Rising Dawn Smith
—Poems and Visuals by Smith, Cleveland, OH
STATUS REPORT 278
Night yet clings to dark earth
most folk still asleep
the air untainted with their need
but soon sun will rise
and dark dissipate
even if sky is clouded, rainy,
sun will rise
sun always rises
until it doesn't
Hush
STATUS REPORT 280
The silence isn't. The traffic is.
The day's behind the rain.
Why? and Why not?
two questions as yet unanswered.
Stop? or Go? or stuck in idle?
get your under cleaned.
Overthrow the upperhanded,
polish seem to gleam.
Cathappy
STATUS REPORT 281
The basement's flooded.
3rd floor window's cracked.
Winter creepin'.
Leaves leavin'.
The old cold comes 'round
to go again.
Rolling entropy up the hill.
Life comes back down.
DerivativeDebt
WINGDOM WEATHER
We don't know what we don't know
and we don't know what we do
so believe Easter eggs and chocolate
and big debt Christmas crying on the cross
used-car lot asphalts forever
no-service service stations
big-box stores
laugh-track sitcom lives with no prize
going coming coming going
scarfing down legal lies
forgetting why
how to fly
or even try
they're so sly
Pocket Rumi
KARMIC STRIP
I used to sail up denial
mile after mile of reprisal
drinking bitter brew
In fact, still do
Weary worry bone deep hurry
running lies up the line
leaping looping time
Worshiping fool
It's in this niche that
the nose knows
the toes goes
Karma's after fact
Messaround
NURSERY GRIME
When firm was flesh
and form had charm
the mind said less
to hide from harm
We keep it up
till we run down
work to sup
serving clown
I know we're meat
but beat your need
life's incomplete
unless you bleed
Whirlpool
MISSUS SISYPHUS
Every second I dread disaster
grateful it hasn't come
Entropy's down the road
around the corner
cross the street
in the alley
right here
The village is dying
the circumstances dire
sad women weep
yet laugh when they meet
at the well
Transporter Failure
FOOD CLAIM
If cargo go by crow fly
time tries oppose those flown
dispose whom you will
free will ain't free
or even pretty
no matter how far back we flow
teeth and tongue and mouth water
for the plump, the weak, the slow
I eat you
they eat me
and the Ones eat many from throne
of high and mighty
may we stick in their throats
curdle their craws
leave wronging longing
Covenant of the Ark
Today's LittleNip:
PHILOSOPHY
—Smith
Can't beat beast.
Been beast too long.
Two million years.
Sit with beast.
Pass a pipe.
Learn to get along.
________________________
Our thanks to Smith (Steven B. Smith) for today’s fine, wake-us-up poetry and artwork! And please note that The Other Voice in Davis will be cancelled tonight, due to the smoke in the air.
While you’re trapped indoors by the air quality, check out the California Poets website (www.facebook.com/groups/1533215933614758) for news about readings and poet activities in other areas of California. Interesting. Maybe join the group yourself?
Another website to check out is the Julia Vinograd Fan Group at www.facebook.com/groups/JuliaVinograd/. Some of you may remember the colorful, eccentric Julia, Berkeley’s street poet. Currently she is suffering from cancer and mild dementia, and her friends are asking for donations to help pay for her care. She also has a new book out, Between the Cracks. Order it at Zeitgeist Press (www.zeitgeist-press.com/).
And stay out of the smoke!
—Medusa
Blobsmith
—Portrait by Smith
(Celebrate poetry!)
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
