As If We Could Forget

War Memorial
Beverly Minster, Yorkshire
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis

MEMORIAL DAY, 2007
As If We Could Forget . . .

the scrawny kid who mowed our lawn every Sunday
the freckled boy who sat by the window in algebra
the granddad who hid a box of medals in a drawer
the uncle who lost an arm in the second World War
the son who lost his innocence in Vietnam

As if we could forget
the young woman who tended the wounded in Korea
the sister who flew helicopters in the desert
the mother who cleaned her rifle beside her tent
the girl down the street who longed to see the world
the teenager who watched our kids on Saturday nights

As if we could forget
any of the world’s children drawn into war
any of the men and women who
served near a compound
stood too near a
shell
grenade
bomb

As if we could forget
the sound of their laughter
the music they hummed in idle hours
the last letter they sent home
the empty chair


—Katy Brown, Davis

_____________________

Thanks, Katy! See Medusa's March 24, 2007 post for the Complete Skinny on Katy Brown, Privateer-in-Residence for Rattlesnake Review. What's a Privateer? Check out her column in the next Review, due out in mid-June, and see.


This week in poetry:

•••First, a couple of errata: In yesterday's "Ticket" section, The Sacramento Bee had William O. Daly of Auburn listed as reading at Sacramento Poetry Center tonight; that event has been postponed, and there will be no reading there tonight. Instead, go to the Whitman reading on Saturday (see below). ALSO: Poetry Now, the Sacramento Poetry Center's monthly journal, has a reading listed for PoemSpirits this Sunday, but they are on their summer break.

•••Thursday (5/31), 8 PM: An evening of Prose and Poetry at Poetry Unplugged, brought to your ears by Sacramento author Bill Pieper, whose previous reading at Luna’s featured his brilliant and sometimes salacious novel, Gomez. Mr. Pieper returns with more prose and stories to show and tell. Bill is an engaging writer and in-demand speaker and is sure to take the audience into new spaces and places via the power of the word. Peter Samis has a few of his own stories and some favorite poems to share. By request, Peter will read his amazing short story re: Art ownership and blazing flames (a tease) that has wowed SF audiences. An evening bound to be full of wordful surprise and authorship unique to the writers. Hosted by frank andrick. Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Open mic before and after.

•••Thursday (5/31), (call for the time): Colored Horse Studio (780 Waugh Lane, Ukiah) features Nevada County poet Will Staple, author of the dual language editions Klapperschlangenfrau (German and English) and Luminosita Numinosa (Italian and English) and the award-winning collections, I Hate the Men You Sleep With, The Only Way to Reduce Crime Is to Make Fewer Acts Illegal and Dr. Montoya's Medicine. His work can also be heard on the CD, Black Dress On. Will has been a very popular and successful Poet in the Schools in Nevada, Placer and Mendocino Counties. Outside of California he has read his work in Lubeck, Germany, Locarno, Switzerland and at the renowned Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris. Friends and fans know that, if they're lucky they can get Will to read palms as well as poems. $5 donation suggested. Open mic and refreshments. Waugh Lane runs between Gobbi Street and Talmage Road. Info: (707) 463-6989 or (707) 468-9488.

•••Also in Ukiah this weekend: Friday (6/1), 7:30-9 PM and Sat. (6/2), 10 AM-5 PM: Mendocino College presents their literary festival, Mendocino LitFest. Following an evening presentation by author Gary Soto on Friday, June 1, two dozen authors will gather on Saturday, June 2 to share their latest work and discuss ideas. Independent booksellers, regional publishers, and self-published authors will sell books. Activities for children will be offered. Admission to LitFest is free. Saturday workshops will be offered for a modest fee. Call 707-468-3051 or see www.mendolitfest.org/ for information. Mendocino College, 1000 Hensley Creek Rd., Ukiah. (Take 101 Ukiah north to Lake Mendocino Dr., east to North State St, south to Hensley Creek Rd., west to campus.)

•••Sign up by this Friday, June 1 for the Manzanita Summer Writers Retreat Campout up at gorgeous Calaveras Big Trees State Park near Arnold, CA. Daily hiking, journaling, workshops, Sierra lectures, evening campfire storytelling and poetry, and camaraderie with other writers in your group with a trained writer leader. Lots of free time to explore and write. Limited to 40 writers for the week camping/hiking experience, so tell your writer friends and organize a group to come up together and reserve your spot by June 1. If you only want to come for a day workshop, then that can be arranged for Friday or Saturday, or a quiet day in the park during the week. Contact:

Monika Rose
Retreat Director
(209) 754-0577
www.manzanitacalifornia.org
mrosemanza@jps.net

•••In fact, the Manzanita folks will be in Sacramento this Friday, June 1, from 7-9 PM, when Cool Cat Gallery on 24th St. in Sacramento (just down from The Book Collector) hosts Manzanita writers. Come meet Monika Rose and the gang from the poetry journal, Manzanita. These writers will also be featured in the next Rattlesnake Review, due out in mid-June, including a wonderful summary of who they are and what they're up to by Monika. [See Medusa's May 8, 2007 post for more about Monika, the Manzanita Rose.]

•••Saturday (6/2), Noon: Words of Walt: A Walt Whitman Birthday Celebration and Open Reading will be held once again at the Oddfellows Lawn (Old City Cemetery) on Riverside Blvd and Broadway in Sacramento. The Sacramento Poetry Center first took the poems of Walt Whitman in among the Civil War veterans' graves at Oddfellows Lawn to celebrate the man about 23 years ago. The SPC Oddfellows event was held only a couple of times, but this year, to celebrate Whitman's 188th birthday (May 31), all are invited to return to the scene and participate in an open reading of Whitman's work. Bring your favorite Whitman poems and passages and a sack lunch, if you choose to, for an informal open reading of Whitman in the round among the graves of those who shared in the most significant years of Whitman's life, and whom the old nurse loved so well. Only Walt, please. There are so many great tributes to him, as well as a few notable slams, but this time is just the words of Walt. We will meet at the Civil War Monument on the Riverside edge of the cemetery (between the Riverside gate and Broadway—look for the signs) and begin reading at noon. You might also bring a cushion or folding chair if you wish. Hosted by Patrick Grizzell.

•••Saturday (6/2), 11 AM will be the regular monthly potluck & writing meeting of Writers of the New Sun/Los Escritores del Nuevo Sol at La Raza Galeria Posada, 1022-1024 22nd St., Midtown Sacramento, 916-446-5133. No charge. For more information about Los Escritores call Graciela Ramirez, 916-456-5323. Website: http://escritoresdelnuevosol.com/

•••Workshop in Paradise! On Saturday, June 2 (9 AM-1 PM), Bille Park in Paradise, CA will provide the place to reconnect with the earth for healing, and rediscovery of the self in poem-making, including a nature walk, a guided meditation, word-play, poem making, a reading, the work of nature writers such as Wendell Berry and the fellowship of other poets. This workshop, open to the beginning as well as the advanced poet, will be held at Bille Park; meet at the Council Circle. Bring a bag lunch and a lawn chair. Cost: $30. Sign-up at the Paradise Recreation Center, or contact Lara Gularte at 530-873-4275.

•••Sunday (6/3), 1-4 PM: Century House Poetry Series presents San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman reading with Latif Harris. This will be Host Cynthia Bryant’s last gig as Pleasanton Poet Laureate. Open mic (one poem, up to 40 lines); refreshments. Free. 2401 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton.

•••Sunday (6/3), San Francisco: Poets With Trees will have a total open mic in Sutro Heights Park (west end of Geary Street overlooking the ocean) featuring you and all your friends. Info: Clara Hsu at soullesswoman@gmail.com/ or Dan Brady at creative1@creativeideasforyou.com/ or Don Brennan at brennan.don@gmail.com/
_____________________

THE EVIL MINUTE
—Rafael Alberti

When for me the wheatfields were habitations of stars and god
and frost the frozen tears of a gazelle,
someone cast in plaster my breast and shadow,
betraying me.

That was the minute of stray bullets,
of the sea's kidnapping of men who wanted to be birds,
of the inopportune telegram and the finding of blood,
of the death of water that always looked at the sky.

_____________________

REMEMBER
—Christina Georgina Rosetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
gone far away into the silent land;
when you can no more hold me by the hand,
nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
you tell me of our future that you planned:
only remember me; you understand
it will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
and afterwards remember, do not grieve:
for if the darkness and corruption leave
a vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
better by far you should forget and smile
than that you should remember and be sad.

Memorial in Yorkshire
Photo by Katy Brown

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) 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.)


SnakeWatch: Up-to-the-minute Snake news:

Journals (free publications): Rattlesnake Review #13 is available at The Book Collector; RR #14 will be out in mid-June. (Next deadline, for RR #15, is August 15.) The new VYPER #6 (for youth 13-19) is in The Book Collector; next deadline is Nov. 1. Snakelets #9 (for kids 0-12) is available; Snakelets #10 will be out this month. Next deadline is 10/1.

Books/broadsides: May's releases are Grass Valley Poet Ron Tranquilla’s Playing Favorites: Selected Poems, 1971-2006, plus a littlesnake broadside by Julie Valin (Still Life With Sun) and a Rattlesnake Interview Broadside (#2) featuring Khiry Malik Moore and B.L. Kennedy. All are now available at The Book Collector. Rattlechaps are $5; broadsides are free. Or contact kathykieth@hotmail.com or rattlesnakepress.com for ordering information.

Next rattle-read: Rattlesnake Press will present Sacramento Poet Tom Miner at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, on Wednesday, June 20 from 7:30-9 PM to celebrate the release of his new chapbook, North of Everything. Also featured that night will be a new littlesnake broadside (Cominciare Adagio) from Stockton Poet/Publisher David Humphreys, plus #3 in the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy, this one featuring Sacramento Poet Jane Blue. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. More info: kathykieth@hotmail.com/ NOTE: For June, and for June only, our monthly Rattlesnake reading will be on the THIRD Weds. instead of the second one. There will be no Snake readings/releases in July or August.