—Anonymous
MY BEST FRIEND’S VOICE
—Kathy Kieth, Diamond Springs, CA
chases me down
the sidewalk: ball-
bounces off
the concrete, the shop-
window mirrors, down-
town brick facades: pops
and rattles and pingpongs as
she calls my name:
two circinate syllables
lifted in the air to fly
after me: pudgy, hollow,
round little sounds
ball-bounding down
the street: chasing after
me, turning my head:
pulling me back like
a ball on a string: calling my
name, drawing me
home again—
unmistakable music of
my best friend’s voice…
(prev. posted in Medusa’s Kitchen, 2010)
_____________________
Well, what can I say? I confess it’s my birthday, and the cake up there shows what can happen when you try to put too many candles (74) on a cake. (Don’t try this at home.)
Recently my bestie, Sacramento Poet/Co-Editor (Ekphrasis) Carol Frith, broke her leg/hip and was incommunicado for a day or so. This was unusual because we’ve been emailing each other every day for over 20 years, and if one doesn’t write, the other one gets antsy. Long story short, the problem was resolved, and she’s healing at home now.
So this birthday I’ve chosen to stop thinking about myself for once, and, with all my gratitude, to sing the praises of friends, family, teachers, and all those poets whose voices follow me down the sidewalk and call me back to them. Birthdays are partly to celebrate being here, but in my mind they’re also about those who surround us and prop us up and love us despite ourselves, yes? Thank you, friends—and that includes you, brave poets, who trust me with your work, day after day. Besties abound!
Tonight in our area, we have five choices for poetry events—four listed, plus Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar in Sacramento! 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.
____________________
—Medusa, who hopes to go on burning up birthday cakes for many years ~
—Kathy Kieth, Diamond Springs, CA
chases me down
the sidewalk: ball-
bounces off
the concrete, the shop-
window mirrors, down-
town brick facades: pops
and rattles and pingpongs as
she calls my name:
two circinate syllables
lifted in the air to fly
after me: pudgy, hollow,
round little sounds
ball-bounding down
the street: chasing after
me, turning my head:
pulling me back like
a ball on a string: calling my
name, drawing me
home again—
unmistakable music of
my best friend’s voice…
(prev. posted in Medusa’s Kitchen, 2010)
_____________________
Well, what can I say? I confess it’s my birthday, and the cake up there shows what can happen when you try to put too many candles (74) on a cake. (Don’t try this at home.)
Recently my bestie, Sacramento Poet/Co-Editor (Ekphrasis) Carol Frith, broke her leg/hip and was incommunicado for a day or so. This was unusual because we’ve been emailing each other every day for over 20 years, and if one doesn’t write, the other one gets antsy. Long story short, the problem was resolved, and she’s healing at home now.
So this birthday I’ve chosen to stop thinking about myself for once, and, with all my gratitude, to sing the praises of friends, family, teachers, and all those poets whose voices follow me down the sidewalk and call me back to them. Birthdays are partly to celebrate being here, but in my mind they’re also about those who surround us and prop us up and love us despite ourselves, yes? Thank you, friends—and that includes you, brave poets, who trust me with your work, day after day. Besties abound!
Tonight in our area, we have five choices for poetry events—four listed, plus Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar in Sacramento! 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.
____________________
—Medusa, who hopes to go on burning up birthday cakes for many years ~
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.
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
