Tuesday, June 06, 2006

06/06/06

SNAIL
—Denise Levertov

Burden, grace,
artifice coiled
brittle on my back, integral,

I thought to crawl
out of you,

yearned for the worm's
lowly freedom that can go

under earth and whose
slow arrow pierces
the thick of dark

but in my shell
my life was,

and when I knew it
I remembered

my eyes adept to witness
air and harsh light

and look all ways.

_______________________

Coming up next week:

•••
The Annual General Meeting of the SPC Board will be happening on Monday, June 12 at HQ (25th & R Sts., Sac.) from 5:45-7:45 PM; please plan to attend this important meeting in order to elect our new Board and to provide much-needed feedback about the year ahead. This is a first-time opportunity to elect our own Board! Be there!

•••On Wednesday, June 14 (Flag Day), Rattlesnake Press will be releasing two B.L. Kennedy publications: his rattlechap, The Setich Manor Poems, and a littlesnake broadside, A Conversation with B.L. Kennedy, brought to us by Gene "Gizmo" Avery. All this at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., 7:30 pm. Also that night: the premiere of Rattlesnake Review #10! Whatta night! Be there!

Bari also reminds us that this year’s Poetry Marathon will start Friday, July 28 at noon and end on Monday, July 31 at 1 PM. Each poet will read for approximately 30 minutes, with 15-minute open-mike readings from community members who sign up in advance. Those who want to participate in the open-mic readings can sign up (and should do so NOW) by calling 916-452-5493 or by writing to Bari at bk418@pacbell.net before July 15, or until all spots are filled. The final line-up will be announced in July.

Molly Fisk of Nevada City writes: The June Boot Camp has snuck up on me! It begins next Sunday, June 11th, and we'd love to have you join us if you're in the mood for building new poems out of thin air and fellowship. To find out more about Poetry Boot Camp, visit the site: http://www.poetrybootcamp.com.

Cynthia Bryant, Pleasanton Poet Laureate, is spearheading “The Gift of Words; Poetry for the Iraqi People”. The Challenge: Write a poem for the Iraqi People, something that you want to express to their citizens. Send it to Cynthia at Pleasanton Poet Laureate, P. O. Box 520, Pleasanton, CA 94566 or e-mail it to PoetsLane@comcast.net by November 1. Please include your full name, area code and phone number along with your e-mail, if you have one. Anyone, any age, can write a poem and submit it to be included. Poems will be translated into Arabic, and then published into a booklet and sent to Iraq. Then, on December 3, 2006 from 1-5 PM at the Century House in Pleasanton, the poems will be read, and a festive Pot Luck will follow. Info: Cynthia L. Bryant 925-398-8846 or PoetsLane@comcast.net.

_______________________

LIEBESTOD
—Denise Levertov

Where there is violet in the green of the sea
the eye rests, knowing
a depth there.
In the depth where the violet changes, the sea
surrenders to the eye
a knowledge.
Where the blue of shadow rests upon green the sea
knows desire, sorrow
becomes joy
where there is violet in the eye of the sea.
In the changing
depth of desire
the I knows it is open, the distant sea
withholds nothing, surrenders
nothing,
save to the eye. Rests in the sea
desire of joy,
heart's
sorrow. Where there is violet in the green of the sea.

_______________________

A HUNGER
—Denise Levertov

Black beans, white sunlight.
These have sufficed.

Approval of mothers, of brothers,
of strangers—a plunge of the hands
in sifted flour, over the wrists.
It gives pleasure.

And being needed. Being loved for that.
Being forgiven.

What mountains there are
to border solitude and provide
limits, blue or
dark as raisins.

But hunger: a hunger there is
refuses. Refuses the earth.

_________________________

—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.)