Dawn Moon
Photo by Patricia Wellingham-Jones
DAWN WALK
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama
The new moon plummets down
the well of the sky,
drowns in sun rays rising.
On a telephone wire
twenty blackbirds rustle, chirp,
pass along the day’s events
with breakfast.
A commuting father’s good morning
floats under new green leaves,
wraps soft wisps around bus-riding children
while the world and I shake ourselves
loose from threads of night dreams
and, unnoticed, make our way.
Those of you who were able to make it to the reading/release at The Book Collector last night were treated to two wonderful poets with well-organized, well-presented readings—plus the newest issue of the ever-growing Rattlesnake Review, which is trying to engulf all of Northern California with poetry, poetry, poetry. (Next deadline is May 15, by the way.) Copies are available at The Book Collector, though right now they're in short supply! I'll get some more down there on Saturday, or send me $4 and I'll mail you one.
And join us April 8 for the Fifth Annual Birthday Bash/Buffet, including good eats and good poetry with a SnakeRing SpiralChap from Laverne Frith, a littlesnake broadside from Taylor Graham, and another HandyStuff blank journal of photos and prompts from Katy Brown. That's 7:30, Wednesday, April 8 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento. Be there!—help us celebrate the birth of the Snake! (How long is five in Snake years?)
B.L.'s Drive-bys: A Micro-Review by B.L. Kennedy:
IT’S NOT ENOUGH OF ELVIS
by Paul Fericano
Shave and a Haircut Poetry Series
Poor Soul’s Press/Scaramouche Press
PO Box 236, Millbrae, CA 94030
$0.25!
Paul Fericano should be given the Nobel Prize for Poetry! The editor of Stoogism: An Anthology; Loading the Gun with Real Bullets; and the culture classic, “Sinatra, Sinatra”, has done it once again with It’s Not Enough of Elvis. This small, beautiful, limited edition is Fericano at his best, taking a cultural icon, putting him through the washer, and bringing out a totally new parody. I love Paul Fericano’s work, and fondly remember the first time I met him at a poetry reading at the YWCA, organized by the legendary Ben Hiatt. That would've been back in, oh, 1978 or ’79. Anyways, I was being my usual obnoxious self and it was during the break that Paul Fericano told me: “We’re going to be hearing a lot from you, aren’t we?” But it wasn’t until after my first reading of “Sinatra, Sinatra” and his wonderful collection, Loading the Gun with Real Bullets, that I found that Paul Fericano is the real deal when it comes to poetry. So if you have some spare change, order a copy of this book. Or for that matter, order any books you can find by the author. Trust me: this is a guy you have to read.
—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence
___________________
THIS DARK MORNING
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys
Light rises slowly
So much later these days
Is it really only one hour
Here on the mountainside
Looking east
A gray glimmer slowly grows
I sit sipping morning coffee
In artificial light
Wondering despite the calendar
If December has returned again so swiftly
At last the lamp is out
The curtains opened
Rose golden and gray
Daylight slowly arrives
Bringing the morning song of nature
___________________
AUBADE RAGA
The margin of dawn,
Form, this form.
Few variations, but
Infinite play.
Form, this form.
From the Unmanifest,
Fed through fires at dawn,
Form, this form.
Each an endless story,
Boundless as the sky,
Form, this form.
Sweet is devotion,
Lasting is love,
Form, this form.
Notes of endless pleasure,
Strumming the full chord,
Form, this form.
Where did I begin
Before you passed through me,
Form, this form.
Revering and releasing
Pleasant, subtle truth,
Form, this form.
Continuing onward
‘til dust at dusk,
Form, this form.
___________________—Jim Lanier, Murphys
Form flows outward fromThe margin of dawn,
Form, this form.
Few variations, but
Infinite play.
Form, this form.
From the Unmanifest,
Fed through fires at dawn,
Form, this form.
Each an endless story,
Boundless as the sky,
Form, this form.
Sweet is devotion,
Lasting is love,
Form, this form.
Notes of endless pleasure,
Strumming the full chord,
Form, this form.
Where did I begin
Before you passed through me,
Form, this form.
Revering and releasing
Pleasant, subtle truth,
Form, this form.
Continuing onward
‘til dust at dusk,
Form, this form.
Today's LittleNip:
while dissecting frogs in biology class
scrut discovers the intricacies of the
scooped neckline in his lab partner's dress
oh madame curie
oh louis pasteur
oh ponce de leon
and christopher columbus
you have nothing on me today
—George Roberts
___________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The new Snake (RR21) is out! The issue is now available at The Book Collector, and contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next—or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. 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 MARCH: Rattlesnake Press is proud to present 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)!
COMING IN APRIL: Wednesday, April 8 will be our FIFTH ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY/BUFFET at The Book Collector, featuring a SpiralChap of poetry and photos from Laverne Frith (Celebrations: Images and Text), a littlesnake broadside from Taylor Graham (Edge of Wildwood), and Musings3: An English Affair, a new blank journal of photos and writing prompts from Katy Brown. That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM.
And April 15 is the deadline for the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Submission guidelines are the same as for the Snake, but send your poems, photos, smallish art or prose pieces (500 words or less) to fandrickfabpub@hotmail.com (attachments preferred) or, if you’re snailing, to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. Copies of the first issue are at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one.
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.......!
_________________
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.
