Matt Veazey
FEAR OF FALLING
—Matt Veazey, Sacramento
Moonless fall nights
Offer up constellations
With dazzling clarity
The galaxy revealed anew
Lying awake thinking of stardust
Product of mass and momentum
Energy of incomprehensible proportion
Catastrophic collisions
Forging new elemental mass
Allowing us to forget that we are stardust
The first really cold nights of fall
Reminders of the coming stillness
Silently repeating the oldest prayer
Acknowledging the protection of the angels
Imploring their continued vigilance
Drifting in and out
Dreaming of the largest dragonfly
Hovering only inches away
Staring intently with its large compound eyes
Circling several times
Twisting its green metallic head to gain a better view
Glassy, net veined wings clattering oddly, rhythmically
Awakened by the wind
Rustle of boughs
Smell of wood smoke
Autumnal smudge
Surrounded by ochre
Red, brown, orange and yellow
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Thanks, Matt! Matt Veazey studied creative writing at the University of Arizona in the 1980’s, and his poems are influenced by his love of Western landscapes. He now lives in Sacramento and has recently participated in the Second Friday Poetry Reading. His poetry has been featured on Convergence: an online journal of poetry and art, and is also forthcoming in Poetry Now.
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B.L.'s Drive-Bys: A Micro-Review by B.L. Kennedy
FLU: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918
and The Search for the Virus That Caused It
By Gina Kolata
Simon & Schuster Books
Trade-Paper, 334 Pages, $14.00
ISBN 0-7432-0398-4
So I come across a book about the infamous 1918 Influenza Pandemic and know that I simply have to read it. You see, I have a very indirect connection to that part of history, in that my father, William Kennedy, lost all three of his brothers to that awful Influenza.
This is a frightening book. It is the story of a plague that wiped out a good part of the world in the not-so-distant last century, killing more Americans with its long- range attack from New York to Alaska in one short year than all those who died in battle in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
This is not a comfort book. Its subject is very real and can easily return when we take a deep look at the current situation in our vastly overpopulated world. Any one of you readers remember AIDS or Swine Flu?
Anyway, this is an important read and a book well worth its cover price. I suggest you buy it; I promise you will not be able to put it down.
—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence
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THE THINGS I KEEP
—Matt Veazey
Bullet fragments
Arrow heads
Mineral specimens
Dimpled shot
Teeth
Top notches
Tail feathers
Mallard flank
Hare masks
Turkey beards
Pot seeds
Pressed flowers
Carved effigies
Tanned hides
Pottery chards
Equilibrium stones
Acacia spines
Broken jewelry
Instrument parts
Old ID’s
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KNIGHT OF WANDS
—Matt Veazey
on the day you died
all you cared to discuss were the rods
the death sticks
the magic wands
my inheritance
the complete Suit of Staves
you would say… they don’t make Trulines anymore
I would say… remember the heat flashes late at night coming home across the desert
you would say… Sabres just aren’t the same now
I would say… we sure had some big days on the Pacific Queen
you would say… that black Dynamo 5X has hammered so many fish
I let you go on and on
since we both knew you had big travel plans
for later that day
it wasn’t the time to discuss the fact
that after 37 years
this bundle of sticks
was really all that remained of our enterprise together
they were the best you could bequeath
as expected
you left that night
no more treks across the Mojave
in search of open water migratory big game
no more Arizona boys sneaking in on a new moon
to take the locals down
no more pilgrimages to Amapolo
no more offerings at Palo Verde
and now
I pour over my Shrine of Sticks
arrange them in various orders
rewrap them in my colours
black purple and orange
I marvel at their durability
a constant reminder of our countless journeys
and your last words to me
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Today's LittleNip:
The wind is fresh, the moon bright.
Let us spend the evening dancing
As a farewell to old age.
—Ryokan, translated by John Stevens
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Coming in October: October’s release at The Book Collector on Weds., Oct. 8, will feature a new rattlechap from Moira Magneson (He Drank Because) and a littlesnake broadside from Hatch Graham (Circling of the Pack). That's at the Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.
Then, on Thursday, Oct. 30, 8 PM, Rattlesnake Press will release two SpiralChaps to honor and celebrate Luna’s Café, including a new collection of art and poetry from B.L. Kennedy (Luna’s House of Words) and an anthology of Luna’s poets, artists and photographs (La Luna: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café) edited by Frank Andrick. Come travel with our Away Team as we leave the Home of the Snake for a brief road trip/time travel to Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento to celebrate Art Luna and the 13 years of Luna's long-running poetry series. Who knows what auspicious adventures await us there??
And check out B.L. Kennedy’s interview with Art Luna in the latest Rattlesnake Review (#19)! Free copies are available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I’ll mail you one (address below). Next deadline, by the way, is November 15.
Coming in November: November will feature a new rattlechap from Red Fox Underground Poet Wendy Patrice Williams (Some New Forgetting); a littlesnake broadside from South Lake Tahoe Poet Ray Hadley; our 2009 calendar from Katy Brown (Beyond the Hill: A Poet’s Calendar) as well as Conversations, Vol. 4 of B.L. Kennedy’s Rattlesnake Interview Series. That’s Weds., November 12, 7:30 PM at The Book Collector.
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 SOWs; 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.
