The Hysterical Barking of Cats

DISTANT HOWLING
—Miroslav Holub

In Alsace,
on July 6, 1885,
a rabid dog knocked Joseph Meister down
and bit him fourteen times.

Meister was the first patient
saved by Pasteur's
vaccine, in thirteen
gradually increased doses
of weakened virus.

Pasteur died of ictus
ten years later.
Fifty years later
the watchman Meister

committed suicide
when the Germans
occupied Pasteur's Institute
including the poor dogs.

Only the virus
never got involved.

_______________________

Rockin' Thursday:

•••8 PM: Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe (1414 16th St., Sac) presents Bill Gainer, Ann Menebroker and Neeli Cherkovski. Open mic.

•••7 PM: Hidden Passage Bookstore, 352 Main St., Placerville, presents Taylor Graham, reading from her award-winning book, The Downstairs Dance Floor.

•••6-8 PM: The Sacramento Poetry Center's Annual Fall fundraiser features a silent auction, raffle, food, music by Mary Zeppa and Bob Stanley, and poetry by Carol and Laverne Frith. That's $25 in advance or at the door; RSVP Sandra at 916-979-9706 or poetrynow@sacramentopoetrycenter.org. The event will be held at the home of Mimi and Burnett Miller, 1224 40th St., Sac.

•••And if that's not enough for tonight, Vibe Sessions presents Chas from LA Slam at Cobbler Inn, 3520 Stockton Blvd. (next to Colonial Theater), Sac., 8-11 PM. $5, hosted by Flo-Real. Open Mic for comedians, singers, poets.

•••And if you're of a mind to travel farther tonight, The Writers Read Poetry Series meets at the Colored Horse Studio, 780 Waugh Lane, Ukiah, 7-9:30 PM. Tonight, Writers Read presents a special reading by seven authors whose work appears in Reads: An Anthology of Writings by The Lakeside Writers Guild. If time permits, an open mike session will follow the featured reading. Refreshments available. Donation requested. For more info: (707)275-9010 or (707)463-6989. This event is sponsored by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant from the James Irvine Foundation, and by Tenacity Press and Colored Horse Studio.


Terry Moore at Mem Aud tomorrow:

•••Tomorrow (Friday, 12/1), 7 PM: Terry Moore will open for Brian McKnight at the Memorial Auditorium, 1401 J St., Sac. Also featured will be LaToya London. Ticket info: www.isoundtracks.net. Watch for an interview with Terry in the next Rattlesnake Review, due out Dec. 13.


Dec. 22 deadline for love poems:

The Benicia Historical Museum is sponsoring a poetry contest with the its fifth annual Valentine’s Day celebration of the early California romance of Conception Arguello and Nikolai Rezanov. The romantic story has been told by novelist Gertrude Atherton in her novel, Rezanov, and by playwright Eve Iversen in her Voyage of the Juno. See details on the internet at http://www.nps.gov/prsf/history/bios/concep.htm or http://www.abcbookworld.com/?state=view_author&author_id=6369.

The Museum is looking for original love poems. The poems need not be about Conception and Nikolai, but can be about love and lovers in general. A charge of $5/poem is assessed to pay the judge for time and critique of your work. A check or money order, made out to BENICIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM, must accompany submission. All poems must be received by 22 December 2006 at The Benicia Historical Museum, Attn: Poetry Contest, 2060 Camel Road, Benicia, CA 94510. The poetry judge has agreed to comment on poems, which will be judged by Ida Fasel, Emerita Professor of English at the University of Colorado at Denver. Her poetry has won numerous prizes. She is a Milton specialist, a balletomane, and an angel collector. Note— Dr. Fasel will not know the identity of poets.

Provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with your submission. Submit up to three original poems. Revisions and additions will not be accepted once poems have been received. Original unpublished poems are sought; however, poems which poets have self-published in chapbooks are acceptable. Cite publication title in which they appear. Send two cover sheets; on cover sheet ‘A’ include poet’s name, address, phone number, and list of titles of the poem(s) attached. Cover sheet ‘B’ should list ONLY the titles of the poems attached. Submit two copies of each poem. Poet’s name or other identification may not appear on poems. Each poem should be typed on 8.5x11” paper, double or single spaced, 12 pt. type, no more than one page in length. The SASE and cover sheet A are held at the Benicia Historical Museum awaiting the judge’s comments. After the contest, your poems plus the judge’s comments will be returned to you, or you may pick up your poems at the Benicia Historical Museum after the contest. The winner will receive publicity, acclaim, a plaque and have his/her name inscribed on a trophy to be on permanent display at the Benicia Historical Museum.

_______________________

WHAT ELSE
—Miroslav Holub

What else to do
but drive a small dog
out of yourself
with a stick?

Scruff bristling with fright
he huddles against the wall,
crawls in the domestic zodiac,
limps,
bleeding from the muzzle.

He would eat out of your hand
but that's no use.

What else
is poetry
but killing that small dog
in yourself?

And all around the barking, barking,
the hysterical barking
of cats.

______________________

THE BOMB
—Miroslav Holub

Murder in the lithosphere.
Clay burst from the rock,
fire flowed from the clay.

At the base of the crater
a naked, tender, loving
frog's heart
still beats.

_______________________

BEHIND THE HOUSE
—Miroslav Holub

Behind the house the cracked pots of human fate,
the child's scooter, wise in its old age.
On the clothesline, a cloud of elderly breath.
Nitrogen oxide. A drop of blood.

And in the shed, in a heap,
torn rags, rusted rasps and ratchets, new regrets, old quarrels
and angels.

______________________

And Medusa sends congrats to Rattlechapper Patricia Wellingham-Jones (Voices on the Land) for winning the Palabra Productions Chapbook Contest! We'll let you know when her book comes out.

—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.)