Three Letters

Michael Ceraolo, Willoughby, Ohio

2014:  LETTER ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

To the Posters and Boasters,

It is the day of the big game
and many can't wait for the game to start

And others of you,
in honor of Groundhog Day,
poke your heads out to proclaim
your lack of interest in the game,
which would be fine had you stopped there

But your sense of pseudo-superiority
oozes through your remarks,
saying that you know nothing of the game,
that you care to know nothing of it

More evidence that
Ignorant and Proud of It
is America's new motto


Best,
Michael

__________________________

2014:  LETTER ABOUT HYPOCRISY AS REGARDS 

A BILLIONAIRE MALEFACTOR 

Dear Almost Everyone,

Donald Sterling has long been
a bigoted piece of feces with feet,
                                                 and
has a considerable record establishing that fact
Yet sports and non-sports media,
his commercial sponsors,
basketball players and coaches,
all manner of fans,
                           and
even an anti-bigotry organization
saw no evil because they heard no evil

                                                            But
when some evil was heard publicly,
the professionally offended were outraged,
as though this was somehow news,
                                                     and
then the hypocrisy began in earnest:
players and coaches who chose to work for him,
or had considered working for him,
and had no excuse for not knowing what he was,
now condemned him from the safety of the herd

And the anti-bigotry organization
planning to honor him despite his record
because he had made a donation to them
quickly backtracked trying to save face

And the worst were some of his fellow malefactors,
such as the one whose predatory lending practices
did far more actual damage than Sterling's remarks,
and other assorted malefactors with a list
of crimes too long to list individually;
they spoke out to deflect attention from them

And everyone felt better about themselves
 

Best,
Michael

________________________

2014:  LETTER ABOUT A SPORTS TEAM'S NICKNAME

Dear Daniel Snyder,

Perhaps it's the proximity to politicians
that leads the promoters of Washington sports team
to make the extreme statements that they do
Your recent statement that the name Redskins
will be changed over your dead body
is a prime example
                              Here's a prediction:
fifty years from now your position
will be regarded the same way,
and be as accurate as,
one of your predecessor's statements
that blacks would play for the team
over his dead body
 

Best,
Michael

_______________________

This has been a travelin' week on Medusa's Kitchen, starting with Neil Fulwood from England, then B.Z. Niditch from Massachusetts, and today our thanks to Michael Ceraolo from Willoughby Hills, Ohio, a 57-year old retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet who has had one full-length book (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press) published and a second (Euclid Creek Book Two) forthcoming later this year, plus a few shorter-length books and numerous magazine publications. Welcome to the Kitchen, Michael, and don't be a stranger!

NorCal poets should note also that poet Shawn Aveningo is back in our area from Portland for a visit, and will be reading with Poetica Erotica tonight at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sac. Then next Monday she and her contributors will be releasing Poeming Pigeons, the anthology of bird poems, at Sac. Poetry Center. For details about these and other area readings, scroll down to the blue box (under the green box) at the right of this column.

______________________

Today's LittleNip:

Ordinary Guy: "Where are you from?"

Harvard Grad: "I come from a place where we do not end our sentences with prepositions."

Ordinary Guy: "OK—Where are you from, jackass?"

______________________

—Medusa

 Michael Ceraolo