Yippee—and Yikes!

DANCE THE NIGHT
—Cleo Fellers Kocol, Roseville

A dry dust morning,
horizon lost,
people disoriented,
cut off from the day,
the world a flower dead-headed,
bare stalks sticking up
like a forest without
a canopy—
tree trunks
standing after a fire…

When the ice melts and
oceans rise, and temperatures
soar... No, no,
bury the thought,
bury it deep.
Pretend.
Ignore the day, dance
the night, dance again.

______________________

Thanks, Cleo! Rattlesnake Press be releasing Cleo Fellers Kocol's new littlesnake broadside, Connections, next Wednesday, November 8 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, at 7:30 PM. Also being released that evening is Turf Daisies and Dandelions, a new chapbook from Sacramento Poet Jane Blue. Be there!

Here we are, back again from a week of sorcery. Sometimes witches (and pigs) DO fly; after only two weeks on this wonky real estate market, we got an offer on our house that we couldn't—well, didn't—refuse. Yippee—and yikes! And no, we have absolutely NO house in mind yet, so the Snake will be officially homeless in 43 days (if you don't count our trailer in Coos Bay).

So things will be a bit chaotic here for the next few weeks. Please have patience with us as we move The Den...

Seems like a good day for a little whimsey:

POEM
—Frank O'Hara

Lana Turner has collapsed!
I was trotting along and suddenly
it started raining and snowing
and you said it was hailing
but hailing hits you on the head
hard so it was really snowing and
raining and I was in such a hurry
to meet you but the traffic
was acting exactly like the sky
and suddenly I see a headline
LANA TURNER HAS COLLAPSED!
There is no snow in Hollywood
There is no rain in California
I have been to lots of parties
and acted perfectly disgraceful
but I never actually collapsed
oh Lana Turner we love you get up

______________________

—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.)