TERZANELLE TO FRENCH DRESSING
—Margaret Ellis Hill, Wilton
He wanted a cute curvy body and voice
to stir and make his manhood rise.
French dressing was the only choice.
He said he’d seen others’ silly disguise
but it didn’t turn him on. A school girl skirt
made him feel a dirty old man, no prize.
Fake make-up, jewelry, or tie die skirts
ruined his objective want and needs.
He did not want that kind of flirt.
He spoke of conquests that spurred his needs—
how red leather heels spiked his fancy
to watch the ass wiggle, yes indeed,
the walk, the long legs claimed his fancy,
but needed the maid’s dress, apron, push-up bra
that set his thoughts and made him antsy.
A pert little cap, pursed lips, Ah ha,
a maid’s short dress, frilly apron, push-up bra.
My cute curvy body and sexy voice,
Yes, French dressing was the only choice.
__________________
Oo la la! Thanks to Margaret (Peggy) Ellis Hill for this humdinger and the ones below. People still can't seem to get sex off their minds (thank goodness); it's been a long, fiery summer. The give-away offer's still good, by the way: send poems about sex to kathykieth@hotmail.com and I'll send you a free copy of our Sex—For Animals... No deadline.
Time for a new Seed of the Week: Poetry is Where You Find It! Send us a "found" poem—Peggy's below is from the yellow pages, putting words and phrases together that she found there which seem to make up a poem. Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, recipe books—even the thesaurus can inspire. Just pick up one such source and watch for words and phrases that seem to hang together into some sort of sense. Remember, SOW's have no deadline; send 'em along whenever the muse strikes:
SACRAMENTO YELLOW PAGES
—Margaret Ellis Hill
(a found poem)
I have my choice
on page two-seventy-eight
between HERTZ that "has it all"
or THOMAS who is “#1 in High Reach"
but I select:
Ditch Witch Equipment Co.
69 Stillwater Ave
who rents (for nominal fees)
trenchers, lifts, plows,
pumps, generators
vibrators, horizontal boring gear;
has 35 years’ experience
with material handling;
tells me I'd be in touch
with the best for the job.
“Call us first.”
You bet!!
__________________
THE MEAL
—Margaret Ellis Hill
A special table
set for a feast.
No wine needed, no candles;
he knew about light—
a sunset slant through blinds
an added glow to the rose
and in eyes.
He spent careful minutes,
each entree timed perfectly,
served with great care and finesse.
The dessert became the high point,
savored for a long time.
There was nothing left;
he said I must have been starving.
__________________
REUNION
—Margaret Ellis Hill
I caught him on the double-take
checking out my silver sedan.
He remembered the name,
said the chassis was a bit different, but
the wild gleam of the front end turned
his head as it had so many years before.
Standing back, he noted more ample headlights,
fine curvaceous lines down each side,
the shape of tail lights,
no ornaments to change
the course of his mind and
vibrancy graced by silver hues
enchanted even more.
When I asked if he would:
check the differential, oil level,
manifold displacement and strokes,
grab the wheel again, did he
think he could rev up
a deep purring 8-cylinder beauty,
he smiled lasciviously,
and turned the key.
__________________
FOR A RAPPER
—Carol Louise Moon, Sacramento
Listen to the squirrels
making love
in the juniper
just outside our bedroom window.
There's rhythm there,
for a rap.
__________________
Thanks, CLM, for the squirrel sex poem! Carol Louise Moon and Peggy Hill both have free littlesnake broadsides available from Rattlesnake Press; write and ask and I'll send you one. Or both...
Rattlechapper JoAnn Anglin writes: Last week I visited a beautiful and interesting bookstore in Marysville. You can get a view of it at the website: http://www.amicusbooks.com/
And Donald Anderson and Marie Ross have written another poem. This working-together thing seems to be productive for them. Thanks, Don and Marie!
SHE EATS WORDS
—Donald R. Anderson and Marie J. Ross, Stockton
She eats words! Pages like tapioca pudding, vowels of fruit,
leg of lamb like a book of Chaucer.
The words cackle like hens laying eggs, broken and split from
their crooked claw, and between the lines pungent meats marinate,
slight burnt taste of charcoal, ecstatic tropical marmalade oranges,
prancing hot hot hot, as if the words were sustenance for her heart.
But in the pots and pans grease grew rancid, slipping in mold of
depression, the lid not evaporating the sour juices.
She clicked and clucked, time slipping into the book.
Then roast beef came to visit her, he brought the horseradish; two of
his children followed with apple pie and custard, and in the double-
boiler the aroma of sweet cinnamon filled the air.
What are fries except potatoes! Hot hot hot! What are carrots minus
the crunch, crunch, crunch! If only the words of those novels that she
read growing up, learning to love with the fire of the sun — if only
they would be edible as they are sung.
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
SPACESHIP
—A.R. Ammons
It's amazing all
this motion going
on and
water can lie still
in glasses and the gas
can in the
garage doesn't rattle.
__________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's Up With Rattlesnake Press
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 Thirteen Poems, a new chapbook from Patrick Grizzell; #2 in Katy Brown's series of blank journals (Musings Two: Vices, Virtues and Obsessions); 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 (sometimes): 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.......!
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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.
