Emmanuel Sigauke
GARDENS ON CLIFFS
—Emmanuel Sigauke, Sacramento
Mopane blossom in Mototi
nothing you can do
to stop this storm of color.
The nyenze, returned from the dead,
will now plaster the village
with choruses that echo beyond Chisiya.
Even when Runde River groans again
it will be months before
a single leaf retires and
one cicada weds the grave.
That's just the burst of desire
drawn from centuries of dire,
when a few words drove
tattered souls into a bitter exile.
—Emmanuel Sigauke, Sacramento
Mopane blossom in Mototi
nothing you can do
to stop this storm of color.
The nyenze, returned from the dead,
will now plaster the village
with choruses that echo beyond Chisiya.
Even when Runde River groans again
it will be months before
a single leaf retires and
one cicada weds the grave.
That's just the burst of desire
drawn from centuries of dire,
when a few words drove
tattered souls into a bitter exile.
Thanks, Emmanuel! Emmanuel Sigauke grew up in Zimbabwe, where he studied English and Linguistics at the University of Zimbabwe. While still a student, he helped in the founding of the Zimbabwe Budding Writers Association, for which he served as National Secretary from 1992 to 1995. This organization, which is still active in Zimbabwe, was instrumental in the discovery of new writing talent throughout the country. Emmanuel moved to California in 1996, where he studied for an English MA at Sacramento State University. He teaches composition and writing at Cosumnes River College, where he is one of the editors of Cosumnes River Journal.
Emmanuel recently joined the Sacramento Poetry Center as a board member, where he hosts readings and reviews books for Poetry Now. His poetry has appeared in print and online journals in Zimbabwe, Finland, United States and Ireland, and he is the editor of the online magazine, Munyori Poetry Journal, which features poets from all over the world. In addition, he blogs at Moments in Literature, Wealth of Ideas, and Chisiya Echoes. His column at Zonenet:Zimbabwe Online Radio, focuses on the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. Emmanuel's first poetry collection, Forever Let Me Go, is scheduled for release from PublishAmerica by June 11, 2008.
More of Emmanuel's poetry will be featured in the new issue of Rattlesnake Review, due out Wednesday, June 11—hey! That's tomorrow!
___________________
WHAT WE GET
—Emmanuel Sigauke
A few more like these
and we can call home
tell them the wind sings
the sun laughs when moon dances.
Unbelieve the nonsense they told you
about mountains that never quake
anthills that dance at night
while the stars applaud—
The road we took led somewhere
but most wished they had detoured
long before they robbed
their souls of dignity:
these too can call home now—
Never before a time like this
where the mouthless speak
& those without bodies
smother the plateau of insignificance
and re-emerge wielding swords.
Write home and tell
everyone to slaughter something;
gather all those villagers
and let Time narrate a new tale.
__________________
Speaking of the new Review, here are two more from Grass Valley's Charity Bryson who will also be represented:
THEFT
—Charity Bryson
warm spring morning
spent walking
along the Sacramento River
my sleek black Prius
parked safely under an oak tree
beside my car a wooden cross
adorned with plastic roses
coming around the side of my car
confronted by hundreds of glass shards
blue ice sparkling in the morning sun
bare window
exposed fragments
threaten to
slice my
world
into
chaos
no purse
no identity
no money
only
words
remain
to heal
tears
clenched jaw
jangle of nerves
wrenching in my belly
roar of the ravaged
___________________
TAMING THE WILD
—Charity Bryson
my mother at 60
intense
bent over a mugo pine
twisting its branches with copper
snipping its roots
jamming them into a thin pot
her daughter at 16
terrified
hands sheathed in white gloves
feet stuffed into white patent pumps
belly crimped into white girdle
stand up straight
shoulders back
head high
restless at 60
her daughter romps through wild
lupine meadows of the sierras
__________________
Seed of the Week:
___________________
Today's LittleNip:
IMPERFECT CONJUGATION
—Istvan Orkeny
Often I just stare at nothing;
Often you just stare at nothing;
Often he/she/it just stares at nothing;
Often we just stare at nothing.
___________________
—Medusa
•••Wednesday (6/11), 7:30 PM: Two Moons in June: Join us at The Book Collector for the premiere of 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! That's at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento. See you there!
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.
