Life With the Graveyard

QUARTIER LIBRE
—Jacques Prevert

I put my cap in the cage
and went out with the bird on my head
So
one no longer salutes
asked the commanding officer
No
one no longer salutes
replied the bird
Ah good
excuse me I thought one saluted
said the commanding officer
You are fully excused everybody makes mistakes
said the bird.

__________________

Colette Jonopulos sends us a dandy website: http://literaryfriendships.publicradio.org/. Check it out!

This Thursday, Molly Fisk will present "An Evening of Replenishment and Creativity" at the Off Center Stage, Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley, 7:30 pm. $10. Info: 530-271-7000. Molly Fisk also writes: There's a little bit of room in the January Internet Boot Camp, which begins this coming Sunday, Jan. 22nd, in case any of you would like to sneak in at the last minute and write some secret poems for your Valentine. If you're not familiar with Poetry Boot Camp, it's really fun and you can read all about it here: http://www.poetrybootcamp.com.

Yesterday I posted an announcement of the Open Mic, Peace Poem Theme at the Art Gallery Poetry Readings 05-06 Series, Mistlin Art Gallery 1015 J St., Modesto (Home of the Central California Art Association), 4 pm. Host Gordon Preston is asking those who wish to read to e-mail your poem(s) to him at gordonbp@sbcglobal.net so the reading roster will be managable. He also says "Chanting expletives will not be welcomed."

Saturday, attend the poetry/concert by Terry Moore, Heatwave and WAR at the Bob Hope Theater, 242 E. Main St., Stockton, 7:30 pm to benefit the Children's Miracle Network at UC Davis. Tickets $35-55; info: 916-455-7638.

And mark your calendars for April 1, when the City of Pleasanton and the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council will present the 5th Annual Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival, with featured guest Billy Collins, in addition to a day of writing workshops for adults and children, including a Teen Slam Poetry workshop by Tshaka Campbell. More info & registration: www.pleasantonarts.org (click on Poetry, Prose & Arts Festival). Pleasanton Poet Laureate Cynthia Bryant has promised to send me a few flyers, as well.


FAMILIAL
—Jacques Prevert

The mother does knitting
The son fights the war
She finds this quite natural the mother
And the father what does he do the father?
He does business
His wife does knitting
His son the war
He business
He finds this quite natural the father
And the son and the son
What does the son find the son?
He finds absolutely nothing the son
His mother does knitting his father business he war
When he finishes the war
He'll go into business with his father
The war continues the mother continues she knits
The father continues he does business
The son is killed he continues no more
The father and the mother go to the graveyard
They find this quite natural the father and mother
Life continues life with knitting war business
Business war knitting war
Business business business
Life with the graveyard.

_____________________

THE DISCOURSE ON PEACE
—Jacques Prevert

Near the end of an extremely important discourse
the great man of state stumbling
on a beautiful hollow phrase
falls over it
and undone with gaping mouth
gasping
shows his teeth
and the dental decay of his peaceful reasoning
exposes the nerve of war
the delicate question of money.

Today's poems appear in Lawrence Ferlinghetti's translations of Prevert as published by City Lights.

—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.)