Put On Your Party Shoes

BIRD DANCE MOM
—James Lee Jobe, Davis

I was dropping acid In 1972, age 16,
when it hit me full on, the wild race
of color, the whirlwind of sounds, I ran
outside because the sky called me.
The next door neighbors had replaced
their yard dog with a peacock (security,
as they will skreech at strangers)
and I never seen one before
except in pictures, and certainly
I'd never heard one before. The shrieks
drew me to their yard, I was amazed
by the wild plumage (that gave off tracers)
and its odd gait. My girlfriend, also tripping,
told me that I danced around, making wings
with my arms, and singing too loud,
"I am The Walrus, Coo Coo Ca Ju."
My mom yelled out of the window,
"What are you kids doing out there?"
And when I looked up at her
I thought she was a peacock, too.
"Bird Dance, Mom."

________________________

Thanks, Jim! James Lee Jobe rose to Monday's peacock challenge, which is now officially over. His rattlechap, What God Said When She Finally Answered Me, is available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac.

Today, put on your party shoes: you have a huge variety of poetry events to attend. If you time it right, you can hit every one of them!

First, from 3-5 pm, Patricity's "In Spirit & Truth Poetry Series" features Mario Ellis Hill and Lateka at Queen Sheba's Fine Dining, 1537 Howe Av., Suite 116, Sacramento. Info: 916-920-1020.

Then at 6 pm, Terry Moore reads, signs and celebrates the publication of "SagitTERRYus" and his CD. Underground Books, 2815 35th St., Sacramento, free. With Ray Odon. Info: 916-737-3333.

Beginning at 5:30 pm, writers from Sutter Medical Center's Literature, Arts, and Medicine Program (LAMP) invite you to their Book Launch Celebration, featuring readings by Sutterwriters at 6:30, 7:30, and 8:30 pm. LAMP will be releasing a book of Sutterwriter poetry and prose tonight, called Blood on the Page, in the Buhler Building of the Cancer Center, 2800 L St. (First Floor). Music by the Custom Neon Band will begin at 5:30, along with refreshments. Free parking on Sutter's South Lot (L Street, between 29th & 30th). Info: sutterwriters.com. (See the last issue of Rattlesnake Review for a conversation between JoAnn Anglin and poet Chip Spann about his LAMP project at Sutter Cancer Center, where patients have an opportunity to write about their experiences.) I have seen a copy of their new book, and it are dandy!

Then, tonight at 8 pm, there will be a Special Edition of the Second Saturday Poems-for-All Series, presenting Douglas Blazek, Icon of the 60's mimeo revolution, Poet, Publisher of OLE and Open Skull, and one of the inspirations for the creation of the PFA Series. Note: This reading will be at HQ (25th & R Sts., Sac.) instead of at The Book Collector. Go on down and see the display of Poems-For-All chapbooks from the last five years; the gallery opens at 6. Info: 916-442-9295.

By the way, if you haven't seen the PFA display yet, and can't make it tonight, the gallery at HQ will also be open tomorrow (Sunday, 3/12), from noon until 4 pm.

Also tomorrow (3/12): Margaret Ellis Hill will be reading with Kathy Kieth at the Poets Corner series in Stockton, Barnes & Noble at Weberstown Mall, Pacific Avenue, 7 pm. Margaret (Peggy) will be handing out her littlesnake broadside from 2005, Exegis of Love, and copies of her book, Close Company, will be on sale as well.

James Lee Jobe and I share a love of Russell Edson. Seems to me we could use a little Edson whimsy on this overcast day:

THE CLOCK
—Russell Edson

An old man had wound his clock, and the clock with reassuring predictability replied, tick tock, tick tock...

Do you really think so, said the old man, that I'll live for a couple of billion years?

The clock with the simplicity of a child's yawn replied, tick tock, tick tock...

Oh, what good news, who knows more about time than you, said the old man.


But the old man died that very night. And as he lay in the dark he thought, that clock isn't all that accurate. It's off by at least a couple of billion years...

___________________

—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.)