Mad With Poetry—or is it the HEAT???

Mad with poetry,
I stride like Chikusai
into the wind.

***

Waterjar cracks—
I lie awake
this icy night.

***

Lips too chilled
for prattle—
autumn wind.

***

Still breathing
in an icy lump—
sea slugs.

***

Wintry day,
on my horse
a frozen shadow.

***

Snowy morning—
one crow
after another.

***

Lightning—
heron-cry
stabs darkness.

***

Has it returned,
the snow
we viewed together?

***

Sudden sun upon
the mountain path,
plum scent.

***

Moonlit plum tree—
wait,
spring will come.

(Today's winter poetry is from On Love and Barley by Basho, translated by Lucien Stryk)

_______________________

Send me your poems about winter before midnight Tuesday (6/27) and I'll send you a surprise. kathykieth@hotmail.com, or (postmarked) P.O. Box 1647, Orangevale, CA 95662.

Oh—and take a look at the Travel section of today's Sacramento Bee, where Marketer Extraordinaire Patricia Wellingham-Jones has gotten a poem published in a piece on honeymoons gone wrong. Pat has a very sharp eye, indeed, for unusual venues for her work; we could all take a lesson. Here's an address to view it on the Web: www.sacbee.com/content/lifestyle/story/14271564p-15082141c.html

_______________________

—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.)