Babe Ruth's Birthday (and Ronald Reagan, Zsa Zsa Gabor...)

THE DREAM
—Linda Boyden, Redding

Upon my finger
The diamond ring disintegrated:
Each separate stone released itself
From the band willingly,
Nothing violent.
More an act of erosion than
Something geothermal.
Each spilling into a void,
Floating on singular journeys;
Miniature stars, but still within my reach.

I stretched.
The diamonds settled
On slender fingerpads.
The hem of my dress sashayed
In a whirl
As I clenched my fist and I awoke:

To the memory of your tongue
Inside my mouth;
The intoxicating twinge,
Bittersweet.
I surrendered back to sleep,
Relaxed my grip,
Dimly aware of diamonds
Cascading freely,
Like river tears over rock.

______________________

Thanks, Linda! This poem was submitted to the Snake as part of Linda's packet for the upcoming Snake feature on poets from Chico to the Border; watch for a whole passel of 'way-cool poems from our northern friends in Issue #9, due out in March. Don't let the anticipation of same distract you from your own submission, though—deadline February 15.

Closer to home, this week's poetry events around here include:

•••Sabrina Mathis reads tonight for the Sacramento Poetry Center at HQ, 25th & R Sts., Sac., 7:30. Info: click on the link to the right of this column.

•••Poetry Unplugged at Luna's on Thursday (2/9), 1414 16th St., Sac., 8 pm. Info: 441-3931. An evening of no feature—all open mic tributes to Phil Goldvarg and the publishing of the collection Goldvarg: What Makes Bones Talk, published jointly by the 24th St. Irregular Press and AMP Press. Shock & Awe Spoken Word Style, and a benefit for the Zapatista Coalition. Copies of the book will be available for purchase ($7), and poets are encouraged to read from their copies when they take to the open mic and stage at Luna’s. A special note: As there is no feature this evening (Phil and the book are the true features), we ask that all those speaking/reading during the first open mic (and time allotted for a feature) read or speak a Phil Goldvarg poem and/or tribute statement in honor of Phil.

•••Fire up the old buggy and head down to Santa Rosa Friday (2/10) for JANE HIRSHFIELD and DAVID ST. JOHN reading for the WordTemple Poetry Series at 7:00 pm at Copperfield’s Books, 2316 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa. Info: 707-578-8938. Jane Hirshfield’s sixth collection of poems, to be released in 2006, is After: Poems. Other books of poetry include Given Sugar, Given Salt which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, The Lives of the Heart, The October Palace, Of Gravity & Angels, and Alaya. She is also the author of Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry.

David St. John is the author of many books of poetry including the National Book Award Finalist, The Red Leaves of Night. He is also the author of a novella in verse, The Face, and Where Angels Come Towards Us—Selected Essays. St. John will be visiting from Los Angeles where he teaches at the University of Southern California. For more information visit www.wordtemple.com.

•••A memorial for Davis Poet Charlie MacDonald will be held on Sat., Feb. 11, 2006 at 2 p.m. at Wiscombe's Davis Funeral Chapel, 116 D Street, Davis.

•••Also Saturday (2/11), Patricity Presents Poetry: "In Spirit & Truth" & Patricity's Birthday Celebration at Queen Sheba's Fine Dining, 1537 Howe Avenue, Ste. 116 (Century Plaza), 3 to 5 pm. Features Heather Christian Arlington (the soulful, one-of-a-kind poetess), "Big E" (Poet of Born2B Poets). Open mic.

•••Poems-for-All Second Saturday (2/11) presents another Bliss: An Erotic Evening reading, 8 pm at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., hosted by Rhony Bhopla. Info: 442-9295. Readers will celebrate the acclaimed Bliss anthology.

•••Sunday (2/12), 4-6 pm, Poems-for-All presents Donald Sidney-Fryer at The Book Collector, 1008 24th Street, Sac. Info: 442-9295.


WHY VENUS AND MARS MUST SPIN ON SEPARATE ORBS
—Linda Boyden, Redding

When I told you,
“See! My $500 advance!
For my first book
and
doesn’t it look good
doesn’t it smell good...here!”

I smiled then, triumphant as a teenager,
A cheerleader, Prom Queen, National Merit Scholarship winner—
all denied me in my youth
but present now in my hand,
Present in my smile
even as I felt the smile
deepen into a
laugh line,
into a wrinkle,
Adding another brick in the wall of middle age,
but I checked myself.
Glory rested in my hand,
Under its spell,
I did not care—
for one splendid moment—I did not care about wrinkles,
age, fat, no, nothing would ruin this moment!

Except this:
You nodded, then scratched your head.
“See?” you said, pointing out the door.
“See that circle of green in the lawn?
Must be a break in the septic line.
Damn.”

_____________________

Thanks, Linda!

—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.)