Monday, November 30, 2009

Why Is All Energy Harnessed?


Photo by Katy Brown


THE EXHIBITIONIST
—Katy Brown, Davis

Even
the
tiny
maple turns
exhibitionist —
she layers-on rouge and rubies
and hangs out by the street light looking for a good time.

__________________

Thanks, Katy Brown, for the photo and fib (a recent Seed of the Week), and to Jesse Collins for the rest of today's poems. Both Katy and Jesse will have more work in Rattlesnake Review #24, due out next week—and be sure to pick up one or six copies of Katy's 2010 calendar, Wind in the Yarrow, either at The Book Collector or ordered from rattlesnakepress.com/.


This week in NorCal poetry:

•••Mon. (11/30), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Lucy Lang Day, Tom Miner and Diana Henning at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento. Lucy Lang Day’s poetry collections are The Curvature of Blue (Cervena Barva Press, 2009), God of the Jellyfish (Cervena Barva Press, 2007), The Book of Answers (Finishing Line Press, 2006), Infinities (Cedar Hill Publications, 2002), Greatest Hits, 1975-2000 (Pudding House Publications, 2001), Wild One (Scarlet Tanager Books, 2000), Fire in the Garden (Mother's Hen, 1997) and Self-Portrait with Hand Microscope (Berkeley Poets' Workshop and Press, 1982), which was selected by Robert Pinsky, David Littlejohn, and Michael Rubin for the Joseph Henry Jackson Award in Literature. She is a co-author of How to Encourage Girls in Math and Science: Strategies for Parents and Educators (Dale Seymour), and the author of the libretto for Eighteen Months to Earth, a science fiction opera with music by John Niec. Her first children's book, Chain Letter, was published by Heyday Books in 2005. She received her M.A. in English and M.F.A. in creative writing from San Francisco State University, and her M.A. in zoology and Ph.D. in science and mathematics education from the University of California at Berkeley. The founder and director of Scarlet Tanager Books, she is also director of the Hall of Health, a museum in Berkeley.

Tom Miner has two daughters, Sara and Mieke. He and his wife, Elisabeth, are avid hikers and travelers. Each summer he climbs a 14,000-foot peak and adds to the 70 countries he’s visited. In the 1980’s he published the poetry quarterly, Pinchpenny, and now teaches writing at Sacramento City College. In 2007, his chapbook, North of Everything, was published by Rattlesnake Press.

Dianna Henning’s poetry books include The Tenderness House, published by Poets Corner Press in Stockton, and a book from Black Buzzard Press entitled The Broken Bone Tongue. She shared a chapbook with poet Ioanna Veronika Warwick entitled Settling Accounts, published by the Contemporary Review. Her work has appeared in Crazyhorse, The Lullwater Review, Poetry International, Fugue, The Asheville Poetry Review, South Dakota Review, Hawai’i Pacific Review and the Seattle Review. She taught for California Poets in the Schools, through the William James Association’s Prison Arts Program and through several California Arts Council grants, as well as through a recent California Humanities grant.

Next Monday (12/7), SPC will present Zoe Keithley.

•••Tuesdays, 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center Workshop at the Hart Center, 27th & J Sts., Sacramento. Free; bring 13 copies of your one-page poem to be read/critiqued. Info: Danyen Powell at 530-756-6228.

•••Wednesdays, 9 PM: Mahogany Urban Poetry Series at Queen Sheba's Restaurant, 1704 Broadway (17th and Broadway), Sacramento. $5 cover, all ages.

•••Wednesdays, 5 PM: Dr. Andy’s Technology and Poetry Hour, KDVS radio station (90.3 FM) or http://www/kdvs.org/.

•••Weds. (12/2), 6-8 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center annual fundraiser at the home of Mimi & Burnett Miller, 1224 40th St., Sacramento. Poetry by Theresa Vinciguerra and Danyen Powell, music by the American River College Vocal Jazz Quartet. Hors d’oeuvres and libations. Your $30 donation benefits SPC. RSVP 916-979-9706 or bobstanley@sbcglobal.net, or just pay at the door.

•••Wed. (12/2 and every 1st and 3rd Weds.), 9 PM: Featured reader plus open mic at 10 PM at Bistro 33, 3rd and F Sts. in Davis. Free. Hosted by Andy Jones and Brad Henderson. Info: http://poetryindavis.blogspot.com/ or 530-756-4556 or aojones@ucdavis.edu/; schedule at http://www.bistro33.com/bistro33/.

•••Thursdays, 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Featured readers, with open mic before and after.

•••Thursdays, 7 PM: “Life Sentence” reading at The Coffee Garden, 2904 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento. Open mic.

•••Thursdays, 10-11 AM (replayed Sundays 10-11 AM): Mountain Mama’s Earth Music with Nancy Bodily on 95.7 FM. Music/poetry woven around a central theme deeply tied to mountains/earth.


•••Thurs. & Fri. (12/3-4): Matrix Arts bookmaking workshops (and all this month), plus gift of art and $1 art supplies and kits at R25, the arts and cultural center in Midtown Sacramento at 1719 25th St. Workshops cost $15/session, $10 for MatrixArts and SPC members and students. To assure a spot, email matrixarts@comcast.net or call 916-454-4988. Drop-ins are welcome. [See last Friday’s post for class schedules.] Info: matrixarts.blogspot.com or hourstoriesr25@blogspot.com or thursdaynextr25.blogspot.com/.


•••Sat. (12/5 and every 1st Sat.): Rhythm and Rhyme readings at Butch N’ Nellie's near 19th & I Sts., Sacramento. Televised music, open mic. Info: myspace.com/RNRshow/.

__________________

AT TIMES
—Jesse Collins, Pleasant Hill

On the drive,

I think machinery
takes care of anything,
including bodies.
Bodies are nothing.

As I turn,

turning windows
to cross-stitch traffic,
so, in the intersection,
I look fine,

I flinch,

for a black spot,
the sky seems thrown.
I throw up my hands,
and shrink.

As it falls,

the sky, it is
only a backlit butterfly,
and, after the flap,
it ascends.

_________________

ON THE DOG
—Jesse Collins

This dog of allergies
needs a special diet,
needs his food without grain,
needs expensive meat,

but prices are high,
and corn
taken from farms
for uses other than
for others to eat,

and that means less
corn, less feed
for the animals, less
animals to eat,

there will be shortages,
there will be riots, yet,
there is my dog,
and he is hungry.

__________________

A FAIR WARNING
—Jesse Collins

The lights went out so I eased away
from under the glow of the exit sign,
each step from the light more congested
than the last, through the crowd,
toward the darkest corner of the room.

Said, a silhouette, in a hush, stand still,
while yet another man even pulled his gun,
the red laser sight hopping on my left arm,
then to the left arm of the man beside me,
then beside him. Then back to me.

The gunman then ran out the exit doors,
and no one seemed to mind the disorder,
just that the exit sign continued to glow.
In time, the doors swung inward,
and a group of men entered cleanly.

In front was a man we all knew as Hemric:
“Hello fellas, this is my colleague, and this
is half the staff of the Library of Congress.
Don’t worry, it’s okay, my wife works there,
and she’s a damn good philosopher at that.”

Hemric and his colleague then walked ahead
to the one desk in the room, then grabbed
the remaining stack of business cards.
As they headed back, a voice declared:
"Hey Hemric, you’re the best damn…um—

…statistician on campus? I know.
And I’ll tell you all, we’ll know decades
in advance, the very day civilization will end,
and chance is, almost all will die, the rest,
theoretically, turn to something like birds.
Meanwhile, Barton’s stats are improving.”

___________________

FITNESS AND POVERTY
—Jesse Collins

Wherever he needed to be in the world
was less than the world away by car;
he had no income slot to fill,
there was no hurry, besides

he had failed to leave the engine running,
the engine in that car with parts that
tended to swell in heat.
He jiggled his keys,

he gave to himself a quiet remark
of ridicule, got inside the door
at roadside, turned the key,
and nothing.

The problem was fitness, not fortitude;
a seething stew of metal and rubber
gasping for a drink please!
He waited.

He walked around. He thought
the potential of every thing was
thwarted by confinement;
thought,

why is all energy harnessed?

And he may have slept, he may have
ruled back in a walk on the sun,
just for a place to burn, but
unable to breathe

in his dreams, sleep was a burden.
He pushed at the key, again,
heard the tick, tick, tick, then
metal on metal.

The car roared to a start and he gunned it.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:


Times are hard for dreamers...

—from the movie "Amelie" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Guillaume Laurent

__________________


—Medusa




SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:

Deadline was November 15 for RR24; join us
for its unveiling and get your free copy at
The Book Collector on
Wednesday, December 9.
After this issue, Rattlesnake Review will be taking
a few months off for remodeling—
watch this spot for further developments!

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 (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!



NEW FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS:

A new chapbook from Dawn DiBartolo
(Secrets of a Violet Sky)
;
Rattlesnake Reprint #2 from frank andrick
(PariScope: A Triptyche)
;
plus our 2010 calendar from Katy Brown
(Wind in the Yarrow)!

Now available from SPC, rattlesnakepress.com
or at The Book Collector:
Our newest anthology,
Keepers of the Flame:
The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.

Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's 30-year history.

WTF!!: The fourth 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 send me two bux and I'll mail you one.

Next deadline (for Issue #5) is Jan. 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/.)


COMING IN DECEMBER:

The Thread of Dreams,
a new chapbook from
Carol Frith,
will be premiered at
The Book Collector on
December 9, 7:30 PM,
along with the new issue of
Rattlesnake Review.
Be there!

_________________

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, November 29, 2009

You, Too


Christopher Smart


NOTICE
—Steve Kowit

This evening, the sturdy Levis
I wore every day for over a year
& which seemed to end in perfect condition,
suddenly tore.
How or why I don't know,
but there it was—a big rip at the crotch.
A month ago my friend Nick
walked off a racquetball court,
showered,
got into his street clothes,
& halfway home collapsed & died.
Take heed you who read this
& drop to your knees now & again
like the poet Christopher Smart
& kiss the earth & be joyful
& make much of your time
& be kindly to everyone,
even to those who do not deserve it.
For although you may not believe it will happen,
you too will one day be gone.
I, whose Levis ripped at the crotch
for no reason,
assure you that such is the case.
Pass it on.

___________________

—Medusa

Saturday, November 28, 2009

We Dance And Sail On


Book Page in Fall
Photo by D.R. Wagner



FALLING INTO THE FIELD OF TIME
—D.R. Wagner, Elk Grove

From the edge of the boat
We could see the stars
Reflected in the water. We knew the
Many names of the moon and sang
To the fishes there below, the ones
Who swallowed stars and dreamed
The night sky beneath the sea.
The fish beieve we are their rapture
As we sing. We believe the fish
To be gems of priceless value,
Wandering through the mind,
Bearing the names of the seas.
That night we slept on deck
Listening to the wind and waves
Tell stories of fire on
Islands so far away that one
Can but learn their names;
To visit these places is simply
Not possible in a single lifetime.

When dawn came we could no longer
Tell if we were male or female.
Deer gather at our feet. We
Feed them from bowls. We see
Death with its flocks of birds
Wheel and circle overhead.
We decide to make music forever.
We dance and sail on.

__________________

Two book-making classes in our area—no, not making bets, making books! Great for holiday gifting, yes?


Matrix Book-Making Workshops:

Thursdays and Fridays, starting next week through December 18th: Take the mystery out of writing, editing, illustrating, designing, producing, publishing, marketing, distributing and promoting your books and other creative work, Thursdays and Fridays at R25, the arts and cultural center in Midtown Sacramento at 1719 25th St. Workshops cost $15/session, $10 for MatrixArts and SPC members and students. To assure a spot, email matrixarts@comcast.net or call 916-454-4988. Drop-ins are welcome.

Class schedules:

Dec. 3-4: Improvisation: Books can be made from almost any materials: index cards, handmade papers, papyrus, paper bags, fabric, and even Popsicle sticks. Learn a little about the history of books and create your own using a grab bag of materials and a little imagination.

Dec. 10-11: One-Page Wonders: Create a one-of-a-kind book, using only one piece of paper, then making a special illustrated cover for it.

Dec. 17-18: Hallmark Moment: Celebrate the life of someone you love. Begin with a greeting card size sentiment and collage with images, words, envelopes, stamps, and copies of photos, symbols, and paint.

For more information go to our blogs:
matrixarts.blogspot.com
hourstoriesr25@blogspot.com
thursdaynextr25.blogspot.com

___________________

Book-Making in Grass Valley:

Stephanie Sauer will be conducting book-making workshops in the Grass Valley area during December. She writes: With the holiday season quickly approaching, and spending a concern, now is a great time to learn to make unique (and affordable!) books using a variety of hand-rendered binding techniques.

Ideal for gifts and independent publishing.
All classes are $20 (+$5 for materials).
RSVP required: 916.580.4227 or via Stephanie’s email (artlyrics@gmail.com).

Workshop Schedule:

Saturday, Dec. 5th / 10am-12pm
This Stitch: This one simple stitch can turn any project into a unique—even elegant—piece of work. Learn to create pamphlets, chapbooks, journals and more in a variety of forms all based on this one simple stitch. Perfect for creating affordable multiples or one-of-a-kind books.

Saturday, Dec. 12th / 10am-12:30pm
Reclaimed. Recycled. Remade.
Part 1: The Travel Journal
Bring old or unwanted books, travel guides, maps, magazines or other materials to rework into innovative and sturdy travel companions. And learn two easy binding techniques to boot!

Saturday, Dec. 12th / 1-3pm
Reclaimed. Recycled. Remade.
Part 2: The Box Book: Search the cupboards, scan store isles and grab any small printed box you want to turn into a book. Anything goes (pretty much). Just don't forget to empty contents beforehand.

Saturday, Dec. 19th / 10am-12pm
Long and Lanky: Let me introduce you to The Long Stitch, an often overlooked technique with endless possibilities. This book will showcase your talents even when closed, making it a great gift idea. Hint hint.

HOLIDAY SPECIALS:
Receive a $5 discount when you bring a friend.
Receive a $10 discount when you sign up for two or more workshops.

Directions from downtown Grass Valley:
Take Colfax HWY 174 toward Colfax
Turn Left on Gold Hill Drive (just past Memorial Park & Summer Thyme’s Bakery)
Turn Left down the hill on Footwall Drive
Workshop is on the right at 10815 Footwall Drive (lower level)

Workshop leader Stephanie Sauer is a freelance book artist and the owner of Copilot Press:
Publishing books in forms organic to their content (www.copilotpress.com). She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago. Private tutorials also available upon request.

Upcoming classes include:
Indie Publishing 101
Something Borrowed. Something New.
Y = Form + Content
The Found Codex
Four Holes and a Pouch

___________________

FOLK TALE

—D.R. Wagner

When we lived along the edge
Of the sea we used to heat our homes
With a certain oil that burned
With a particular clear green flame.

As children we thought this oil
Came from the fish that were
Our livelihood. Allejandro said
That the green was caused by the
Fact that a type of fish caught here
Shared a common dreaming.

They dreamed they did not live in the seas but
Instead swam through the oaks and
Firs that surrounded our village and
Because the entire fish was pressed
For this oil, their brains gave
Up the green that was the color
Of the dremt leaves. Maria Xavier said, no,
It was only the food they fed upon
That graced the oil this way.

As we grew we found out that
The oil did not come from fish
At all, but rather from a sacred
Well on the cliffs above the sea.

This well had a peculiar
Property to it. It was impossible
To pump the oil out. It had
To be withdrawn by placing one’s
Mouth to the ground of the well and sucking
The fluid from the
Earth. We were the fish,
Our mouths pressed to the breast
Of the earth, our life breath
Drawing up this oil with fish
Mouth and exhaling emerald
Flames that warmed all the
Winters of our youth.

___________________

IF THERE IS NOWHERE
—D.R. Wagner

If there is nowhere for the spirit
To move, it builds its house in that
Place. We find wonder in the way
Distance reveals objects on the edge
Of disappearing. We find names for the way
A hand opens.
We give special attention
To the gestures trees make. “They are
Caressing the air,” we say.
There is a story, seldom told, of seeing
And not seeing, more than opening and
Closing the eyes.
We say dreaming is a way
Of seeing. We call from our sleep to
The waking world. It is a place
Where sound neglects language and
Spills from the lips, unhinged. It
Is unseen, a particle of the night.
What is seen: a body writhing beneath
Sheets—an avalanche of form.

__________________

HISTORY
—D.R. Wagner

We thought then, when we were traveling,
The children knew something
Special, the way the light moved in their eyes,
The kinds of sounds they chose to become
Words. We would watch the owls
Bearing gifts of curious silver on silent
Wings. Not one of us said a thing.

I supposed that all things were
Like this. The rising of the moon
Was on everyone's lips. How wonderful.
How pale. We had never seen a moon
Such as this one. Each time it was new.

Now, standing on the high places near
The edge of the water, we think the wind
Has something important to say. It does
Not. It speaks but it has no words. It is
Tongue for the trees who tell us of
Bees, the names of the seasons,
The kind and number of the breezes,
How light makes sound through the cambium.

We have been so often wrong that for a
Moment we doubt the children.

We discover a red color we have
Never seen before. Language
Abandons us just before dusk.
We question each other with gestures,
Frantic to recall how it was
We made fire, how we knew to use
These roads, where we had been.



Star Jasmine in Fall
Photo by D.R. Wagner


__________________

Today's LittleNip:


DELTA MOON
—D.R. Wagner

The moon rose, thick,
Orange and damaged.
It was the horizon for a few
Moments, then, bleeding its
Refection into the river,
Lifted itself into the delta
And became the Autumn night.

__________________


—Medusa
(Thanks, D.R., for today's photos and poetry!)



SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:

Deadline was November 15 for RR24; join us
for its unveiling and get your free copy at
The Book Collector on
Wednesday, December 9.
After this issue, Rattlesnake Review will be taking
a few months off for remodeling—
watch this spot for further developments!

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 (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!



NEW FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS:

A new chapbook from Dawn DiBartolo
(Secrets of a Violet Sky)
;
Rattlesnake Reprint #2 from frank andrick
(PariScope: A Triptyche)
;
plus our 2010 calendar from Katy Brown
(Wind in the Yarrow)!

Now available from SPC, rattlesnakepress.com
or at The Book Collector:
Our newest anthology,
Keepers of the Flame:
The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.

Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's 30-year history.

WTF!!: The fourth 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 send me two bux and I'll mail you one.

Next deadline (for Issue #5) is Jan. 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/.)


COMING IN DECEMBER:

The Thread of Dreams,
a new chapbook from
Carol Frith,
will be premiered at
The Book Collector on
December 9, 7:30 PM,
along with the new issue of
Rattlesnake Review.
Be there!

_________________

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, November 27, 2009

Still Grateful


Train Station Kitty
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis


WAY STATION
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama

My son comes for his annual visit,
my home the way station
between here and there.

He likes an early start
so at 4:22 I leap out of bed,
turn up the heat, plug in the coffee pot.

By 5AM we’re cradling mugs
of hot caffeine at the kitchen table,
enjoying the last chat of this trip.

He marvels at how fast
this old Shanty on the Creek
heats up.

The warmth that washes me
has nothing to do
with the furnace.

__________________

This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Fri. (11/27), 8-10:30 PM: TheBlackOutPoetrySeries inside The Upper Level VIP Lounge, 26 Massic Ct., Sacramento (located inside of Fitness Systems Healthclub by Cal State Skating Rink; exit Mack Road East to Stockton Blvd and then make a left on Massie, right past Motel 6 plus open mic. $5.00. Features Singers Willie Whitlock, Ghetto Romeo, Kendra and Mouthpeace, dancer Brandon Jackson and poets He Spit Fire plus Anna Sprowl. Info: 916-208-POET or fromtheheart1@hotmail.com/. Take advantage of 2-people-for-the-price-of-one this month; to get your 2-for-1 passes just call (916) 208-POET.

•••Sat. (11/28 and every 2nd and 4th Sat.), 10-11:30 AM: Sacramento Poetry Center 2nd and 4th Sat. Workshop hosted by Emmanuel Sigauke and Frank Dixon Graham. South Natomas Community Center (next door to S. Natomas Library), 2921 Truxel Rd., Sacramento. Bring ten copies of your one-page poem to read/critique. Info: grahampoet@aol.com/.


Coming Up NEXT week at SPC:

•••Mon. (11/30), 7:30 PM: Lucy Lang Day, Tom Miner and Dianna Henning

•••Weds. (12/2), 6-8 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center Annual Fundraiser at the home of Mimi & Burnett Miller, 1224 40th St., Sacramento. Poetry by Theresa Vinciguerra and Danyen Powell, music by the American River College Vocal Jazz Quartet. Hors d’oeuvres and libations. Your $30 donation benefits SPC. RSVP 916-979-9706 or bobstanley@sbcglobal.net, or just pay at the door.

__________________

THANKS GIVING
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys

I
Am blessed
With love, joy
Sweetness in life
I remain thankful
Blessed with food, shelter, family
I celebrate gratitude
Blessed with friends, husband, my children
I am thankful for so much today
I give thanks for my fortunate life now

__________________

THE 10K ON THANKSGIVING DAY
Or
Let Someone Else Stay at Home and Cook
—Patricia Pashby, Sacramento

Thousands push toward the starting line, a sea of tee shirts
that shout Run to Feed the Hungry. We leave the Sac State
campus at a crawl at first, baby carriages nudging dogs on leash.
Fast walkers move ahead as we crowd the blocked-off streets.

At a fork in the road most walkers turn right under the 5K
banner and head back to the finish line. We hesitate a moment—
choose the road less trampled, pass under the 10K banner
and head downtown, leaving the mob behind. Only a handful
of walkers and joggers are with us on this route.

At every intersection, clapping and encouragement from
policemen and volunteers turning back traffic, a woman on her lawn
in a wheelchair waving her hands, ringing bells to cheer us on,
children offering tiny paper cups of water, a lady in an apron
on her front porch slicing oranges for us and a group of early
holiday revelers giggling as they toast us with glasses of champagne.

As we crossed the finish line someone said You were gone two hours—
what took you so long?

Never walked 10K before—
so what if my hips are sore!

__________________

Today's LittleNip(s):


Settled behind
tall banana trees
the little hut
is overcovered by
their leaves
patiently it waits
for autumn
which never comes...

***

In my journal
I thought I could
capture
everything....
Listen!
the soft wings of cranes
sifting the salt sea
air.

—Alice Walker

__________________


—Medusa




SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:

Deadline was November 15 for RR24; join us
for its unveiling and get your free copy at
The Book Collector on
Wednesday, December 9.
After this issue, Rattlesnake Review will be taking
a few months off for remodeling—
watch this spot for further developments!

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 (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!



NEW FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS:

A new chapbook from Dawn DiBartolo
(Secrets of a Violet Sky)
;
Rattlesnake Reprint #2 from frank andrick
(PariScope: A Triptyche)
;
plus our 2010 calendar from Katy Brown
(Wind in the Yarrow)!

Now available from SPC, rattlesnakepress.com
or at The Book Collector:
Our newest anthology,
Keepers of the Flame:
The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.

Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's 30-year history.

WTF!!: The fourth 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 send me two bux and I'll mail you one.

Next deadline (for Issue #5) is Jan. 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/.)


COMING IN DECEMBER:

The Thread of Dreams,
a new chapbook from
Carol Frith,
will be premiered at
The Book Collector on
December 9, 7:30 PM,
along with the new issue of
Rattlesnake Review.
Be there!

_________________

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, November 26, 2009

Like The Wild Geese



WILD GEESE
—Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

____________________

Happy Thanksgiving from all the hundreds of poets at Rattlesnake Press!

—Medusa



Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Busily Shuffling Mysteries


String Beans
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis


CHINESE POEM
—Adam Zagajewski


I read a Chinese poem

written a thousand years ago.

The author talks about the rain

that fell all night

on the bamboo roof of his boat

and the peace that finally

settled in his heart.

Is it just coincidence

that it's November again, with fog

and a leaden twilight?

Is it just chance

that someone else is living?

Poets attach great importance
to prizes and success

but autumn after autumn

tears leaves from the proud trees
and if anything remains

it's only the soft murmur of the rain

in poems

neither happy nor sad.

Only purity can't be seen,

and evening, when both light and shadow

forget us for a moment,

busily shuffling mysteries.

___________________

HARVEST HOME
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Any custom, new or old, that can be adopted
to bring back
this old social feeling and companionship
is a boon
and a blessing to the country.
—Elihu Burritt, “A Model Farmer’s Harvest Home”


A kitchen hearth-stone wide and deep enough,
and the long, broad table—at its head, the farmer;
foreman at the foot. Along the sides, men and boys
of plough and sickle, mattock, flail, and scythe.

Farmer-boss and workers of the field—one
harvest family. Already in your day, Elihu,
such camaraderie was going out of style.

But here you find it. Glint of fire off polished
tin and copper, bowls and trenchers, home-
baked bread and home-brewed ale. Sides of bacon
hung among massive hams, festoons of wheat
and barley, garden fruits and flowers.

Then such a clatter and ringing of spoons
against mugs for the toast. Up and down the table,
every farm-hand becomes “a jolly good
fellow!” Farmer-boss and workers of the field—
a reason for thanksgiving.

___________________

What do vegans eat for Thanksgiving?
Lots, except for cruelty and suffering on a plate
Yes some eat "Tofurkey"
but that is rather bland and processed
The wheat gluten, too, is not for everyone
Vegans can eat plenty of the Indians' "Three Sisters":
there are many varieties of squash, corn, and beans
all of which are best eaten in their raw state
hopefully grown organic and genetically unaltered
There are also plenty of "sweets"
including fruits as dates and cranberries
eaten as God intended in the beginning in Eden
And to thankfully brag "to eat like a Prince"
just like the vegan rock star


—Michelle Kunert, Sacramento

____________________

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The man who ate too much.

He saw the turkey...said, Okay!
Began putting the food away.
Stuffed in the stuffing
and cranberry sauce...said,
Pass the gravy across!

Mashed potatoes were going fast.
He ate like this dinner was his last.
All of a sudden he began to swell.
His friends and family asked
...Are you feeling well?

He grew bigger and bigger,
rose right off of his chair...
began free-floating into the air...
flew out the window, got stuck in a tree.
How all of this happened...a mystery.

The food was great...
he loaded his plate,
then sadly, did over-inflate.

—Poem and sketch by
Richard Zimmer, Sacramento


__________________

Today's LittleNip:


Look! The silk in the milkweed pods is what the fairies use to stuff their mattresses. Blow on the dandelion down to make a wish...Pause in the middle of fantasy to see the natural world as fragile and precious, threatened as well as caressed by human dreaming.

—Mary Catherine Bateson

__________________


—Medusa




SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:

Deadline was November 15 for RR24; join us
for its unveiling and get your free copy at
The Book Collector on
Wednesday, December 9.
After this issue, Rattlesnake Review will be taking
a few months off for remodeling—
watch this spot for further developments!

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 likelihoodof getting your poetry published.
Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or
write to me (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!



NEW FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS:

A new chapbook from Dawn DiBartolo
(Secrets of a Violet Sky)
;
Rattlesnake Reprint #2 from frank andrick
(PariScope: A Triptyche)
;
plus our 2010 calendar from Katy Brown
(Wind in the Yarrow)!

Now available from SPC or at The Book Collector:
Our new anthology,
Keepers of the Flame:
The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.

Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's 30-year history.

WTF!!: The fourth 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 send me two bux and I'll mail you one.

Next deadline (for Issue #5) is Jan. 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/.)


COMING IN DECEMBER:

The Thread of Dreams,
a new chapbook from
Carol Frith,
will be premiered at
The Book Collector on
December 9, 7:30 PM,
along with the new issue of
Rattlesnake Review.
Be there!

_________________

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.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Gratitude Or Dyspepsia?


Juan Pistola
(Charles Mariano)


BIRTHDAY
—Charles Mariano, Sacramento

the day of
birth
like any other

fifty-seven years
back
before me

a man
don’t know
never met him
had sex with mama

a drunken one-nighter
back of the car
on the floor,
whatever

that swimming
pollywog-looking seed
squiggled
up her pipes

then that man
did his
“slip away”
vanished,
probably back
to mexico

wonder
if he stuck around
to at least
hold me

what did he care
few beers, couple shots,
then me

stupid little
pollywog

__________________

Thanks, Charles, for today's feature. Charles Mariano says he was born in Merced and lives a cavelike existence in Sacramento, a writer on the side.

Taylor Graham writes that The unexpected has struck. With regret, we've had to cancel this month's Upstairs Poetry Reading in Placerville Weds. night. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and we hope to see you next time. [No, it's not a tragedy, just a logistics problem. They'll be back next month.]

Tuesday is Seed of the Week Day. Let's go for the obvious: Thanksgiving. What does T-Giving mean to you? Long drives in traffic and family squabbles? Eating yourself into a tryptophan coma? Just getting through the day until you can shop 'til you drop on Friday? Or have you made it your own, meditating on gratitude? Tell us about it, and send your poetic tellings to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline on SOWs—or giving thanks...

And thanks for today's fibs, too—our SOW from last week. Chrys Mollett even has a Thanksgiving fib for us!

__________________

BRUSH STROKES
—Charles Mariano

for the first hour
the door
wide open

before the intrusion
of light
and noise

i look over my shoulder
where the sun
usually comes,

and it’s still dark

i stand
stretch my tired bones
gaze outside

dark clouds
a sprinkling of rain
when i wasn’t looking

september 12th
the end
of my latest summer

first rain
after months
of baking heat

imagine winter

the smell of wet dust
then torrential pours,
bone-chilling freeze,
drizzled fog,
undressed trees

unskilled, unseasoned,
fresh paint

__________________

SUNRISE
—Charles Mariano

finally
a chance to sit down
breathe
unscramble

difficult days
and weeks

no time
to write it out

piles of notes
words, sentences
racing
on the run

can’t remember
can’t even read

“was this important?”
“is that word death,
or dear?”

too many lows
can’t identify
faces, victims

notes
scribbled dangerously
while driving
blinded,
by shock
and tears

this one
about cancer
no, not my sister
this time
my mother…

and this one,
about suicide
a young cousin,
then a friend
[break]
take a number

in the early morning hour
before the cars start
before the dew
dries,

unfolding, unraveling
despair
heartache
rage

“who are you,
and why are you dying today?”

__________________

FARMING
—Charles Mariano

was told recently,
“you have an amazingly
fertile mind”

“really,” i said,
“you mean like
growing squash
or corn?”

a farmer
prepares the ground
cultivating
long, even
furrows
nurturing seeds
to sprouts

then
at sunrise
long under
a blazing, blistering sun
inserts small plants
six inches apart
into the moist soil

“yes, my mind seems fertile,
bursting
through the dirt
sweat and sun,
spread over
a vast, rich earth,

but in reality
it’s the fertilizer
bountiful and plenty,

that i’m full of”

__________________

A FIB ABOUT MEETINGS
—Katy Brown, Davis

Time
creeps
when we
have to sit
through meetings that drone
endlessly on about things we
have less than no interest in and need to be elsewhere.

Work
waits
for us
patient as
a spaniel waiting
for a walk in the autumn park.
Too bad we can't take our work outside to exercise.

__________________

THANKSGIVING
—Chrys Mollett, Angels Camp

Peas
Rolls
Gravy
And the Bird
Dad does the carving.
The table's bright with our faces.
We'll have sandwiches all week, then soup from the carcass,

__________________

SLEEPTIME
—Chrys Mollett

Fresh
Dreams
Alive.
Entering,
I live in two worlds.
Wakening, I can still taste them.
Over and over, I sip from these deep wells of sleep.

__________________

PATHLINE
—Chrys Mollett

Think.
Hard.
Harder.
Feel the dreams.
Time to follow them.
For deepest desire is a gift.
True joy is a ladder—and each ladder step's a joy.


__________________

Today's LittleNip:


If a man were deprived of sexual fulfillment and the nobler enjoyments arising therefrom, all poetry, and probably all moral tendency, would be eliminated from his life.

—Baron Richard Von Krafft-Ebing

__________________


—Medusa




SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:

RR23 is now available free at The Book Collector,
and contributor and subscription copies
have gone into the mail—you should've received yours;
let me know if you haven't.
You may also order a copy through rattlesnakepress.com/.

Deadline is November 15 for RR24: 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 likelihoodof getting your poetry published.
Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or
write to me (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!



NEW FROM RATTLESNAKE PRESS:

A new chapbook from Dawn DiBartolo
(Secrets of a Violet Sky)
;
Rattlesnake Reprint #2 from frank andrick
(PariScope: A Triptyche)
;
plus our 2010 calendar from Katy Brown
(Wind in the Yarrow)!

Now available from SPC or at The Book Collector:
Our new anthology,
Keepers of the Flame:
The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.

Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's 30-year history.

WTF!!: The third 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 send me two bux and I'll mail you one.

Deadline for Issue #4 was Oct. 15;
it'll be released at Luna's on Thursday, Nov. 19.
Next deadline (for Issue #5) is Jan. 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/.)


COMING IN DECEMBER:

The Thread of Dreams,
a new chapbook from
Carol Frith,
will be premiered at
The Book Collector on
December 9, 7:30 PM,
along with the new issue of
Rattlesnake Review.
Be there!

_________________

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.