—Jennifer O’Neill Pickering, Sacramento
It might be you forget where you are. It might be you enter
_______________________
TWENTY SIGNS OF A COLD WINTER
—Jennifer O’Neill Pickering
sparrows chirp under full moons
roses drop false blooms
spiders nest in corners of the house
there is an abundance of acorns
raccoons sport bright bands
NIGHT AT A FOUR-WAY STOP
—Celeste Hackenberg, Davis
Yarn bombs are hand-knit jackets of excess yarn—
loose ends bunny-looped like laces dangling
old, empty shoes over power lines.
Graffiti is a lower case g stenciled and sprayed—
between the Han and over Dr.
decreasing property value,
& substituting plain with urban.
Graffiti is not a message written on a leaf,
or paper littered in a floating bottle.
Words carved in a tree could be controversial,
depending on how many, what kind, and how deep.
Mechanical lights hang in pre-programmed sockets—
changing on fixed timers,
while obedient cars
wait impatiently.
Night is the only chance to break—
The sky dark, red and empty.
FAITH , FATE & STRENGTH
—Sage Robbins, Sacramento
Fascinating,
The way my fears finger their way into my dreams.
Satisfying,
To watch sunlight dance on the grass that I keep green.
Scumbag disguised as a Sleazeball
Isn't any better than
A Creeper masked as Dirty.
A dream job isn't any better
Than one that lets you sleep.
The only way to increase your wealth
Without more worry
Is to spend the most on charity.
Little lies are told
By those who will also tell large ones.
Lofty goals are achieved
Only by those most selfless.
Thus, no reason to retaliate.
To each their own.
Have faith in fate.
Tending my own garden,
Watching art awaken,
Reveling in childlike wonders,
I find beside me allies.
The more times I get up to open the door,
The more gifts I find have arrived.
I'll strive to live with certainty.
Step with strength and a smile.
Poets are philosophers,
Professors, Prophets and Reverends.
But only because we're more like
An ancient trade-bound family
Than we are polite, informal friends.
Today's LittleNip:
A RATIONAL OBSESSION
—William S. Gainer, Grass Valley
If you are going to hang pictures
you have a responsibility
to keep them
straight.
Got it?