You Will Need the Key . . .

The Witch Is In

Quilt Panel, 2017 Quilters’ Show, Sacramento
—Photo by Michelle Kunert, Sacramento, CA
 

POSSESSION
—Caschwa, Sacramento

Just having a key to the cabin
does not connote that one is
the head of the household. 

Behold!  Dozens of rumpled
mattresses upon which lie
ancient satyresses, each bare
torso a dreamboat beckoning
a man’s body to consummate
their false narrative by sleeping
with a goat.

_________________

BOOTED OUT
—Caschwa

My poem started off innocently enough
with the notion “Give yourself some credit”
and then it went berserk with implausible
metaphors like printing one’s own money…

All earnest fine tuning and editing attempts
to make it work failed, so it was dumped
unceremoniously into the cyber garbage
bin, sparing everyone the labor of trying to
revive a dud that was never meant to be.

Okay, now we have a clean slate again,
let’s just try to avoid making eye contact
with the editing room floor…

 —Anonymous Photo of Witch's Cabin

DARWIN’S FOOTPRINT
—Caschwa

(Response to Summer Circuit
by Taylor Graham, Medusa’s
Kitchen, August 2, 2018)

Skeletons of birds were derived
from dinosaurs, say scientific
journals, going all out to
explain the universe

so let’s take that one
step further and build a
hypothesis that bird’s nests in
trees are giant craters, time reversed?

_______________

IQ MIA
—Caschwa

Say goodbye to the old CIA
because future generations
will only know about the new,
improved, Artificial Intelligence
Agency (AIA) that will govern
absolutely everything Earthlings
do.

No more classroom instruction,
as all lesson plans must conform
to the filtering process where any
student who just doesn’t get it
will fail standardized testing and
be expelled, unless their family
has a ton of money.

Hello sex toys, each wearing a
smile that doesn’t quite fit, but
carefully programmed to make
all the right choices so your
precious adolescent can learn
from virtual-date practice sessions
before actually going out on that
first real date.

Today’s fantastic new burger
flipping machines that perform
faster and more accurately than
humans will soon evolve into robots
that deliver babies, cut and tie the
cord, spank the butt, nurse until
sleeping, then gently rock in the
cradle, freeing up Soccer Mom to
continue her busy calendar.

 —Anonymous Photo

TWENTY BULLETS LATER
—Caschwa

When you buy a new car, it may
have desirable, optional features
available at an extra cost.  The
same happens when buying a cop.

For the right price your shiny new
shield and gun can whisk you past
common barriers, like collecting
good evidence and presenting a
solid case in a court of law, and
instead hasten you on that luxury
shortcut to the sausage factory,
where a twisted-links interpretation
of due process means you can
summarily toss a suspected subject
straight into the meat grinder,
celebrate resolving the issue, and
then head for home, sweet home.

_________________

TRUTH NEEDN’T BE TOLD
—Caschwa
 
One day the newspaper forecast
no rain or wind, but when I opened
the door to retrieve my daily paper
I got drenched from windblown rain.

Anyone who is truly good looking, or
smart, or powerful, or rich, doesn’t
need mass media to say so.  Roadkill
is proof of the truth that big trucks and
trains will flatten you like a penny, no
arguments, no regrets. 

 Inside the Witch's Cabin at Night

POET REPORTS FROM US-IRAN BORDER
—Rhony Bhopla, Sacramento, CA

Two horsemen, one Putin, the other the President
together atop one horse, gallop.  Putin is shirtless
with both hands up in the air, his creamy pecks glisten
in the sun. Sitting behind him, the President tweets:
 “there will be consequences the likes
        of which few throughout history
            have ever suffered before”

All caps.

It continues this week, the rial plummets, expressions
on the US dollar distort, Iranian oil prices go up
tariff-tariff-tariff warn the monks of mothers of all wars

The tired horse arrives at the US-Iran border

Down goes the weasel. Iran-side, Rouhani flaunts
the lion’s tail before the President. Metaphorically. 
Putin stares, while he straddles, and strokes the horse’s mane,
and recites: A bomb will strike on land and sea by he
                       fret not, we have enjoyed such games many

Putin rides off into the sunset with future reservations
at the White House. Food menus to be determined.
The President taps, clicks, then flips, and invites
Rouhani for talks.  Will Iran bear the humiliation?

As Rouhani’s back is to the President, he whispers:
Thirty and Eight has been since time we met
You left the deal.  Hostility is what is left.

Tap, tap, click-send. Stay tuned to find out
what happens                                  in the end.

 Witch's Cabin from Pirates of the Caribbean

—Anonymous Photo
 
 

MONEY STALK
—Michael H. Brownstein, Chicago, IL

To you money is a magic bean that sits on someone else’s head,
Perhaps a large stalk bending its way in and out of the garden.
Money does grow on trees, and you think they mostly belong to you,
But you are not the one doing the work. That would be someone else
And you know that someone else. You even recognize the bean

And the grit from the vine strangling that someone else into compliance.

 —Anonymous Photo

AS HARD AS I TRY, I CANNOT UNDERSTAND
THE LOGISTICS OF L.A.N.G.U.A.G.E. POETRY
—Michael H. Brownstein
 
Charles Bernstein holds up his veneer-plastered walls with poems,
fine tunes a phonology of gestures to wrap laminated walnut,
uses meter, diphthongs, and wind to attach three-tab shingles.
But what of foundation? Snow easily finds a way into his bedroom. 

 —Anonymous Photo

Today’s LittleNip(s):

four chair turn
on The Voice
mockingbird

* * *

a volleyball
named Wilson
gull cry

* * *

the roadrunner
stays off-camera. . .
Tatooine


(first pub. in Spectrum #15)

—Deborah P Kolodji, Pasadena, CA

______________________

Many thanks to today’s diverse contributors for their be-witching poetry, and for Michelle's highly appropriate quilt photo! Today's pix are about our Seed of the Week: You Will Need the Witch’s Cabin Key. Why are we writing about witches in July? Because we can... Poets can write about anything, anytime, yes? And surely there is a witch out there somewhere who has visited upon us such fire and heat and smoky skies...

Visitors to the Kitchen today include Deborah P Kolodji, California Regional Coordinator, Haiku Society of America (www.hsa-haiku.org/regions/california.htm). (She says, "please note there is no period after the “P”—think of it as a name, not an initial!") Deborah writes to let us know that Four Seasons Haiku Kai, a haiku workshop group that meets four times a year in Burlingame, will have its next meeting on September 8 from 11am-1pm. Poet Chuck Brickley will read from his book of haiku, earthshine, which recently won a Touchstone Distinguished Book Award from the Haiku Foundation. They will meet at Mercy Center, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame. (Info: mercy-center.org/ProgramsEW/HaikuKai.html/.) Deborah has promised to return to the Kitchen to spend more time with us soon. In the meantime, there is an informative interview with her at www2.silverblade.net/2015/02/interview-with-deborah-p-kolodji for you to check out. She also notes that Haiku Society of America is interested in setting up a group here in the NorCal region. Think about it….

Poetry readings in our area begin tonight with the Portuguese Heritage Reading at Sac. Poetry Center, 7:30pm, then continue tomorrow night in El Dorado Hills with the monthly Poetry Off-the-Shelves read-around in the library, 5pm. There will be another Poetry Off-the-Shelves on Wednesday night, this one in Placerville at the El Dorado County Library, also 5pm.

On Thursday at 11:30am, Wellspring Women’s Writing Group will meet at the Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento for poetry, journaling and other forms of writing (women only). Then in the evening, 8pm, Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe in Sacramento will present featured readers and open mic.

Next Saturday, Sac. Poetry Center’s Gallery will present its Second Saturday Art Opening and Reception for Jennifer O’Neill Pickering’s art work in watercolors and mixed media. Poets are invited to write an ekphrastic poem and share it at the open mic at 7:30pm.  Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.

Speaking of SPC Art, Sac. Poetry Center Art Gallery is sponsoring City of Trees: An Invitational Art Show to Benefit Sac. Tree Foundation, curated by Bethanie Humphreys and Heather Judy. You are invited to enter up to three tree-themed artworks; see www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=city of trees invitational art show for info. The show will run from Sept. 3-Oct. 5 (reception Sept. 8); artists may choose a percentage of sales to donate to Sac. Tree Foundation. Questions/entry forms: bethaniehu@hotmail.com/.

—Medusa

 The Most Famous Witch of All?

Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz

—Anonymous Photo

Celebrate Poetry!

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