Sacramento, CA
* * *
And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Joe Nolan, Nolcha Fox,
Stephen Kingsnorth, Claire J. Baker,
Steve Brisendine, and Caschwa
ADVENTURE DOG
Foundling like a hero of legend or myth
abandoned on a roadside,
so much of his history a mystery.
By dog-legs of forest and byways he came
bright-eyed as dearly beloved dogs of my past.
Chimera—black as bat, graceful as gazelle,
long-legged and bushy-tailed as wolf.
Today we walk an ancient meadow
brought back to life with blooming spring—
pink storks-bills and twining vetch,
sandy creek crossing, and on the path, a pill-bug,
tules of red-winged blackbirds’ sweetest song.
This dog, alert in all his senses, says Look!
There floats a single white swan,
air’s alive with bumblebee and moth,
lavish loving world this dog creates
moment by moment, leading me along.
Foundling like a hero of legend or myth
abandoned on a roadside,
so much of his history a mystery.
By dog-legs of forest and byways he came
bright-eyed as dearly beloved dogs of my past.
Chimera—black as bat, graceful as gazelle,
long-legged and bushy-tailed as wolf.
Today we walk an ancient meadow
brought back to life with blooming spring—
pink storks-bills and twining vetch,
sandy creek crossing, and on the path, a pill-bug,
tules of red-winged blackbirds’ sweetest song.
This dog, alert in all his senses, says Look!
There floats a single white swan,
air’s alive with bumblebee and moth,
lavish loving world this dog creates
moment by moment, leading me along.
YOU CAN’T PUT RAINFOREST IN A POEM
Because this is a land of drought and already
the trails are drying out after winter storms, even
the flooded trestle that kept me from reaching
the Y where it intersects RR track in a rain-
forest of blackberry vines just waking
from hibernation. Remember the guy singing
“Granada” on this trail a few miles east,
said he lived in the rainforest eight kilometers
away by dirt bike—his song transported
me to the Alhambra, I was singing the Spanish
for weeks afterwards, still writing poems.
Isn’t this what art does to us?
SKY FALLEN
Bluer than a young girl’s crayon,
bluer than shiny metal plate,
bluer than mountain summer sky,
blue blinding to the eye
though half concealed by April grass,
this beauty, male bluebird with no
sign of hurt—unwelcome surprise,
what brought him here to die?
Bluer than a young girl’s crayon,
bluer than shiny metal plate,
bluer than mountain summer sky,
blue blinding to the eye
though half concealed by April grass,
this beauty, male bluebird with no
sign of hurt—unwelcome surprise,
what brought him here to die?
ANYBODY HOME?
He alerts and leads me to the base of an old live-
oak, all but one of its trunks dead, heartwood rotted
away, leaving gaping mouths like entries
to underworld, doors to magic-land. He sticks his
head into one, draws back, sniffs here, sniffs there.
Where are the dwarves, the gnomes or trolls
inhabiting this place? He starts digging,
grabbing roots as he delves deeper. Snuffling deep
to draw out the hidden life. Soon his whole
torso is in the hole. Working madly, sending soil
flying out behind him. He’s possessed—by
what fey creatures? Not fey—ground squirrels.
MYOTIS WITH DAYLIGHT WINGS
for MyOtis, rescue dog
Split-
second
straight-up leap
arc’ing over
our small creek, nearly
pulling me across with
him—hang on for the ride or
get him back on my side until
the next totally unexpected
rocket-launch of this surprising new dog.
SLENDER LINE
We walk
the town edges—
sudden fluster of wings,
four ravens lift in flight—my dog
wistful,
had he wings, he’d join them, raven-
black dog, a winged spirit
were he not leashed
to me.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
WILDWOOD UNCUT
—Taylor Graham
Green communities—
so many colors of field
rooted in one earth.
____________________
Taylor Graham continues to celebrate her new dog, Otis (as in MyOtis, his formal name) as they carve out their new relationship, and thanks to her for giving us a peek into how that is working. Forms she has used this week include a List Poem (“Adventure Dog”); an Ars Poetica (“You Can't Put Rainforest in a Poem”); a Double Ryūka (“Sky Fallen”); an Etheree (“MyOtis with Daylight Wings”); a Butterfly Cinquain (“Slender Line”); and a Haiku (“Wildwood Uncut”). The Haiku is from this week’s Poetry Super Highway’s prompt to write 99 Haiku! (TG says she only managed 26...) The Butterfly Cinquain is from last week’s Triple F Challenge in Medusa’s Kitchen.
Tomorrow will be the first ever Blue Sky Earth Day Poetry Festival in Cameron Park, from 4-6pm, set up by Sue McMahon, with poetry, storytelling cowboy poetry and music. For news about El Dorado County poetry—past (photos!) and future—see Taylor Graham’s Western Slope El Dorado on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry or see Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. (Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!) And of course you can always click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about future poetry events in the NorCal area, including a buncha stuff in the Sacramento area this weekend.
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
It’s time for more contributions from Form Fiddlers, in addition to those sent to us by Taylor Graham! Each Friday, there will be poems posted here from our readers using forms—either ones which were sent to Medusa during the previous week, or whatever else floats through the Kitchen and the perpetually stoned mind of Medusa. If these instructions are vague, it's because they're meant to be. Just fiddle around with some challenges— Whaddaya got to lose… ? If you send ‘em, I’ll post ‘em! (See Medusa’s Form Finder at the end of this post for resources and for links to poetry terms used in today’s post.)
There’s also a page at the top of Medusa’s Kitchen called, “FORMS! OMG!!!” which expresses some of my (take ‘em or leave 'em) opinions about the use of forms in poetry writing, as well as listing some more resources to help you navigate through Form Quicksand. Got any more resources to add to our list? Send them to kathykieth@hotmail.com for the benefit of all man/woman/poetkind!
* * *
This week, we received Ekphrastic poems from Joe Nolan, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth, and Caschwa (Carl Schwartz):
HOUSE ON TOP OF THE WORLD
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
Whose house is that
On top of the world,
So huge
With roof
Painted blue,
So as not
To be burned
By DEWs,
Like the victims
Of Lahaina?
* * *
WHEN I KNEW EVERYTHING
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
I was really smart once.
I held the world in my hands.
I had an answer for everything.
Nobody knew more than me.
That time lasted a summer,
the summer when I was ten.
* * *
BALL GAME
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
I fear the clapping, guitar strings,
for happy not go-lucky songs,
though cupped hands not swing clappy bands
incarnate, nor, as flesh of god—
despite the nails to those alert—
but pink and wristy metaphor,
unhelpful all but everywhere.
His audience from hearty sport,
I did see once, an aged pop-star,
long beard and straggly hair apart,
in college bar strike up his song—
intone ‘This little light of mine’,
a memory revived, this prompt.
Like crude, thought blue sky atmosphere
for advertising—‘fine idea’—
but quite unclear and poles apart
from telling what the art or craft.
What solar panel freezes so?
Which centric is geography?
This cloudy global aerial
a hackneyed commonplace to start;
though to start, startle, not its grace.
Should it comfort, One in control?
Is it invite, see, buy my wares?
The logo, failing company?
This world is precious; treat it so—
for ball is in the court of all;
it’s in our hands, wellbeing’s call,
sole stewardship, creation’s goal,
inheritance, willed testament.
We cradle in our palms the whole
health and wealth, our planet’s soul.
* * *
GAIA
—Stephen Kingsnorth
The children are recalcitrant,
not grave enough, their cradle’s keep,
though now it seems the worm has turned,
mistreatment causing us ill health.
I’m told that senses, birds and beasts,
in classes, insects, schools at sea
exceed by far that of our own,
incredible capacity—
in sum of all, so little known—
their skill set way beyond our own
in both design and what achieved.
Their nighttime sight and smell of air,
what present, through antennae told,
the current wafting past, now here,
their navigation, flight and steer;
we are left stranded without peer,
the masterclass, bare arrogance—
these siblings that our mother bears.
They are not fostered, but of tree,
our family, yet we adopt
that illegitimate as view—
they foundlings due as workhouse serfs.
They nurture, feed us, keep us warm,
and let us drink while clothe our frame,
provide our comfort as required,
are subject to our every whim—
when even servitude abused.
It must be Gaia weeps withal.
* * *
Carl Schwartz’s Ekphrastic response is also a For-Get-Me-Not:
OUR WORLD
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
ball in motion
lots of ocean
* * *
Carl has sent us a Tanaga for a rainy day:
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
ball in motion
lots of ocean
* * *
Carl has sent us a Tanaga for a rainy day:
It’s raining outside, says I
inside, safely high and dry
went out when much less severe
why would I not be right here?
plenty meals and snacks to eat
recliner chair rests my feet
cable TV, many shows
windows tell if strong wind blows
tomorrow rain will be gone
will end, not go on and on
today I have zero doubt
why the heck should I go out?
—Caschwa
* * *
Taylor Graham sent us a List Poem this week (see above); here is a List Poem from Caschwa that is also a response to a recent Seed of the Week, Abundance:
inside, safely high and dry
went out when much less severe
why would I not be right here?
plenty meals and snacks to eat
recliner chair rests my feet
cable TV, many shows
windows tell if strong wind blows
tomorrow rain will be gone
will end, not go on and on
today I have zero doubt
why the heck should I go out?
—Caschwa
* * *
Taylor Graham sent us a List Poem this week (see above); here is a List Poem from Caschwa that is also a response to a recent Seed of the Week, Abundance:
AND THEN
—Caschwa
there’s good
and then there’s
demonstrably good,
the bare minimum
acceptable measure in
romance
or fine food
or legal evidence
or a pay raise
or cost of living increase
or medical test results
or chances of survival
or meeting your soul mate
or dating someone
or creating merchandise that sells
or gas mileage
or dessert
or remaining toner in cartridge
or excuse to stay home from work
or pricey tickets for seats at a concert
or reason to pull over to the side in traffic
or waking up to an alarm clock
or paying more for meat
or taking unpleasant medicine
or attempt to steal a base
* * *
And here is something new, which Caschwa is calling a Definition Poem:
—Caschwa
there’s good
and then there’s
demonstrably good,
the bare minimum
acceptable measure in
romance
or fine food
or legal evidence
or a pay raise
or cost of living increase
or medical test results
or chances of survival
or meeting your soul mate
or dating someone
or creating merchandise that sells
or gas mileage
or dessert
or remaining toner in cartridge
or excuse to stay home from work
or pricey tickets for seats at a concert
or reason to pull over to the side in traffic
or waking up to an alarm clock
or paying more for meat
or taking unpleasant medicine
or attempt to steal a base
* * *
And here is something new, which Caschwa is calling a Definition Poem:
SUBSUME
—Caschwa
sub-SUME, v.t.subsumed, pt., pp.,subsuming, ppr, [sub-, and L. summere, to lay hold of, to take.] 1. to wolf down a whole hero sandwich in one bite.
* * *
Here is a Cinquain from Claire Baker:
STEM
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
The stem
given students
seldom blooms in those
great gardens of their souls, as with
the ARTS.
* * *
And Steve Brisendine from Mission, KS, has sent us six Cinquains and one Mirror Cinquain. His latest book, To Dance With Cassiopeia and Die, which is all tiny forms (Haiku/Senryu, Cnquain, Cherita and Gembun), will be out April 28 from Alien Buddha Press. A Gembun, by the way, is made up of either a one-word first line or anything up to one sentence, then capped by a Haiku of up to four lines. To see some samples, go to https://prunejuicesenryu.com/2021/03/01/issue-33-haibun-gembun and scroll down.
Here are Steve's Cinquains for today. He says the first is a definite homage to Cinquain Queen Adelaide Crapsey's "Triad”. (See www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey for info about dear Adelaide.)
Adelaide Crapsey
SILENTLY
Snowflakes
in the pre-dawn
dark of my birthday, flakes
and years accumulating in
my sleep.
* * *
MY FATHER’S PLOT
* * *
MY FATHER’S PLOT
Beneath
buffalo grass,
the Q tile rests behind
his shoulder; he always did hoard
that one.
* * *
PARTLY TO MOSTLY
* * *
PARTLY TO MOSTLY
Cool wind
on sweat-slick skin,
but no rain; I breathe both
Thank you and Please through salt-stung lips
and wait.
* * *
EVENING SHIFT
* * *
EVENING SHIFT
Setting
sun, the color
of itself (put hand to
heart for two beats; see, it has changed
again …)
* * *
ECLIPSED
* * *
ECLIPSED
Hidden
behind low clouds,
the blood moon cannot see
bitter poets putting their pens
away.
* * *
HOME COOKING
* * *
HOME COOKING
One more
graveyard shift ends.
Butter sizzles. Shells crack.
Hush, I tell my breakfast. She is
sleeping.
* * *
LETTERS FROM THE WARM FRONT
Second
* * *
LETTERS FROM THE WARM FRONT
Second
straight night
of fog, and the poets
grow desperate; we are running
short on
our stocks
of ideas, of similes,
of synonyms for soft,
melancholy
and ghost.
* * *
Nolcha The Fox has sent two Quadrilles:
* * *
Nolcha The Fox has sent two Quadrilles:
FRIDAY
—Nolcha Fox
When I was a kid, Friday was my manic depressive day of the week. I had to leave the safe structure of school and disappear into a book during two days of parental chaos, until I could pedal off on my bicycle on Monday.
* * *
LAWN ENVY
—Nolcha Fox
I look out the window into my neighbor’s yard as I eat my kale. It’s the beginning of spring, and his lawn is emerald green. Our Kentucky blue grass should be a lush aquamarine, but it is a sickly yellow. And he’s growing weeds!
* * *
And Stephen Kingsnorth says he couldn’t resist the fox photo in Nolcha’s MK post last Thursday (4/11), so he sent us an Ekphrastic response to it:
—Nolcha Fox
When I was a kid, Friday was my manic depressive day of the week. I had to leave the safe structure of school and disappear into a book during two days of parental chaos, until I could pedal off on my bicycle on Monday.
* * *
LAWN ENVY
—Nolcha Fox
I look out the window into my neighbor’s yard as I eat my kale. It’s the beginning of spring, and his lawn is emerald green. Our Kentucky blue grass should be a lush aquamarine, but it is a sickly yellow. And he’s growing weeds!
* * *
And Stephen Kingsnorth says he couldn’t resist the fox photo in Nolcha’s MK post last Thursday (4/11), so he sent us an Ekphrastic response to it:
SCOUTING FOX
—Stephen Kingsnorth
For his pause, seeking foxglove scent,
some handsome ware for new found lair
but finds instead magnolia,
a common snare when walls lie bare.
His sniff exceeds the human nose
which merely seeks pleasing perfume;
his searching for a pheromone,
far more than offered by this bloom.
This tulip tree, petals pink, white,
not quite stellata, starry form,
suggests attraction, blossom size,
a burgeon greater than the norm.
The Reynard famed beyond this prompt,
in fables, fairy tale sideswipes,
with which the oeuvre truly swamped,
Volpone through to Just So types.
So why does Jonson—Kipling not—
describe sly, cunning, wily beast
by portrayed traits, made scapegoat blame,
when cub pack simply scouting feast?
___________________
Many thanks to today’s writers for their lively contributions! Wouldn’t you like to join them? All you have to do is send poetry—forms or not—and/or photos and artwork to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post work from all over the world, including that which was previously-published. Just remember: the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!
___________________
TRIPLE-F CHALLENGES!
See what you can make of these challenges, and send your results to kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.) How about a little Cantar:
•••Cantar: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/cantar/
•••Cantar: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/cantar/
•••AND/OR: The Gambun is new to us; give it a shot:
•••Gambun: either a one-word first line or anything up to one sentence, then
capped by a Haiku of up to four lines. Samples: https://prunejuicesenryu.com/2021/03/01/issue-33-haibun-gembun
•••AND/OR: Remember the wee For-Get-Me-Not, like the one Carl sent (above)?
•••For-Get-Me-Not: www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/1882-syllabic-forms-found-in-pathways-for-the-poet/#veltanelle
•••AND/OR: follow Caschwa’s lead and try one of his Definition Poems:
•••Definition Poem (Carl Schwartz): has the appearance of a dictionary definition, but the actual definition is humorous or unexpected
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic photo.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “Mother Earth”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Cantar: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/cantar
•••Cinquain (Adelaide Crapsey): poets.org/glossary/cinquain AND/OR www.poewar.com/poetry-in-forms-series-cinquain/. See www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey for info about its inventor, Adelaide Crapsey.
•••Cinquain, Butterfly: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/butterfly-cinquain
•••Cinquain, Mirror: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/mirror-cinquain
•••Definition Poem (Carl Schwartz): has the appearance of a dictionary definition, but actual definition is humorous or unexpected
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Etheree: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/etheree.html
•••For-Get-Me-Not: www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/1882-syllabic-forms-found-in-pathways-for-the-poet/#veltanelle
•••Gambun: either a one-word first line or anything up to one sentence, then capped by a Haiku of up to four lines. Samples: https://prunejuicesenryu.com/2021/03/01/issue-33-haibun-gembun
•••AND/OR: follow Caschwa’s lead and try one of his Definition Poems:
•••Definition Poem (Carl Schwartz): has the appearance of a dictionary definition, but the actual definition is humorous or unexpected
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic photo.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “Mother Earth”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Cantar: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/cantar
•••Cinquain (Adelaide Crapsey): poets.org/glossary/cinquain AND/OR www.poewar.com/poetry-in-forms-series-cinquain/. See www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey for info about its inventor, Adelaide Crapsey.
•••Cinquain, Butterfly: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/butterfly-cinquain
•••Cinquain, Mirror: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/mirror-cinquain
•••Definition Poem (Carl Schwartz): has the appearance of a dictionary definition, but actual definition is humorous or unexpected
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Etheree: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/etheree.html
•••For-Get-Me-Not: www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/1882-syllabic-forms-found-in-pathways-for-the-poet/#veltanelle
•••Gambun: either a one-word first line or anything up to one sentence, then capped by a Haiku of up to four lines. Samples: https://prunejuicesenryu.com/2021/03/01/issue-33-haibun-gembun
•••Haiku: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••List Poem: clpe.org.uk/poetryline/poeticforms/list-poem
•••Quadrille: 44 words (not counting the title) and includes one word the host provides to you
•••Question Poem: penandthepad.com/write-question-poem-6933078.html
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••Tanaga: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/tanag
___________________
—Medusa
•••List Poem: clpe.org.uk/poetryline/poeticforms/list-poem
•••Quadrille: 44 words (not counting the title) and includes one word the host provides to you
•••Question Poem: penandthepad.com/write-question-poem-6933078.html
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••Tanaga: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/tanag
___________________
—Medusa
Today's Ekphrastic Challenge!
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo
Courtesy of Joe Nolan
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo
Courtesy of Joe Nolan
A reminder that
Opus Open Mic meets at
Sol Collective in Sacramento
tonight, 6:30pm; also at 6:30,
Elk Grove presents Open Mic at
A Seat At The Table Booksotre;
and then at 7pm, Joff Knorr reads
online for El Gigante.
For info about this and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
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.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
Opus Open Mic meets at
Sol Collective in Sacramento
tonight, 6:30pm; also at 6:30,
Elk Grove presents Open Mic at
A Seat At The Table Booksotre;
and then at 7pm, Joff Knorr reads
online for El Gigante.
For info about this and other
future poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
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.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
send poetry and/or photos and artwork
to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
