Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Ana-, Epi-, Repe-


Light Drawing
Photo by D.R. Wagner



THE FIRST TIME
—Robert K. Johnson, Needham, MA

After our first kiss ends
we open our eyes in a woods

where the sunlight slowly descends
steps made of ivy leaves,

and all the bark-bright trees
stand straight as palace guards

while clusters of branches swell
the air with their green silence,

and we, too, have no need for words.

__________________

TO PAT STILL AGAIN
—Robert K. Johnson

As fast as a quick breath,
we chuck our household chores,

plop in the car and drive
to a book store's abundant shelves

where we browse hour after hour
or drive to a restaurant

whose lingering smells we'd failed
to savor in over a year

or to a sweep of meadow
filled with a new spring's green

and leave back at the house
our awareness of timeless Death.

_______________

Thanks, Robert, for the poems! Robert K. Johnson, a retired English professor at Suffolk University in Boston, has had poetry published in The New York Times, Webster Review, Main Street Rag, South Carolina Review, and elsewhere. His latest collections of poems are From Mist To Shadow and Flowering Weeds.

And thanks to D.R. Wagner for his poems and the arresting photo. Is everybody keeping their cool out there? It's plenty hot in Northern California these days!


It's Tuesday, Seed of the Week Day:

Anaphora: A repetition device where the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences. For example:

from THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink ;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.

***

Poets.org says: The term "anaphora" comes from the Greek for "a carrying up or back," and refers to a type of parallelism created when successive phrases or lines begin with the same words, often resembling a litany. The repetition can be as simple as a single word or as long as an entire phrase. As one of the world’s oldest poetic techniques, anaphora is used in much of the world’s religious and devotional poetry, including numerous Biblical Psalms. Elizabethan and Romantic poets were masters of anaphora, as evident in the writings of William Shakespeare, Sir Philip Sidney, and Edmund Spenser. Shakespeare frequently used anaphora in both his plays and poems. For example, in Sonnet No. 66, he begins ten lines with the word "and":

Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly—doctor-like—controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tir'd with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.

Allen Ginsberg's Howl, Walt Whitman's "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," Section V of "The Waste Land" by T. S. Eliot, and "From a Litany" by Mark Strand are all excellent examples of how modern writers have found inventive ways to use anaphora. Joe Brainard used anaphora in recalling his Oklahoma youth in his book-length poem, "I Remember", by starting each phrase with "I remember". A frequent teaching device is to begin poems with “I Am”.

I asked SnakePal Carol Frith (watch for her rattlechap, coming in December) if an anaphora has to appear at the beginning of a line, and here's what she said:

The short answer seems to be, when the repeated word or phrase appears at the end of the line (or prose clause) the correct title is epiphora—or epistrophe. I 'way prefer "epiphora" for two reasons: 1) It's an identity rhyme with anaphora and 2) even better, epiphora ALSO means an excess of tears—and we poets are always crying in our beer....

Repeater lines: I always have to double check the meaning of repetend—it is a single line repeated several times throughout a poem—at random. Then there is the repeton, a single line repeated only once in the poem after its initial appearance. Finally, the refrain is a line that is repeated at regular intervals—as in the villanelle, etc. I usually forget these definitions immediately, and wind up calling them all repeater lines!


Thanks, CF! Poetry (and all art, as in D.R.'s photo today) is often about the skillful use of repetition, isn't it? For our SOW, let's go past the simple anaphora and write poems using any repeater words or lines, either at the beginning of the line or wherever it suits you and your muse. Villanelles, pantoums, single words or lines repeated at random—just try to see where repetition leads you, or even repetition that is slightly varied, as in this poem by Howard Moss (italics are his). Note also that D.R. uses the repetition of "here" in his poem that follows the Moss one, plus he repeats the opening line at the end. And, if you look closely, you'll see that there is a definite pattern to D.R.'s use of "here".

Send your results to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs.

THE FALL
—Howard Moss

Where are you going that I want to go?
You have disappeared where I cannot follow.
There are new ghosts that come by daily.
Evening snow is coming down slowly.

Now I am staying where I always stay,
Between the truth's twilight and the half lie,
Which are the same and not the same, oddly.
Evenly snow is coming down slowly.

Did I ever tell you what I meant to say?
Or was I silent as this snowfall? Was I?
How can I take your sudden darkness lightly?
Heavily snow is coming down slowly.

The world is being shut away now. Surely
You felt what I felt, Lately, early,
In the morning you rise up from the earth. Unearthly,
Heavenly snow is coming down slowly.

__________________

DOUBLE WEAVE
(For Lillian Elliott)
—D.R. Wagner

Here are painted birds.
Here is the fly shuttle.
Here are the floats
High over the warp.
Here is the morning
And its unusual shape. The
Selvages are gathered and overspun.
Here are the reeds, even and full,
The canals of heddles between here
And the moon. Here are the villages
And the rivers poured through them.
Here is the hand and here too, the eye,
Caught in the pattern, framed in the making.
Here is the loop and here is the needle.
Here is time, ignored for centuries,
Left on the edge of the jungle.
“We’ll be right back. We have
Gone to gather raffia. Wait here.”
Here is the blue sky or perhaps
It is the indigo from the hole, which
Reflects the tops of the tree.
Here are painted birds.

__________________

RURAL VACUUM
—D.R. Wagner, Elk Grove

Sounds come from the radio.
They are old, have echoes of ‘One Man’s Family’,
'Inner Sanctum’, ‘Straight Arrow’ about them.

Birds have their own part.
Trees full of sparrows,
Short, urgent twittering,
Then a rush of wings, and silence.

I sit in a chair in the yard.
The day is hot. The trees grumble.
Water is the biggest subject.

Father Dan primes the pump.
All of Ireland spills into the delta
Caught in words and the onslaught of electrification.

Packages are delivered to my life.
The wrappings are plain and tied with twine.
There is no return address. Today
I do not want to open them.


_________________

Today's LittleNip:


FOU-RIRE
—Frank O'Hara

It really is amusing
that for all the centuries of mankind
the problem has been how
to kill enough people
and now
it is how
not to kill them all

__________________


—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

NEW FOR JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandorla: A Prelude; a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick; and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento.

COMING FOR SUMMER: There will be no rattle-read in July, while the Snake enjoys a little summer hibernation. (Stay current on Sacramento poetry, though, by way of Medusa's Kitchen.) Then join us Weds., August 12 to celebrate Joyce Odam’s birthday month with two new books from her: a collection of prose poems (illustrated by Charlotte Vincent) and Rattlesnake LittleBook #2 (Noir Love). That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW: Issue #22 is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Or you can order copies of current or past issues through rattlesnakepress.com/. Contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week. Deadline is August 15 for RR23: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine! Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)

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!

WTF!: The second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, is now available at The Book Collector or through rattlesnakepress.com, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline, for Issue #3, is July 15. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)


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.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Nijinsky, Bees, & Wednesday At The Waldorf


Nijinsky on film


NIJINSKY ON FILM
(based on Christian Comte’s computer
animations of Nijinsky still photos)

—Tom Goff, Carmichael


All dancers freeze: their liveliness turns ice.
The Faun who writhed in love upon a veil
decays in languid snapshots, fame’s half-life.
While dance is frieze, his high relief’s turned ice:
sheer sinuous grace the lens has gorgonized.
Reactivate these fragments’ moving grail:
our dancer’s free, his liveliness burns twice,
the Faun still writhes upon a sheer white veil.

__________________

Thanks, Tom. Tom Goff writes: Have you seen a recent item in The New Yorker about film of Nijinsky dancing? The truth is both more and less than that phrase implies; the actual info can be seen once you click onto the link marked "The Faun: mysterious film footage of Vaslav Nijinsky," under the link for the June 29th issue.

___________________

This week in NorCal poetry:

•••Monday (6/29), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Dorine Jennette and Valerie Fioravanti at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento. [See last Friday's post for bios.]

Next Monday (7/6) at SPC: John Allen Cann and Bob Stanley.

•••Thurs. (7/2), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Features, with open mic before and after.


Last chance to be in MHSOAC Expressions!

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) is pleased to announce our newest publication, MHSOAC Expressions, which will exclusively feature artwork and writing from consumers in recovery, family members, and the mental health stakeholders community. All submissions are to be submitted electronically in the format of a Word document, PDF or JPEG via email to mhsoac@dmh.ca.gov or via postal mail to the MHSOAC no later than Tuesday, June 30th, 2009. Please be sure to also sign and attach the submission form with your work. This document can be accessed on our website at http://www.dmh.ca.gov/MHSOAC/default.asp/.

MHSOAC
1300 17th Street, Suite 1000
Sacramento, CA 95811
Attention: Yee Xiong
Subject: Arts & Writing Submission
Telephone: (916)445-8780
Fax: (916) 445-4927
Email: mhsoac@dmh.ca.gov
Website: http://www.dmh.ca.gov/MHSOAC/default.asp

Chelsea Cecelia Hunt
Arts Education Training and Partnerships Associate
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
2030 Del Paso Boulevard
Sacramento, California 95815-3022
Ph. (916) 566-3979
Fax (916) 566-3996
chunt@cityofsacramento.org
www.sacmetroarts.org

__________________

WEDNESDAY AT THE WALDORF
—May Swenson

Two white whales have been installed at
the Waldorf. They are tumbling slowly
above the tables, butting the chandeliers,
submerging, and taking soft bites
out of the red-vested waiters in the
Peacock Room. They are poking fleur-de-lys
tails into the long pockets on the
waiters' thighs. They are stealing
breakfast strawberries from two eccentric
guests—one, skunk-cabbage green with
dark peepers—the other, wild rose and
milkweed, barelegged, in Lafayette loafers.
When the two guests enter the elevator,
the whales ascend, bouncing, through all
the ceilings, to the sixth floor. They
get between the sheets. There they turn
candy-pink, with sky-colored eyes, and
silver bubbles start to rise from velvet
navels on the tops of their heads.
Later, a pale blue VW, running on poetry,
weaves down Park Avenue, past yellow
sprouts of forsythia, which, due to dog-do
and dew, are doing nicely. The two
white whales have the blue car in tow
on a swaying chain of bubbles. They are
rising toward the heliport on the Pan Am
roof. There they go, dirigible and slow,
hide-swiping each other, lily tails flipping,
their square velvet snouts stitched with
snug smiles. It is April. "There's
a kind of hush all over the world."

__________________

FOUR-WORD LINES
—May Swenson

Your eyes are just
like bees, and I
feel like a flower.
Their brown power makes
a breeze go over
my skin. When your
lashes ride down and
rise like brown bees'
legs, your pronged gaze
makes my eyes gauze.
I wish we were
in some shade and
no swarm of other
eyes to know that
I'm a flower breathing
bare, laid open to
your bees' warm stare.
I'd let you wade
in me and seize
with your eager brown
bees' power a sweet
glistening at my core.

__________________

DARK WILD HONEY
—May Swenson

Dark wild honey, the lion's
eye color, you brought home
from a country store.
Tastes of the work of shaggy
bees on strong weeds,
their midsummer bloom.
My brain's electric circuit
glows, like the lion's iris
that, concentrated, vibrates
while seeming not to move.
Thick transparent amber
you brought home,
the sweet that burns.

__________________

NIGHT BEFORE THE JOURNEY
—May Swenson

It is the last night of the world.
I am allowed once more to show my love.
I place a jewel on a cushion.
I make a juggler's trick.
I become a graceful beast to play with you.

See here something precious, something dazzling:
A garden to be your home,
vast and with every fruit.
The air of mountains for your garment.
The sun to be your servant.
A magic water for you to bathe in
and step forth immortal.

But it is the last night of the world,
and time itself is dying.
Tomorrow my love, locked in the box of my body,
will be shipped away.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

LANGUAGE OF QUIET
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys

I spend so much time isolated
Alone amidst the walls
Or outside in the garden
Poetry becomes the voice
In which I speak to myself
Assuring that yes, I am still here
In the silence
Which is so much of my day

__________________


—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

NEW FOR JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandorla: A Prelude; a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick; and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento.

COMING FOR SUMMER: There will be no rattle-read in July, while the Snake enjoys a little summer hibernation. (Stay current on Sacramento poetry, though, by way of Medusa's Kitchen.) Then join us Weds., August 12 to celebrate Joyce Odam’s birthday month with two new books from her: a collection of prose poems (illustrated by Charlotte Vincent) and Rattlesnake LittleBook #2 (Noir Love). That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW: Issue #22 is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Or you can order copies of current or past issues through rattlesnakepress.com/. Contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next. Deadline is August 15 for RR23: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine! Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)

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!

WTF!: The second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, is now available at The Book Collector or through rattlesnakepress.com, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline, for Issue #3, is July 15. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)


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.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Patrolling the Darks


Photo by D.R. Wagner, Elk Grove


CERTAIN BEASTS, LIKE CATS
—William Bronk

Because we do not live some life
different from the life that we do live,
sometimes I would have traded life for death
to feed my life to all that feeds on life.

Along the river, white long-legged birds
lift one foot slowly, pause to put it down,
and lift the other, down, and feed, absorbed
in certainties that never fail, though blind.

Great drifts of purple flowers hold
the roadside; patrols of purple flowers roam
through fields and climb to overtop high banks.
Purple is what color there is in the world.

Certain beasts—like cats—are sleek and quick,
their skins shimmer with light; they dream.
What force there is in fish that live their years
in the cold darks of the sea, swimming the darks.

In August once, I dozed on an unused bridge
to hang in the very world, in the teeming air.
Great world, your lives are such that we despair,
seeing the loveliness, to live our lives.

Yet men are all of these, and more than these
strong beasts, dark fish, white birds and colored flowers.

__________________


—Medusa


Saturday, June 27, 2009

Approaching Sophia's Window


David Anderson, Lincoln


WHEN CEZANNE PAINTED MT. SAINTE-VICTOIRE
—David Anderson


As motionless as a lizard in the sun

he waited, watched the landscape rinse in light.

He wanted to shape in paint the chameleons

of space and time on the white

canvas—to twist into the scene those squinting sprites
that darted from place to place—to not shun
the truth of nature—to make the canvas right

he sat as motionless as a lizard in the sun.


One smear of yellow here, next to a run

of umber green, a streak of black upright

over ecru met his criterion.
He waited, watched the landscape rinse in light.


Rather to smash a canvas than to invent a mite
of color, he waited for the moment's benison
to divulge itself. He wrenched to himself the right
to know—to shape in paint the chameleon


of nature. Studies begun he left undone—

others, tossed. From Sainte-Victoire, whose heights

all Aix could view, he pulled and wrung
both space and time onto the white


canvas. In it Aix and the valley collapse in our sight,
the woods recede, coalesce, overrun
the town, where solid houses slant, slip, and invite

our eyes beyond them to the silver mountain,
no longer motionless in the sun.



(Originally published in Time of Singing)

__________________

Thanks, David! David Anderson was raised on Rocky Dell Orchard near Newcastle, California, in Placer County’s Loomis Basin. As a librarian he worked for the State of California and the University of California, Davis. In his retirement, he returned to his first love, writing. His poems have appeared in Brevities, Epiphany, Liturgy, Rattlesnake Review, and Time of Singing. His poems have placed in the 2006 and 2007 Sierra Foothills Poetry Contests, the 2007 International Dancing Poetry Contest, and the 2008 Ina Coolbrith Circle poetry contest. Presently, his mentor is Jim Moore. David confesses that the questions Jim asks him and the exercises proposed are not simple and often lead to a self-examination that’s well beyond Know Thyself! A further sample of his poems is available on his website (named for the Rocky Dell Orchard), http://rockydellresources.homestead.com/morepoems.html/.

Our apologies to David for a Snake Snafu: his poems were published in Rattlesnake Review #21 (the March, 2009 issue) under DONALD Anderson's name. Ouch. We shall make it up to David, over the years........


David is one of the Lincoln poets. Don't forget about their contest; the deadline isn't too far away:


Fifth Annual "Voices of Lincoln" Poetry Contest

The Poets Club of Lincoln presents its poetry contest for 2009, sponsored by The Lincoln Library and Friends of the Lincoln Library. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners
selected in each contest category! Five categories include: "Lincoln in 2025," "Love and Life," "Heroes," "Memories" and "Science and Technology." Each poet may submit 3 poems, no more than one in three of the five contest categories. Poems may be rhyme, free verse, Haiku or other accepted poetry forms and of any length, up to a maximum of 30 lines. Young Poets, 18-years of age or under, are encouraged to submit poems and will compete in a special “Young Poets” category. All poems must be received by August 1; early submissions are appreciated. The top three winners in each category will be contacted by phone. Entry Forms and Contest Rules are available at the Lincoln Carnegie Library Check-Out Desk, the Twelve Bridges Library Check-Out Desk and can be downloaded from the following websites: www.libraryatlincoln.org and www.friendsofthelincolncalibrary.org/. Winners will be asked to submit their poems electronically (by e-mail attachment, using “poem name.doc” format) to lincolnpoetry@gmail.com. Winners will read their poems on October 11, 2009 at the Voices of Lincoln event to be held from 3-5 PM, Twelve Bridges Library (Willow Room), 485 Twelve Bridges Drive, Lincoln, CA. Winners also will be presented with a commemorative chapbook of the winning poems.

__________________

Call For Submissions: Are you Canadian?

Canuckifornia, an anthology of Canadian writings about California, seeks short stories, essays (personal or academic) and/or poems (or groups of up to 10 poems). Contributors should be natives of Canada, former or current Canadian citizens, or former or current permanent residents of Canada. The purpose of this collection is to display a range of Canadian reactions to (and appropriations of) the myths and realities of California, a state where many expatriates have gathered. Canadians have migrated to the Golden State to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, Silicon Valley, academia and many other fields, and they have brought their own sensibilities to bear on the so-called “Golden State.” At the same time, California’s laid-back image, individualistic ethos and new mixture of ethnic influences have forced many Canadians to confront and question their own approach to life, both on the professional and the personal levels. Yet California’s high cultural profile in North America means that no Canadian with any degree of interest in life abroad can have failed to form a vivid impression of its influence. Thus contributors need not have resided in (or even visited) California to be considered. Submissions or questions may be sent via regular mail to Roan Press, P.O. Box 160406, Sacramento, CA 95816 (USA) or via email to roanpress@gmail.com/. Submissions received by Jan. 1, 2010, will be considered for inclusion. The collection will be edited by Dr. Bradley Buchanan, Associate Professor of English at California State University Sacramento. Professor Buchanan is a native of Windsor, Ontario.


__________________

WHEN MAHALIA SINGS A SWEET MELODY
—David Anderson


Mahalia sings above the clef those few notes

with a swell and a sigh, and that is all,

and between those few notes you fall

into a place that floats

past time, and all that it connotes,

secure, within the sanctuary's walls.
When Mahalia sings above the clef those few notes

with a swell and a sigh, and that is all,


what breathes in her chest, her throat

that stitches so broad a waterfall,

so rhythmic, yet random, a bounce? This freefall

holds us in the air like dust motes,

when Mahalia sings above the clef those few notes.



(Originally published in
Time of Singing and
online at Placer Poetry Submissions,

www.sacbee.com/placer/story/388815.html)


__________________

FOR NOW

—David Anderson


Shrouded in a plastic envelope

the flag with fifty stars once covered his coffin,

covered the boy, the man who did not return.


His mother and his fiancée, like this flag,

hang upon a peg in time.

They wait for grief to rise, to knot, and to unravel.


The flag waits, the decision pends

whether it will unfurl in the wind

or be closeted, his memento mori.



(Originally published in Medusa’s Kitchen

and in
Time of Singing)


__________________

While we're correcting things, Ann Privateer sent us this nummy picture of a chocolate bunny (notice missing feet), which we posted last week, but somehow the poem that accompanied it didn't make it through cyberspace. So here they both are:



Photo by Ann Privateer, Davis


SUMMER SOLSTICE
—Ann Privateer

a mouse ate the Easter Bunny’s
chocolate feet, it could have been
a rat, long hot days, people
up late, windows left open,
little rest for street rodents
when the mournful sexy sashay
of a saxophone, the rolling beat
from a drum waft upon air
like staccato stairs from the street,
rhythms that invade skin, that hunger
for something wrapped in tin foil or
for another shower, to walk off the night,
away from the germinating hum and buzz
of insects playing tunes.

___________________

Today's LittleNip(s):

IN THE CHERRY ORCHARD
—David Anderson


no breeze in the straits

coastal fog coalesces

white cherry blossoms



THE POET

—David Anderson


As his books, his fame, and cataracts grew,
Borges spoke of his sense of The Art: Speak only

true words. As you approach Sophia’s window,
Go slow. Too many words, is no song. Permit
each breath its speech against silence.


__________________


—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

NEW FOR JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandorla: A Prelude; a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick; and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento.

COMING FOR SUMMER: There will be no rattle-read in July, while the Snake enjoys a little summer hibernation. (Stay current on Sacramento poetry, though, by way of Medusa's Kitchen.) Then join us Weds., August 12 to celebrate Joyce Odam’s birthday month with two new books from her: a collection of prose poems (illustrated by Charlotte Vincent) and Rattlesnake LittleBook #2 (Noir Love). That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW: Issue #22 is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Or you can order copies of current or past issues through rattlesnakepress.com/. Contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next. Deadline is August 15 for RR23: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine! Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)

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!

WTF!: The second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, is now available at The Book Collector or through rattlesnakepress.com, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline, for Issue #3, is July 15. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)


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.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Ah, Love.......



POEM
—Frank O'Hara

Just as I leave the theatre
you come in the door. Or I

receive a letter saying you
are a policeman. My day retches

amidst its studies and you
are rigid with hauteur for

months. But then by expert
montage, a mountain growing

out of a diamond, the same
principle, you appear before me.

I spill your whiskey: you are
beautiful! When my back is

turned you still love me.
Mirrors go blind in our flame.

__________________

Ah, love! The lusty lure of a voluptuous Argentinian e-mail paramour! Quel scandale!—though yesterday the death of Michael Jackson trumped the Carolina Governor's indiscretion as of the late news...

But who better to carry us away from any love-logic whatsoever than Frank O'Hara? Fasten your seatbelts for Love (and O'Hara): always a bumpy ride; poetry with fangs. (And thanks to Annie Menebroker for the picture of the lovely seductress—with fangs of her own—in today's photo.)

__________________

SHELTER
—Frank O'Hara

Blows descend upon the rock
ricocheting into ears like a piano
and there are tears and jobations

everywhere.
Between each blast of the bazookas
we fall into a valley of silence

where the blood audibly drips
from ventricle to vial
under the red cross of our society.

Some read novels about Hyacinth
or Hamilcar, and others, equally cagy,
watch the sky flood with germs.

If we cry before the UN Building's
enigmatic mirror, brave sentiments
crush us in their orchestra arms—

but on this wailing cliff, love,
you are only my burrowing instrument,
and I am a fox in a hole.

__________________

POEM
—Frank O'Hara

The tough newspaper boy will wear
a stripe and a scar on his ass
for this kiss I give you tonight
is tomorrow's your bun and beard.

Are you aware tha snow's flying
from the heat of my eyes about
your touchy feet? You may tremble
but not shake clear, poor fir,

and if I could be compassionate
as a horse you'd hate my whinny,
try to trap me in blue meadows
like the stallion across the street

who's a sucker for clover. Pearl
of the Indian floor and black H
above my heart, why do you always
whine and drunkenly sob, telephone,

catch me in your cloud as if
we were high on a hill? Over there
the sun is burning up, and you
wonder what land this is, what love.

__________________

This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Friday (6/26), 8 PM: The BlackOut Poetry Series inside the Upper Level VIP Lounge (located inside of Fitness Systems Heathclub, by Cal State Skating Rink, 26 Massie Ct., Sacramento; exit Mack Road East to Stockton Blvd and then make a left on Massie right past Motel 6). Nikki Brock, Bene' Bailey and comedian Corey Crenshaw, plus open mic. Info: Terry Moore, 916-208-POET.

•••Friday (6/26), 7 PM: Spanish Poetry translators John Oliver Simon and William O'Daly read in the Poetry in the Arboretum series, UC Davis Campus, Wyatt Deck.

•••Sat. (6/27), 8-11 PM: The Archives Group & The Sacramento Poetry Center present The Best Minds of My Generation: A Birthday Tribute to Allen Ginsberg hosted by B.L. Kennedy and featuring the reading of Allen Ginsberg's poetry by D.R. Wagner, Will Staple, Patrick Grizzell, Charlene Ungstad, Genelle Chaconas, Robert Grossklaus, Lytton Bell, David Gay. Music by the Downtrodden Saints. California Stage, HQ for the Arts, 2509 R St., Sacramento. Admission: $5.

•••Sat. (6/27), 7-9 PM: The Show Poetry Series, Wo’se Community Center, 2863 35th St. (off 35th & Broadway). $5. Features poets, singers, comedians and open mic. Info: 916-208-POET.

•••Sunday (6/28), 11 AM-12:45 PM: El Camino Poets will be holding its tea and workshop. Please bring 8 copies of your poem for critique. Ethel Hart Sr. Center, 27th and J Sts., Sacramento. Free.

•••Monday (6/29), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Dorine Jennette and Valerie Fioravanti at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento. Dorine Jennette has poems, essays, and reviews that have appeared or are forthcoming in journals such as the Journal, Ninth Letter, Coconut, Court Green, Memorious, Puerto del Sol, and the Georgia Review. She earned her PhD at the University of Georgia, and now earns her keep as a copyeditor for university presses. She live in Davis with her husband, psychologist Dorje Jennette. Her forthcoming poetry collection from National Poetry Review Press, entitled Grace by Degrees, will be available in 2010.

Valerie Fioravanti writes fiction, essays, and prose poems. Her story collection, The Brooklyn Shuffle, was recently a finalist for the Tartt First Book Award. Her stories have appeared in North American Review, Cimarron Review, Hunger Mountain, and Green Mountains Review, among others, and her stories and prose poems have earned four Pushcart Prize nominations, and special mention in Pushcart Prize XXVIII. She received a Fulbright Fellowship (Italy) to research her novel, Bel Casino, which is one of two novels currently in the works. She teaches short story and multi-genre classes online for the UCLA Writers' Extension and private workshops from her home in midtown Sacramento. She has also taught writing for New Mexico State University and National University's MFA Program.


Also this weekend: In The Flow Festival!

•••Fri.-Sun. (6/26-28): The In The Flow Festival is a Sacramento celebration of jazz and creative music, art and local businesses. This will be a 3-day event along Broadway in Sacramento. Participating venues are: Beatnik Studios, Java Lounge, The Comedy Spot and R5 Records. Wristbands are $20 for 3 days of music, although there are some free events (see the schedule at www.myspace.com/intheflowfestival). Wristbands will be available at R5 records and at the required venues the day(s) of the festival. This year, the In the Flow Festival will feature music by Harley White Jr. Orchestra, Tony Passarell's Thin Air Orchestra, RACE!!!, Vinny Golia, Byron Blackburn Trio, Lovely Builders, Darren Johnston and Devin Hoff, Alex Jenkins' Sound Immersion, V Neck, Nagual, and The Alegria Quartet as well as many other groups from the Sacramento and Bay Area.

On Sunday at The Comedy Spot (Jazz and Poetry Series), 1-3 PM, join us for a collaborative experimental session featuring poets Josh Fernandez, Monica Storss, Jackson Griffith, frank andrick, Lob ov Instagon, Jimmy Zealous, Mike Farrell and more.

The 2009 In the Flow Festival is brought to you by SMF Presents and Swell Productions and is happy to receive support from the Sacramento Metro Arts Commission, R5 Records and the Greater Broadway Partnership. Info: www.myspace.com/intheflowfestival. Other sources of info: Sacramento News & Review issue on Thursday, June 25 (www.newsreview.com or your local Sacramento News & Review box locations); also please read the article on In The Flow Festival & Ross Hammond in the June issue of Midtown Monthly, written by Guphy Gustafson and available for free at box locations or at www.midtownmonthly.net/.


__________________

CLOUDS
—Frank O'Hara

How will I be able to keep you
if you don't disgust me a little?
Why do you wear lipstick with trousers
that are stained and stain?

At the end of the raspberry patch
I found my own darling telephone
hiding away like a little reservist.
Why do you disgust me?

I can't see the bridge any more.
"You look like a Dutch interior."
"Then I guess I do know how pretty I am."
But it is not dark, it is very sunny.

I wish that you would await me
without your horse near the windbells
on the path to the left of the jonquils.
If you just jangle your spurs I'll know,

but who else would it be, anyway?
and if something tinkles it'll be
one of your threaded silver bracelets
that you cover with your cuff before cops.

I want you to stop making me sick.
I want you to go away and not stay away.
Could you bring me razor blades when you come back?
and a sandwich of begonias and glass?

__________________

O resplendent green sea! I slowly pierce
you like a minnow, and my strength seems narrow,
like the muscle in the arm of a child that
twitches, then is still. Your smile! so yes
infinitely cold, I am like a wire vibrating,
and like a smile thrashing across the face
of a sufferer, gasping for breath as he
reads. My immense jubilation, divine singularity!
scream thrust earthward on the glacial face
with sandsharks and stingrays in its frozen
glance! And I, my leaf in the century-long breakers,
toss, toss up my little O of foam, and sink.

—Frank O'Hara

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Poetry is the establishment of a metaphorical link between white butterfly-wings and the scraps of torn-up love-letters.

—Carl Sandburg

__________________


—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

NEW FOR JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandorla: A Prelude; a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick; and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento.

COMING FOR SUMMER: There will be no rattle-read in July, while the Snake enjoys a little summer hibernation. (Stay current on Sacramento poetry, though, by way of Medusa's Kitchen.) Then join us Weds., August 12 to celebrate Joyce Odam’s birthday month with two new books from her: a collection of prose poems (illustrated by Charlotte Vincent) and Rattlesnake LittleBook #2 (Noir Love). That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW: Issue #22 is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Or you can order copies of current or past issues through rattlesnakepress.com/. Contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next. Deadline is August 15 for RR23: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine! Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)

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!

WTF!: The second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, is now available at The Book Collector or through rattlesnakepress.com, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline, for Issue #3, is July 15. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)


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.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

What's Left Is What Is Left


Photo by Katy Brown, Davis


CEMETERY ANGELS
—Galway Kinnell


On these cold days

they stand over
our dead, who will

erupt into flower as soon

as memory and human shape

rot out of them, each bent

forward and with wings
partly opened as though

warming itself at a fire.


__________________

THE SHROUD
—Galway Kinnell


Lifted by its tuft

of angel hairs, a milkweed

seed dips-and-soars
across a meadow, chalking

in outline the rhythm
that waits in air all along,
like the bottom hem of nowhere.

Spinus tristis, who spends
his days turning gold

back into sod, rise-and-falls

along the same line the seed

just waved through the sunlight.
What sheet or shroud large enough

to hold the whole earth
are these seamstresses' chalks
and golden needles

stitching at so restlessly?

When will it ever be finished?


___________________

MHSOAC Expressions!

The Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) is pleased to announce our newest publication, MHSOAC Expressions, which will exclusively feature artwork and writing from consumers in recovery, family members, and the mental health stakeholders community.
All submissions are to be submitted electronically in the format of a Word document, PDF or JPEG via email to mhsoac@dmh.ca.gov or via postal mail to the MHSOAC no later than June 30th, 2009. Please be sure to also sign and attach the submission form with your work; this document can be accessed on our website at http://www.dmh.ca.gov/MHSOAC/default.asp/.

MHSOAC

1300 17th St., Suite 1000

Sacramento, CA 95811

Attention: Yee Xiong

Subject: Arts & Writing Submission

Telephone: (916)445-8780

Fax: (916) 445-4927

Email: mhsoac@dmh.ca.gov

Website: http://www.dmh.ca.gov/MHSOAC/default.asp


Chelsea Cecelia Hunt

Arts Education Training and Partnerships Associate

Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission

2030 Del Paso Blvd.

Sacramento, CA 95815-3022

Ph. (916) 566-3979

Fax (916) 566-3996

chunt@cityofsacramento.org
www.sacmetroarts.org


__________________

B.L.'s Drive-Bys: A Micro-Review by B.L. Kennedy:

JOHN STANLEY’S CREATURE FEATURES STRIKES AGAIN MOVIE GUIDE
(Fourth Revised Version, Coded for Videos/Lasers
)
by John Stanley

Creatures At Large Press
454 pp, $60.00
ISBN: 0 940064 10 3


For those of you who grew up in Sacramento before the era of VHS recorders, DVDs, TiVo and a whole shitload of other things, there was Bob Wilkins and his wonderful TV show, “Creature Features”, which ran from 1969 to 1984, give or take a year. Wilkins was replaced by John Stanley, who continued hosting the show that specialized in rare, obscure, really bad, sometimes terrible horror movies. (Attack of the Mushroom People comes to mind.) Now John Stanley is at it again, releasing the fourth revised edition of the Creature Features Movie Guide. Here we have capsulated reviews of 5614 genre movies of science fiction, horror, and fantasy, with vivid descriptions and body counts. Included are 232 photos of popular monsters, actors, and historical scenes; 24 new sketches from various sources; and 1709 cross-references to secondary titles and tricky re-titles by schlock producers trying to con you. We have all seen movie guides before, by critics such as Roger Ebert, but Stanley specializes in strict genre films. So if you’re a fan of schlock and you really need to know what the origin story was for movies such as Black Sunday, or how Mario Bava got his first job, or what inspired Dario Argento, then purchase this fine movie guide. You won’t go wrong.


—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence

__________________

THE SOW PIGLET'S ESCAPES
—Galway Kinnell

When the little sow piglet squirmed free,
Gus and I ran her all the way down to the swamp
and lunged and floundered and fell full-length
on our bellies stretching for her—and got her!—
and lay there, all three shining with swamp slime—
she yelping, I laughing, Gus—it was then I knew
he would die soon—gasping and gasping.
She made her second escape on the one day
when she was just big enough to dig an escape hole
and still small enough to squeeze through it.
Every day for the next week I took a bucket of meal
to her plot of rooted-up ground in the woods,
until one day there she was, waiting for me,
the wild beast evidently all mealed out of her.
She trotted over and let me stroke her back
and, dribbling corn down her chin, put up her little worried face
as if to remind me not to forget to recapture her—
though, really, a pig's special alertness to death
ought to have told her: in Sheffield the dolce vita
leads to the Lyndonville butcher. But when I seized her
she wriggled hard and cried, wee wee wee, all the way home.

__________________

THE OLD LIFE
—Galway Kinnell

The waves collapsed into themselves
with heavy rumbles in the darkness
and the soprano shingle whistled
gravely its way back into the sea.
When the moon came from behind clouds
its white full-moon's light
lightly oiled the little beach stones
back into silence. We stood
among shatterings, glitterings,
the brilliance. For some reason
to love does not seem ever
to hurt any less. Now it happens
another lifetime is up for us,
another life is upon us.
What's left is what is left
of the whole absolutely love-time.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Poetry is the harnessing of the paradox of earth cradling life and then entombing it.

—Carl Sandburg

__________________


—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

NEW FOR JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandorla: A Prelude; a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick; and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento.

COMING FOR SUMMER: There will be no rattle-read in July, while the Snake enjoys a little summer hibernation. (Stay current on Sacramento poetry, though, by way of Medusa's Kitchen.) Then join us Weds., August 12 to celebrate Joyce Odam’s birthday month with two new books from her: a collection of prose poems (illustrated by Charlotte Vincent) and Rattlesnake LittleBook #2 (Noir Love). That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW: Issue #22 is now available (free) at The Book Collector, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Or you can order copies of current or past issues through rattlesnakepress.com/. Contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next. Deadline is August 15 for RR23: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine! Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)

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!

WTF!: The second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, is now available at The Book Collector or through rattlesnakepress.com, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline, for Issue #3, is July 15. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)


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.