Powers Beyond Imagination

Before the Lights Went Out

—Photo by Taylor Graham

SEEING IN THE DARK 

—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Tonight the wind is a runaway train
set to music with kettle drums en masse.
Tonight our bosses are kitchen knife and
can opener, flashlight and water jug;
and the crown-royalty we'd bring back from
exile, snowplow and city power grid.
Tonight we decorate the dark with scraps
scissored from the memories of life before
the lights went out; amazed to find there is
something new, this night of a perfect storm.

______________________

AFTER ALL THAT RAIN
(sonnenizio on a line by Patrick Kavanaugh)

—Taylor Graham

The bright stick trapped, the breeze adding a third
voice to the water-flow that sticks on curves
of bank to make an eddy—sticks a-swirl
with dead leaves sticking to our slicker-legs.
One stick, stuck aslant, can plug a culvert,
with mud, grass, and leaves for sticking-plaster.
One stick can stop the flow; creekwater pools
across the road. And we are stickit, stuck.
We stick and prod with shovel and rake as
if to move water. But we lack stiction.
We might as well be armed with sticks and stones
and swear-words. “Stick that, you storm!” is useless.
But stick-to-itive we are, together—

two stick-figures taking on the weather.

—Photo by Taylor Graham

PEACE-KEEPING
         for Taco
—Taylor Graham

A guest has let her tabby loose in our
house—hissing standoff with our black cat. Dog
nudges himself between, and stares them both
down. He knows what's allowed. Later,
guest-cat gone, he finds his black cat sleeping
on the bed. He stands atop her, mouthing
her, ever-so-gently, on the head. She
purrs, until he presses a bit too hard.
She shrieks. He sighs, takes an old stuffed teddy
by the ear, shakes its life out. That's allowed.

____________________

ALMIGHTY

—Caschwa, Sacramento

The ground trembles
beneath my feet
as I ascend to my
rightful place
among the gods

soon I will be
seated on my throne
scepter in hand
unleashing powers
beyond imagination

hold everything!
I don't see my car,
did I take the
wrong escalator
again?

___________________

Thanks, TG and CS, for today's potpourri! Carl Schwartz (Caschwa) is his usual clever self, and Taylor Graham is tackling our Forms to Fiddle With, "stictly" speaking, and our other various SOWs. (Remember the SOW-Pic with the cats sitting on the dog?)

It's a busy day and night for poetry readings in our area. Be sure to watch the blue board at the right for all the details.

In the good news department, Primal Urge is back in publication; see primalurgemagazine.com/primalurge—and subscribe! Busy Editor Dave Boles is also opening his Tea Room Gallery in Grass Valley; Grand Opening is Saturday, Nov. 10, 2pm. That's 102 S. Church St., Grass Valley. He writes: Come check out the art of BODHI ART and the insane world of Dave and the rest of his inhabitants. It's going to be sweet.

Another local editor, Carol Louise Moon, is pictured (along with Michelle Kunert) down at the bottom of this post. (Well, sort of pictured...) Michelle has sent us photos of Sac. Poetry Center's Halloween Benefit for 916Ink which took place last Monday night, and we've posted them in a new album on Medusa's Facebook page. Check it out! Carol edits DADs DESK, Sacramento's only large-print poetry journal; the latest issue, Vol. 12, is available at The Book Collector or from Carol Louise at 537 41st St. #6, Sac. ($2). 

Speaking of editors, Ekphrasis Co-Editor Laverne Frith has a new website: see lavernefrith.com. His poet wife and co-editor Carol Frith set this up herself, though she claims no website expertise. It's remarkable these days how easy it is to do these sites, and every poet needs one. Get yerself going on yours, and when it's done, be sure to let Medusa know about it so we can post it on our Poet-to-Poet section down there near the bottom of our blue board. (By the way, Happy Birthday today, Carol! Happy Birthday also to Richard Hansen of Poems-for-All, Book Collector and Ophidian fame! And the Fall/Winter issue of Ekphrasis is now available; order it at www.ekphrasisjournal.com)

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

ETTER STEALING

—Caschwa

Did you know there is a
Vexillological Society?

To come up with that name
they had to borrow
parts of other words:

So now one has to
saute the fag
in pubic paces

_________________

—Medusa

Carol Louise Moon and Michelle Kunert

Check out Medusa's newest album on Facebook!