPS, together with some poems from the Vietnamese community.) These two poems today are a tasty preview of coming attractions for Snake 8. (Deadline for submissions: Nov. 15—Just FIVE DAYS!)

Back issues of Rattlesnake Review (and, in fact, all other Snake publications) may be had by sending me Two Bux to cover postage. Most of them are also available (free) at Rattle-Reads at The Book Collector every Second Weds. of the month.

Re-cap of this weekend:

***Tonight: Mary Dawson and Beulah Amsterdam at The Other Voice in Davis (Unitarian Church library, 27074 Patwin Rd., Davis), 7:30 pm. Info: 530-753-2634.

***Tonight and tomorrow: Amiri Baraka performs at the 4th Annual Beat Generation & Beyond Conference, Varsity Theatre and John Natsoulas Gallery & Center for the Arts, 521 First St., Davis. Info: 530-756-3938 or natsoulas.com or nancy@natsoulas.com.

***Also on Saturday (11/12): King of the Mic slam features qualifiers from Sept. and Oct. Mahogany slams in three elimination rounds. CSUS's University Union (Redwood Room). Doors open at 7 pm, show starts at 8, $5 donation goes to Tears of Hope, a local AIDS/HIV research charity for youths in the US and in Africa. Also accepting food and clothing for Salvation Army. Info: slam@malikspeaks.com or www.malikspeaks.com. Grand prize is $200!

***No Poems-For-All reading tomorrow night (11/12), but Bill Pieper reads from his latest book, Gomez, Sunday (11/13) at 4 pm at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Info: 442-9295.

***Also Sunday: Stockton Poet's Corner presents Catherine Fraga at the Weberstown Barnes & Noble in Stockton, 7 pm. Info: 209-951-7014.

***Or stay home Sunday and listen to frank andrick's radio show, The Pomo Literati (KUSF 90.3 FM), 2-4 pm. Special guest (and Rattlechapper-to-be) Bill Gainer shares the mic with fellow Grass Valley Poet Chris Olander, plus musician David Houston and way-cool pre-recorded poets from here/there/everywhere.

***And if you're not TOTALLY exhausted by Monday, Sac. Poetry Center presents Julia Levine and Ruth L. Schwartz at 7:30 pm, HQ (25th & R Sts., Sac.).


A KISS REFUSED
—Sinh Quang Le, Sacramento

Since Eve
Embraced the apple and kissed it,
The Lord was angry.
When Adam
Embraced and kissed her apple,
He was chased by the Lord
Out of Eden.

Aware that kissing is a sin,
Today—still there is a fool
Who enjoys kissing the apple
Though only once
But he has been refused
As she is afraid
She could not enter into Paradise.

_________________

Thanks, Sinh!

—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.)