GREED IS GOOD
—David Humphreys, Stockton
And the only sound that’s left,
after the ambulances go, is Cinderella
sweeping up on Desolation Row.
—Bob Dylan
Lunar gravity pulls the tidal
ebb flow beach grass bending
breeze early summer ease of sand
dunes under pale blue haze horizon
sails white out on the water. What
would you have them do, fold up
their umbrellas and beach towels,
pack up their sun screen and ice
filled coolers to spend their dark
Thursdays down at the Food Bank
soup kitchen, donate their precious
time and hard-earned money?
____________________
Thanks to David Humphreys and Tom Goff for sending poems, and to Katy Brown, who found us this piggy-pic before she set sail for moose photos in Maine. Katy knows how dear pigs are to me heart, greedy or not...
Poetz
Poetz (www.poetz.com) is now seeking work for a 4th of July issue that will launch a total site redesign — the Planetary Issues Issue. Complete guidelines are here: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=313656242&blogID=399789885/.
___________________
TITAN, GORILLA KING
—David Humphreys, Stockton
You would not think to look at him
but he was famous long ago. —Bob Dylan
Look, you can see it clear as could be,
sentiment in his facial expressions,
awareness in every gesture, King Kong
in his own image of black and white,
Fred Astaire whirling Ginger Rogers,
Faye Wray swooning beneath the big
antenna. Does he remember dance lessons
at the Circus Club with his Windsor knot
arm in arm with each nervous debutant
learning the rules of engagement on gazebo
deck cushions, dusk falling on the emotional
riot’s veil of innocence lost forever, vivid
memory musk as that first long kiss
smelling soap and sweet perfume lit up
the sky like firelight? He is something all
right, charging up on knuckles of bluster
swelled up like a blow fish of intimidation
gallivanting from one serial conquest to the
next in his long mushy career of insemination—
not that he harbors any regrets, exactly, as little
ones playfully toddle up and snuggle in the jungle.
___________________
WHAT SCENT
—Tom Goff, Carmichael
We practiced all our lives to rise, to know,
so fiercely do we feel we must not end.
The mind dies with the body down below,
just one more organ come apart. What sows
this ardent muck with urges to transcend?
We practiced all our lives to rise, to know,
to ride great updrafts to an afterglow,
our swirls our selves, but beaten into blend.
The mind dies with the body down below:
beneath the binding crust both undergo
grueling dissolve: who speaks of brain pretends
we practiced all our lives to rise, to know
what gods extract from nerveweave—call it soul—
torn from the raw flower, what blossom scent it sends.
The mind dies with the body down below.
We practiced all our lives to rise, to know.
___________________
Today's LittleNip:
ADVICE
—Langston Hughes
Folks, I'm telling you,
birthing is hard
and dying is mean—
so get yourself
a little loving
in between.
__________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's Up With Rattlesnake Press
New in June: Day Moon, a new chapbook by James DenBoer, and Mindfully Moon, a littlesnake broadside by Carol Louise Moon, as well as Volume Three of Conversations, our third book of interviews by B.L. Kennedy, featuring Art Beck, Olivia Costellano, Quinton Duval, William S. Gainer, Mario Ellis Hill, Kathryn Hohlwein, James Jee Jobe, Andy Jones, Rebecca Morrison, Viola Weinberg and Phillip T. Nails. All this PLUS a brand-new edition (#18) of Rattlesnake Review! Now available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or (soon) from rattlesnakepress.com/. (Snake contributors and subscribers will be receiving their copies in the mail next week. If you're not among either of these, and can't get down to The Book Collector to get your free copy, send me two bux and I'll mail you one: P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726.)
The Snake will be snoozing through July and August, leaving Medusa to carry on alone. Then on September 10, we shall burst back onto the scene with Ten Poems, a new chapbook from Patrick Grizzell, plus Issue #19 of Rattlesnake Review. (Deadline is August 15.) Meanwhile, look in on Medusa every day, and, for heaven's sake, keep sending stuff! The snakes of Medusa are always hungry...
Medusa's Weekly Menu:
(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)
Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar
Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOW; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.
Wednesday: HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.
Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar
Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.
And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!
_________________
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.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.
