Matilija Poppy Photo by Ronald Edwin Lane
SUSPENDED ANGEL
—Ronald Edwin Lane, Weimar
Her halo is invisible
Yet visible her
Sunlit hair
Shines golden
Where she kneels on the air
With wings and gown spread
Like crinkled holy paper flowin’
*
One day she may raise her head and look me in the eyes
But for now she’s an angel in prayer
Beneath the sunny skies
—Ronald Edwin Lane, Weimar
Her halo is invisible
Yet visible her
Sunlit hair
Shines golden
Where she kneels on the air
With wings and gown spread
Like crinkled holy paper flowin’
*
One day she may raise her head and look me in the eyes
But for now she’s an angel in prayer
Beneath the sunny skies
___________________
Thanks, Ronald! Be sure to watch for more of Ronald Lane's work in Snake 19, due out in mid-September. Deadline is August 15—just eight days away!
Ina also looms!
I've been remiss in reminding you that The Ina Coolbrith Circle 89th Annual Poetry Contest is open for entries. Postmark deadline is August 15, 2008. All ICC members (including out of state) and non-member California residents may enter. For contest rules and more info on the ICC, visit the website: www.coolpoetry.org/.
B.L.'s Drive-Bys: A Micro-Review by B.L. Kennedy:
All These Voices
New and Selected Poems by Faye Kicknosway
176pp Trade-Paper
Coffee House Press, $9.95
Let’s put it this way: Faye Kicknosway is a bitch but in a very good way, for here is a poet who is not afraid to speak her mind. Often called the female Bob Kaufman, Kicknosway is her own person, her own voice which, at times, can be surrealistic, but is straight-on in her structure and approach to language. Don’t miss this poet’s work by any means, for if you are indeed a lover of good poetry… you will love Faye Kicknosway.
—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence
___________________
KIDNAP POEM
—Nikki Giovanni
ever been kidnapped
by a poet
if i were a poet
i'd kidnap you
put you in my phrases and meter
you to jones beach
or maybe coney island
or maybe just to my house
lyric you in lilacs
dash you in the rain
blend into the beach
to complement my see
play the lyre for you
ode you with my love song
anything to win you
wrap you in the red Black green
show you off to mama
yeah if i were a poet i'd kid
nap you
___________________
THE BUTTERFLY
—Nikki Giovanni
those things
which you so laughingly call
hands are in fact two
brown butterflies fluttering
across the pleasure
they give
my body
___________________
POETRY IS A TRESTLE
—Nikki Giovanni
poetry is a trestle
spanning the distance between
what i feel
and what i say
like a locomotive
i rush full speed ahead
trusting your strength
to carry me over
sometimes we share a poem
because people are near
and they would notice me
noticing you
so i write X and you write O
and we both win
sometimes we share a poem
because i'm washing the dishes
and you're looking at your news
or sometimes we make a poem
because it's Sunday and you want
ice cream while i want cookies
but always we share a poem
because belief predates action
and i believe
the most beautiful poem
ever heard is your heart
racing
___________________
Today's LittleNip:
FORTITUDE
—A.R. Ammons
We should think
we can get
by with a
setback or two:
the lawn makes
a life of
starting over and
swirly bugs
in dusk air,
prey, get where
they're going
changing course.
_________________
—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! 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.
