Nanny Nipples???

ESCALATE
—Rhony Bhopla, Sacramento

Eyes close over pupils, shutters
that sense colors of mist

Hear the thumping heart, hollow
unrolling red carpet, to hiatus

Uncover sensuality, on a peak
moment, exchanged with thought

Meditate, uncrossed, wearing only
delicate lace thread, flapping in the wind

_______________________

Thanks, Rhony!

Poetry in the Hills Tonight:

James Lee Jobe and Mary Zeppa will be reading tonight (Friday, 6/16) at Our House Defines Art, 7 PM. An open mic follows. Our House Defines Art Gallery & Framing is located at 4510 Post St. (Ste. 330) in El Dorado Hills Town Center, El Dorado Hills. Free. Info: 916-933-4278. Medusa will be up there, tossing out Snakes-a-plenty.

Paper Zone Closing!

My very-most favoritist fancy-paper store, Paper Zone, is closing its Rancho Cordova store in just a few days. Their Roseville store will remain open, but this is very scary (and not a little inconvenient, since they supply most of my publishing papers). Anyway, if you love fancy cardstocks, transparents, and all that good stuff, every item in the store is 50% off right now (though stocks are getting pretty low). PZone Rancho is at 10831 Olson Dr., Rancho Cordova. Info: 916-859-0225.

David Humphreys on Monday:

Be sure to attend David Humphreys' reading at the Sacramento Poetry Center, Headquarters for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac. this coming Monday (6/19) at 7:30 PM. David is the head of Poet's Corner Press; click on its link to the right of this column, and also see his poem posted in yesterday's Kitchen.

Back to our Thing-a-Thon:

IN EXCESS
—Colette Jonopulos, Eugene, OR

It was as you’d imagine, that house
with floor-to-ceiling windows, like a bird poised
over the Pacific, over the edge of the world.
Requisite cases of dry, dry wine,

wine-glass jewels
for each fine-boned stem. Pillows too large for
sleeping, towels for visitors, painted dishes and wooden
napkin holders caressing cloth napkins. And

the wind before dawn exacting its price, cutting
through me like a knife, paring away all
that never mattered.

________________________

FRIENDSHIP GARDEN
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama

Campanula from Molly’s formal garden
nanny nipples and balsam from Francia’s ranch
her grandmother’s peony from Marilyn’s old back yard in town
black-red pelargonium from Jenny’s patio
Queen’s Tears and poor man’s orchid
from Charlotte in her late 80s
cactus from Sydney in her 90s
‘Tropicana’ canna from my young neighbor Trevor
who got it from his mother’s front yard
lambs’ ears from new neighbor Cathy
in the house where Doris lived and gave me a cast iron plant
Rose of Sharon from Marie on the creek
bergenia from Francia’s mom Marie down the road
the perfect pink-petaled geranium
from Claire’s writer-garden in Paradise
‘Baltic’ ivy from my parents’ New Jersey fireplace wall
‘Green Ripple’ ivy from a walk with Juanita
‘Debutante’ camellia from my former home
and planted by my late husband
white iris from my husband Roy from his mother-in-law Emma
purple sage from Joe’s Italian garden
two cedar trees from Joan’s cabin at Lake Almanor
and a tri-color geranium from Alma’s home by the sea
My garden is a patchwork quilt of comfort

_______________________

Thanks, Colette and PWJ! Send me a poem of yours about things—ANY Thing(s) by midnight on June 20, and I'll send you a free copy of B.L. Kennedy's new rattlechap, The Setich Manor Poems. (Or, if you have that, another rattlechap of your choosing.) Send them to kathykieth@hotmail.com, or P.O. Box 1647, Orangevale, CA 95662.

—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.)