The Stories of Trees

AND TREES CAUGHT FIRE
—Brigit Truex, Placerville

Early this morning
the sun came
too near the earth
and trees caught fire.

Midday broad embers remain
leaf-shaped
flame-shaded
slowly they crisp and fall.

Dusk haze rises from the ground
like smoke
unable to smother the glow
even the pond seems to burn.

Fallfleshed mooncold
black on black
the trees conspire
against the distant star.

In the morning
they blaze again
throwing back their light
they mock the sun.

_______________________

Thanks, Brigit! Brigit Truex will be reading at the Appel Gallery by "Tree Stories" poets at 7 pm tomorrow night (Sunday, 4/30). Appel Gallery is located at 931 T St. Sac., at the corner of 10th & T Sts. Regional poets reading include Joseph Finkleman, Susan Hennies, Rebecca Morrison, Taylor Graham & Brigit Truex. Please join them for this closing celebration of "Tree Stories", a showing of mixed media photographs by Judith Monroe. If you didn't get a chance to see "Tree Stories" yet, this will be a great opportunity to see the images in person. To learn more about the on-going Tree Stories project, see http://www.tree-stories.blogspot.com. Also see yesterday's post for more poetry events happening this weekend.

Brigit Truex, one of the Red Fox Underground poets who are so energetic, workshopping together at 8 a.m. on Sunday mornings (!!!), will also be reading in Grass Valley on May 18, along with Laura Pendell and rattlechapper James Lee Jobe at the Nevada County Poetry Series. The show will be in Off Center Stage (the Black Box theater, enter from Richardson Street) at the Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley, CA, 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 general, seniors and students, and $1 for those under 18. Refreshments and open-mic included. Info: (530) 432-8196 or (530) 274-8384.

Don’t forget to send in poems by May 1 for Snakelets, the journal of poetry from kids 0-12, and VYPER, for ages 13-19. Send 'em to kathykieth@hotmail.com. And the deadline for Rattlesnake Review #10 is also coming up in a couple of weeks: May 15. Send 3-5 poems, no bio/no cover/no prev-pubs/no simul-subs.

Gail Entrekin of Grass Valley will be reading at the Sacramento Poetry Center next Monday night, May 1. That's Headquarters for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac., 7:30 pm.

In addition to the SPCA Book Sale today (see yesterday's post), there will also be a book sale at the Franklin Library from 1-4 pm at 10055 Franklin High Rd. in Elk Grove. Buy one book, receive a children's book for free. Benefits the library branch. Info: 916-264-2920.

Confidential to Don Anderson, who posted yesterday's "comment" (see bottom of yesterday's post): Sure—anything you send Medusa (kathykieth@hotmail.com), she will gladly post!

________________________

UNDERNEATH
—Brigit Truex

below the
rock-choked
soil, ground
immobile
even to that
unsprung
coil of flesh
gloved
in a girdle of
unsparked
diamonds
round &
round it
curls upon
itself
ready
to stretch
& surprise
once the
separate
paralysis of
each smooth
muscle
is released
& the sleeping
winter of
death
is escaped
once hunger
greets
the gentle
mouth
easing open

does the
spring
green air
know
fear?

________________________

SLOW DANCING
—Taylor Graham, Somerset

I stand with my back against an oak —
actually two oaks that have wound
their trunks together as if they’d been
slow-dancing, her head on his shoulder,
her golden leaves disheveled in light.

That’s what comes of slow-dancing,
my mother might have said, as if she
knew. As if she’d once heard music
sweet as Orpheus when she was young.
As if she’d ever been as young as these

two oaks that grew into one tree rooted
like any other oak in the woods, but
their good grain so curved and spiraled,
they’re useless for lumber, the way
they just stand here, dancing.

(originally published in Freshwater; also appears in Living With Myth, published by Rattlesnake Press in 2004)
________________________

Thanks, TG—another hardy Red-Foxer! Taylor Graham will also be reading at the Appel Gallery tomorrow night.

—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.)