Alexa Mergen
CRUISE
—Alexa Mergen, Sacramento
Imagine setting off in a carved canoe
with a sail of woven palm leaves
through the doors to the unknown,
with a compass of coral stones.
Below swim creatures we'll never see,
above glide birds who surprise us.
We watch waves for signs of storms and islands,
their rippled language of pattern and anomaly.
The horizontal mountain of water calls us forward,
on our boats out and back and out we go,
we know we can twist a rope of coconut fiber
when we choose to tie up ashore.
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Thanks, Alexa! Alexa Mergen has written poems and sought to bring poetry to others since she was a kid in Washington, DC, peddling yarn-bound collections of poems in the local park and distributing a typewritten neighborhood newspaper. She teaches workshops for children and adults and serves as an editor for people writing poetry collections and memoir. She published a chapbook, We Have Trees, with Swim Press (2005) and her poems, essays and book reviews appear in various journals.
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LINES
—Alexa Mergen
Could that we listen as animals do.
Not ears pricked and alert in alarm
But, say, ears soft, early morning listening.
There is a blind boy who negotiates the world
Through clicks and claps, echolocating obstacles on his skateboard.
We share more with sea mammals than we remember,
With sky mammals than we will say.
To read these words engage the voice in your mind,
or shape the mouth, add breath.
Give sound to curves and lines, let waves vibrate infinitely.
As now that boy this moment skims a street and passes through this line.
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EMPLOY
—Alexa Mergen
A sad man with a flat
garment bag stands
downtown after
a rainstorm. The plaza’s
smooth as a lake.
Wetness darkens walls
of buildings. Curbs
are clean. Streetlights
will shine in the dark—
lovely but for this man,
who searches a trash bin
as if reading a book, dainty
fingers, keen eyes, face
red with exposure.
He holds the tweed bag
beside him as if it
were a briefcase.
May it fill with
meaning for him,
food to sustain him.
May he love what
he finds. As we
of homes must love
our things, obtained, carried, shared,
our employment, means providing.
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YET
—Alexa Mergen
Since the dog went blind we’re careful to put away clutter. Stepping out of shoes by the door means she’ll stumble, stray magazines become slicks, an abandoned chair a wall. Faced with each obstacle she retreats one step and I swear you can see her thinking, filing away information in a category labeled “exceptions.” Since Homo sapiens brought animals inside isn’t everything an exception to their natal maps? Dogs are tireless navigators of a human world, sofas and beds sole islands of safety.
And yet outside along the river parkway, in a meadow swept clear by occasional floods, the dog’s sightlessness is forgotten as she flies over gullies and crashes through scrub, olfactory compass engaged. For animals, even the soles of their paws are sensors. Watching her run I can believe the ground is just another plane, that with every step and twitch something in the air responds and embraces and holds her up.
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Tonight at Bistro 33 in Davis:
•••Tonight (Weds., 2/18), 9 PM: Poetry Night at Bistro 33 proudly welcomes Mary Mackey and Brad Henderson. Mary Mackey is the author of 11 novels and 5 books of poetry, including The Notorious Mrs. Winston and Breaking the Fever. Her books have been hailed for possessing “meticulously accurate history detail” by Publishers Weekly, and her latest novel, The Widow’s War, will be released this fall. Mackey also occasionally publishes comedic fiction, such as the novels, Sweet Revenge and The Stand In, under the pseudonym Kate Clemens. In addition to writing poetry and fiction, Mackey frequently contributes to The Chiron Review, Redbook, Salon and various other print and online publications. Before her recent retirement, Mary Mackey was a professor of English and Writer in Residence at California State University, Sacramento.
When he’s not teaching for UC Davis’ University Writing Program Brad Henderson is publishing poetry under the name Beau Hamel. His poetry collection, Split Stock: Selected Poems, was published in 2006 by John Natsoulas Press, and his poems have been in such journals as Blue Unicorn, California State Quarterly, Dominion Review, and Pedestal Magazine. His 1997 novel, Drums, received an endorsement from Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum and was a hit with rock music fans. Outside of his duties at the university, Henderson plays the drums, practices martial arts, and busies himself with various creative writing pursuits in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
Poetry Night at Bistro 33, hosted by UC Davis faculty member Andy Jones, occurs on the first and third Wednesdays of every month beginning at 9 P.M. with an open microphone at 10 P.M. The event is free and open to the public.
Coming in March: Bay Area Poets Laureate Exhibit:
You are cordially invited to “Bay Area Poets Laureate”, a reception in Livermore hosted by Livermore Poet Laureate Connie Post on Saturday, March 7, from 1-4 PM at the Livermore Public Library, 1188 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore. This gathering is being held as a reception to kick off the photography exhibit, “Poets Laureate in California” by Ronna Leon (photographer). Come see the remarkable display of past and current Poets Laureate of California. The photo display will be in the main gallery of the Livermore Library. Refreshments will be served. Stop by anytime from 1-4 PM; from 2-3 PM, Bay Area Poets Laureate will read poems. Join us to enjoy Ronna Leon’s photography, meet Bay Area Poets Laureate, hear their poetry, and get a sense of history of the Poets Laureate Programs in California. Info: Connie Post (connie@poetrypost.com). Directions: from Hwy 580, take the North Livermore Exit. Head South. Keep going through town until you see the civic center and then the Library on your left.
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This week, we're talking about time [see yesterday's post]. Taylor Graham writes: What else is poetry about? Oh yeah, love and death, but time's there too. Here's something time-ly:
AGES
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
Ancient, newborn again this month,
the moon perches on the edge of a skyline
jagged as granite failed in its strive
for summit. Ever farther from us,
the new moon shines no light into canyons
where cougar hunts,
and a benighted traveler shivers
as he listens to the river’s unfathomable
words, its deep old song of moons
sliced down to a sliver
as the mountains go about their endless
Sisyphus uplift and fall.
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TIME AND AGAIN
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys
Time seems to me
To change with age
History is ten years ago
Not my father’s war
That is ancient history
Looking through a favorite catalog
With this morning's coffee
Saw a fresh-faced young woman
Wearing a tie-dyed dress
Sixties retro is back again
But I can remember
Wearing those clothes
When they were a statement of beliefs
Not just a fashion statement
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Today's LittleNip:
TIME
—Kevin Jones, Fair Oaks
Used to think
It was just a
Weekly
Newsmagazine
Till I got
Hit & run
By his
Winged chariot
Hobbling still
“Time will
Do that”
People tell me
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—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (RR20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 was Sunday, Feb. 15; the issue will appear in mid-March. Next deadline is May 15 for RR22: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry; let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one.
Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!
New for February: Now available! A new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a free littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. Available from the poets or at The Book Collector (1008 24th St., Sacramento) or (soon) from rattlesnakepress.com/.
And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)
Coming in March: On Wednesday, March 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new chapbook from Norma Kohout (All Aboard); a littlesnake broadside from Patricia Hickerson (At Grail Castle Hotel); and a new issue of Rattlesnake Review (the Snake turns 21)! Join us at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's.
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, or any other day!): 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.
