The pomegranate speaks:
My leaves are like your teeth
My fruit like your breasts.
I, the most beautiful of fruits,
Am present in all weathers, all seasons,
As the lover stays forever with the beloved,
Drunk on "shedeh" and wine.
All the trees lose their leaves, all
Trees but the pomegranate
I alone in all the garden lose not my beauty,
I remain straight.
When my leaves fall,
New leaves are budding.
First among fruits
I demand that my position be acknowledged,
I will not take second place.
And if I receive such an insult again
You will never hear the end of it.
. . . .
With lotus in bloom
And lotus in bud,
And oil and sweet myrrh of every kind,
You will be among the contented
For the rose pavilion is highly thought of
And well looked after.
. . . .
There he is!
Let us go up and embrace him
And keep him here all day long.
(Translated from Anonymous Egyptian hieroglyphic texts,
c. 1500 BC, by Ezra Pound and Noel Stock)
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Lots going on this week, most of it courtesy of Sac. Poetry Center. But Thursday night, the long-awaited WTF7 from Rattlesnake Press will make its debut, along with some dandy featured readers, at Poetry Unplugged. Then this weekend, head on up to Placerville to hear the Finklemans at the new ArtSpace series on Friday. Saturday it’s the GATEways Art Fest at UCD Arboretum during the day, then Luna’s Café for the annual Kerouac tribute in the evening. Sunday, drive down to Lodi for the First Annual Teen Poets Showcase—and kudos to A Starry Night Poetry Series for providing a venue for teenaged poets! See b-board for details on all these events.
Redwood Writers Conference in Santa Rosa, 10/30
Here are some highlights of the upcoming Redwood Writers 2010 Conference at the Flamingo Hotel and Resort, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. The theme is “Celebration of the Written Word”. For more info, go to redwoodwriters.org/redwood-conference
•••Pre-conference Poetry Evening (Fri., 10/29): EMCEE is Penelope La Montagne, Poet Laureate Emerita of Healdsburg (2004-2006); Special Guest is Gwynne O’Gara, Sonoma County 2010 – 2011 Poet Laureate; Evening Keynote by Cheryl Dumesnil: “I Triple-Dog Dare You: a Celebration of High-Risk Poetry”
•••Saturday Conference: Morning Keynote: Author and motivational speaker Elisa Southard delivers her presentation, "Your Writer's Secret to Achieve and Succeed". The Technology and Business Track builds sessions on name recognition, working with agents, online networking and new ways to publish featuring Teresa LeYung Ryan: the "Building Your Name" Craft of Writing Track takes writers from beginning the research stage through finding the proper voice, developing character and descriptive writing that bring scenes alive. The Genre Track offers tips for screenwriting, memorable writing, mystery how-to and enthusiastic writing for children and young adults.
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"FRIENDENEMIES"
—Michelle Kunert, Sacramento
On an NPR show discussing "friendenemies"
they said "friends" that make you feel ambivalent
can significantly raise your blood pressure
even though they aren't the
"with friends like this who needs enemies"
kind of people
but perhaps the "enemy of my enemy"
because one can both love and hate them
and maybe one might love to hate them too
Your relationship is like Abbott and Costello
such as their arguing "whose on first"
just disagreeing is something to do
even though you can't prove who's right
At least it’s not having fist fights
or like Ralph with Alice in "Honeymooners"
who wish they could send the other "to the moon"
then sometimes say "Baby you're the greatest..."
Okay maybe you wouldn't want to "marry" them
but what are you going to do without them
and would we have real friends otherwise?
Because at times we need them for a reference
just because we didn't shoot them
or just because we tolerated their attitude
they may at times appreciate you for that
_______________________
I find my love fishing
His feet in the shallows.
We have breakfast together
And drink beer.
I offer him the magic of my thighs
He is caught in the spell.
(Translated from Anonymous Egyptian hieroglyphic texts,
c. 1500 BC, by Ezra Pound and Noel Stock)
_______________________
I wish to paint my eyes,
so if I see you, my eyes will glisten.
When I approach you and see your love,
you are richest in my heart.
How pleasant this hour is!
May it extend for me to eternity.
Since I have lain with you
you have lifted my heart high.
(Translated from Anonymous Egyptian hieroglyphic texts,
c. 1500 BC, by Willis Barnstone)
_______________________
Today's LittleNip:
We shall not cease from exploration.
And at the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time
—T.S. Eliot
_______________________
—Medusa
Photo by Carl Bernard Schwartz, Sacramento
