The Forms of my Vanity

ENCOUNTER
—Czeslow Milosz

We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.

And suddenly a hare ran across the road.
One of us pointed to it with his hand.

That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,
Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.

O my love, where are they, where are they going
The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.

(translated by Czeslaw Milosz and Lillian Vallee)

________________________

Big week:

•••Tonight (Monday, 11/6), 7:30 PM: The Sacramento Poetry Center features Don Rice at HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac.

•••Also tonight, 7:30 PM: The Other Voice poetry reading series presents Tom Goff and Nora Laila Staklis at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis on 27074 Patwin Road, Davis. James Lee Jobe will be your host. Call 530-750-3514 for details. This is a free event, and after the featured poets there will be an open mic. For bios, poems, directions, and a map, check out http://uupoetry.blogspot.com

•••Also tonight, 8 PM: The Moody Blues Poetry Series presents Crystal Mitchell and Jim Lanier at A Taste of Laguna (Southern cuisine) at 9080 Laguna Main in Laguna. $5, hosted by Ms. LaRue, music by DJ Barney B.

•••Weds. (11/8), 7:30 PM: Rattlesnake Press presents Jane Blue at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento to celebrate the release of her new poetry chapbook, Turf Daisies and Dandelions. Also premiering that night will be a littlesnake broadside, Connections, from Cleo Fellers Kocol. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. More info: kathykieth@hotmail.com

•••Also Weds., 10-midnight: Mics and Moods at Capitol Garage, 1500 K St., Sac. Info: 916-492-9336.

•••Thursday (11/9), 8 PM: Vibe Sessions at Cobbler Inn, 3520 Stockton Blvd., Sac. (next to Colonial Theater). Hosted by Flo Real, $5.

•••Also Thurs., 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged presents Andy Jones and special guests. Open mic before/after. Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sac. Free. Info: 916-441-3931.

•••Saturday (11/11), 3-5 PM: Patricity's In Spirit & Truth Series features Big Eazi E (Born 2 B Poet) and poetess-singer Mouthpiece, plus open mic. Note new location: 61 Yuence Smoked BBQ & Grill, 9657 Folsom Blvd., Sac. (off Bradshaw). Free. Info: 916-361-2014.

•••Also Saturday, 8 PM: Poems-For-All Second Saturday Series presents Stephen Kessler at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Stephen Kessler is a poet, prose writer, translator and editor whose most recent books include Written in Water: The Prose Poems of Luis Cernuda (translation, City Lights), winner of 2004 Lambda Literary Award; Tell It to the Rabbis and After Modigliani (poems, Creative Arts); Save Twilight: Selected Poems of Julio Cortazar (translation, City Lights); Aphorisms by César Vallejo (translation, Green Integer); and major contributions to The Essential Neruda (City Lights) and the Selected Poems of Jorge Luis Borges (Penguin). His essays, criticism and journalism have appeared widely in the independent and alternative press of Northern California, especially Poetry Flash, where he is a contributing editor. He is also the editor of The Redwood Coast Review. Free. Info: 916-442-9295.

•••Also Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM: Writers’ Forum is proud to present the 3rd Annual Northern California Authors Fair, “A Salute to Veterans”, at the Mount Shasta Mall in Redding. Published authors in Northern California and the public are invited to this free event. Meet authors. Talk about writing. Books will be available for sale and author-signings. Enter the free Opening Sentence Writing Contest (four age categories, children to seniors; prizes for 1st Place Winners). Last year, over 50 authors participated in the Fair, covering many genres. Info: 530-241-1045 or visit online at www.writers-forum.net

•••Also Saturday, 2 PM: Reading from the poetry quarterly, Song of the San Joaquin, in the McHenry Museum, 1402 "I" Street, Modesto. Poets will read their own work. Light refreshments will be served. Song of the San Joaquin is published by the Poets of the San Joaquin, a Modesto-based chapter of the California Federation of Chaparral Poets, Inc. Info: Cleo Griffith, 209-543-1776, cleor36@yahoo.com.

•••Sunday (11/12), 4-6 PM: Donald Sydney-Fryer will be performing from Clark Ashton Smith's Four Fables. The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Free.

•••Also Sunday, 2:30-4:30 PM: Poets on the Ridge in Paradise, CA will hold their monthly open mic at Juice & Java, 7067 Skyway, Paradise. Info: 530-872-9633. Free; all ages are welcome to come read their poems.

•••Also Sunday, 7 PM: Poets Corner presents devin davis at Barnes & Noble in Weberstown Mall, Pacific Avenue and March Lane, Stockton.

________________________

TO THE HARBORMASTER
—Frank O'Hara

I wanted to be sure to reach you;
though my ship was on the way it got caught
in some moorings. I am always tying up
and then deciding to depart. In storms and
at sunset, with the metallic coils of the tide
around my fathomless arms, I am unable
to understand the forms of my vanity
or I am hard alee with my Polish rudder
in my hand and the sun sinking. To
you I offer my hull and the tattered cordage
of my will. The terrible channels where
the wind drives me against the brown lips
of the reeds are not all behind me. Yet
I trust the sanity of my vessel; and
if it sinks, it may well be in answer
to the reasoning of the eternal voices,
the waves which have kept me from reaching you.

_______________________

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry, photos and art, 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.)