KYRIE ELEISON
—Taylor Graham, Somerset
Phosphorescent heaven darkens
to the west, raptor-hungry swarm
overclouding. The night harkens,
Kyrie chanted on the storm.
From oaks deep-rooted, wind-flung leaves
strike against this house cruciform,
its timbers clattering the eaves,
Kyrie chanted on the storm.
Each soul sleeps solitary, cold
as comfort that could never warm
the flesh, the spirit thunder-tolled,
Kyrie chanted on the storm.
The God of lightning aims them low,
these brilliant flashes that transform
our dreams to prayers. The night’s aglow,
Kyrie chanted on the storm.
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Thanks, TG, for the kyrielle! Taylor Graham was responding to our Seed of the Week: After Midnight. Here's another response, this one from Patricia Wellingham-Jones. She and Stephani Schaefer get together sometimes and write spur-of-the-moment poems, which is what this one was:
THROUGH THE ARCH OF MIDNIGHT
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama
The arch of midnight
brackets a pale moon,
hovers over an owl
humming down the creek.
The woman in a green gown
picks her way through pebbles
to the bole of an old oak tree,
a folded paper gleaming white.
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Poems Wanted for Poets of the American West:
Many Voices Press is accepting submissions for an anthology of poets from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. They are selecting poems NOW. No deadline; they will continue to review submissions until they have selected a quantity sufficient to compile a 400-page manuscript. Poets of the American West will be published in 2009.
Guidelines for Submissions:
— Send up to twelve poems of any length, any style, any subject matter.
— Include contact information on each poem: name, address, phone, email.
— Include a SASE for response. No manuscripts will be returned.
— Include a $12 entry fee. All entrants will receive a copy of the anthology (a $20 value). Many Voices Press is a non-profit public service organization.
— Poems in Native American languages or in Spanish must also include English translations. (They will publish both versions side-by-side.)
— Include a brief bio. (Yes, they want to know about your awards and previous publications, but please also tell them something more creative, original, and interesting about your life in the American West.)
— Poems previously published must include name of magazine, issue, and date. If the poem was previously published in a book, include title of book, publisher, and date. Important: Authors must obtain reprint rights. MVP can not pay reprint fees.
— After publication of Poets of the American West, all publication rights revert to the author.
— Include a completed Submission Data Form (obtainable by writing to the address below, or printable from our website http://www.fvcc.edu/news-events/academic-news/many-voices-press/)
— Send all the above materials to:
Many Voices Press
Flathead Valley Community College
777 Grandview Drive
Kalispell, Montana 59901
406-756-3907
Many Voices Press aims to publish the best poems available. Recently they published Poems Across the Big Sky (an anthology of Montana poets), which sold more than 2000 copies in less than six months. They are especially interested in new or established voices of the American West. In addition to poems in English, they are seeking poems in Native American languages or in Spanish.
They say: What are we looking for? We are most interested in poems that offer original insights into historical or contemporary life in the American West. We are open to all poems of merit, regardless of style, though narrative poems accessible to a broad readership are most likely to catch our attention.
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EVERY MORNING
—Alice Walker
Every morning I exercise
my body.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
I give it a plié
in response.
I heave my legs
off the floor
and feel my stomach muscles
rebel:
they are mutinous
there are rumblings
of dissent.
I have other things
to show,
but mostly, my body.
"Don't you see that person
staring at you?" I ask my breasts,
which are still capable
of staring back.
"If I didn't exercise
you couldn't look up
that far.
You life would be nothing
but shoes."
"Let us at least say we're doing it
for ourselves";
my fingers are eloquent;
they never sweat.
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I'M REALLY
VERY FOND
—Alice Walker
I'm really very fond of you,
he said.
I don't like fond.
It sounds like something
you would tell a dog.
Give me love,
or nothing.
Throw your fond in a pond,
I said.
But what I felt for him
was also warm, frisky,
moist-mouthed,
eager,
and could swim away
if forced to do so.
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HOW POEMS ARE
MADE/A
DISCREDITED VIEW
—Alice Walker
Letting go
in order to hold on
I gradually understand
how poems are made.
There is a place the fear must go.
There is a place the choice must go.
There is a place the loss must go.
The leftover love.
The love that spills out
of the too full cup
and runs and hides
its too full self
in shame.
I gradually comprehend
how poems are made.
To the upbeat flight of memories.
The flagged beats of the running
heart.
I understand how poems are made.
They are the tears
that season the smile.
The stiff-neck laughter
that crowds the throat.
The leftover love.
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Today's LittleNip:
REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSE
—Alice Walker
There are five people in this room
who still don't know what I'm saying.
"What is she saying?" they're asking.
"What is she doing here?"
It is not enough to be interminable;
one must also be precise.
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—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 (Musings2: Vices, Virtues and Obsessions); a littlesnake broadside (Wind Physics) from Jordan Reynolds; 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 and in-between! 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.
