Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to
Form Fiddler’s Friday, with poetry
by Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Caschwa
WATERCOLOR
Muted pinks and aquas of day
dawning after storm, she chases
puddles splashing a smiling sun—
little girl in rain boots.
Muted pinks and aquas of day
dawning after storm, she chases
puddles splashing a smiling sun—
little girl in rain boots.
THE DARK CAVE
Just off the track, a rough dirt path climbs above RR grade, drops into hollow—cold this time of year, muddy, mostly underwater. A natural cave just big enough to shelter a single human, and a dog if he has one. Someone built a sort of vestibule with branches broken off in storm; someone stripped the bark and with skillful knife carved a girl, a church. But that was last year. The vestibule is gone, with any trace of human habitation.
a dark little cave
keeps its art anonymous
as the seasons pass
Just off the track, a rough dirt path climbs above RR grade, drops into hollow—cold this time of year, muddy, mostly underwater. A natural cave just big enough to shelter a single human, and a dog if he has one. Someone built a sort of vestibule with branches broken off in storm; someone stripped the bark and with skillful knife carved a girl, a church. But that was last year. The vestibule is gone, with any trace of human habitation.
a dark little cave
keeps its art anonymous
as the seasons pass
ANECDOTE
A ghost pine lay athwart the track
till they cut trunk from root-crown—whack!
hauled it off to who-knows where,
doesn’t matter, they don’t care.
Train’s stopped running thru this lair
while trees go on cleaning air.
A ghost pine lay athwart the track
till they cut trunk from root-crown—whack!
TRAIL OF THE OLD RAILROAD LINE
This walk is a protest.
Just look around—trees raising
their leafy placards high as green
can reach in this narrow strip of land
left deserted after the train quit running.
Trees as if imploring the heavens
to step down onto this mortified earth
drilled and paved, polluted
in the name of progress ratcheted
by craftily masked hubris and corporate
greed. Watch your step. Even the rocks
are rising from their quiet home,
our natural foundation. Will all these
rocks and trees join our march?
This walk is a protest.
Just look around—trees raising
their leafy placards high as green
can reach in this narrow strip of land
left deserted after the train quit running.
Trees as if imploring the heavens
to step down onto this mortified earth
drilled and paved, polluted
in the name of progress ratcheted
by craftily masked hubris and corporate
greed. Watch your step. Even the rocks
are rising from their quiet home,
our natural foundation. Will all these
rocks and trees join our march?
INDOOR-OUTDOOR
The cat
wants out as was
his wont, to roam catlike
thru the neighborhood, preying on
smaller
critters as cats will do. But now
he’s locked up tight against
lion who hunts
here now.
A WALK ALONG SLATE CREEK
Creek runs easy
after winter
flooded in falls—
now springtime calls
with buttercups
and grassy green.
Seek
the app to ID
legbones of big bird with
huge talons which my dog finds.
App says snake. Not the answer I
seek.
Glorious day but
what’s that trashy stuff I see
out here in the wild?
Refuse
of a camp,
a sign
on cardboard: Please Help God—
No one’s here, camp’s abandoned
and April’s springing.
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
THESE DAYS
—Taylor Graham
You hate how fear wakes
with the morning news still dark—
sunless horizon.
__________________
Our thanks to Taylor Graham, who has sent us fine poetry and photos today, some of it on the theme of our Tuesday Seed of the Week, The Dark Cave. Forms she has used this week include the Ryūka (“Watercolor”); a Senryu (“These Days”); a Haibun (“The Dark Cave”); a Butterfly Cinquain that is also a response to Medusa's Ekphrastic Photo of last week (“Indoor-Outdoor"); an Octelle (“Anecdote”); and a 3-style* (“A Walk Along Slate Creek”). The Octelle and the Butterfly Cinquain were last week’s Triple-F Challenges; The Dark Cave was our recent Tuesday Seed of the Week.
*About the 3-style, Taylor said, “The 3-style is something I came up with a couple years ago from a Poetry Super Highway prompt to write a Shoa, Ganta, or Koori. I combined them, in any order.” These forms may be found here:
•••Shoa: https://medium.com/@Internationalpoetrynewsletter/modern-shoa-poems-and-how-to-write-shoa-poems-afc5c57d3af9
•••Ganta: https://medium.com/@Internationalpoetrynewsletter/modern-ganta-poems-and-how-to-write-ganta-poems-a6b08b655078
•••Koori: https://medium.com/@Internationalpoetrynewsletter/modern-cbe315b33fb7
In El Dorado County poetry this week, Poetry in Motion meets in Placerville on Monday morning, 10:30am. And Arts & Culture El Dorado presents Sue Norman and Moira Magneson in Placerville on Tuesday, 6pm. Also, El Dorado County’s regular workshops are listed on Medusa’s calendar (if you scroll down on http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html/). For more news about such events and about EDC poetry—past (photos!) and future—see Taylor Graham’s Western Slope El Dorado Poetry on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry. Or see Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. And you can always click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html). Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
Check out our recently-refurbed 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 and other ways of poetry. Got any more resources to add to our list? Send them to kathykieth@hotmail.com for the benefit of all man/woman/poetkind!
* * *
Last Week’s Ekphrastic Photo
Poets who sent responses to last week’s Ekphrastic photo were:Nolcha Fox, and Stephen Kingsnorth:
THE CAT CAN’T WAIT
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
Kitty watches out the window
as I drive off in my car.
Tears fall, I’m overwhelmed with cat love
at the sorrow in his eyes.
In a flash, he makes a mess
of sheets and blankets,
destuffs pillows on the bed.
He sharpens claws on
toilet paper, leaves a pile
on the floor.
The box of tissues fares
no better, shredded
blobs adorn the house.
The couch back has
become a cat tree,
slashes in upholstery.
So much work, he falls asleep
in the sun that warms the chair.
I come home, a guilty mommy,
with a toy to bring him joy.
When I find his trail of havoc
I pour myself a glass of wine.
* * *
CATTERY
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
Take half the screen, this glassy cat,
you capture moggy’s walking air,
his vague acceptance someone’s there
with little more than paws for thought.
Witches the more familiar,
new world view through the looking glass;
these cats eyes say road stud’s abroad,
speed dating what he sees inside.
The tales he’ll tell, tomfoolery,
this cat o’nine with whiplash claim,
though soon to be on hot tin roof—
what will insurers think of that?
In this glasshouse, room with a view,
there is, out back, Old Possum too—
that nom de plume godchildren knew—
is this feline a practical?
Appointed mayors and astronauts,
a station master in Japan,
Mačak ignited Tesla’s flow—
Ta-Miu is dead but mummified.
With flex and balance, instinct tuned,
traversing gradient aside,
try washer, wipers, cad thinks blade,
just not for me, this cattery.
* * *
This is a Butterfly Cinquain from Caschwa (Carl Schwartz), one of last week’s Triple-F Challenges:
IT’S ONE THING OR ANOTHER
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Either
It is get up
and do it, claim the day
as your own, get everything done!
or else
rest your eyelids and take a nap
multitasking’s too much
just stay in bed
till noon
* * *
Here’s another poem from Carl:
ENTRY IN A POLICE LOG
—Caschwa
[upon having a discussion about the true nature
of the Haibun. When is a Haibun not a Haibun…?]
911 Operator, what is your emergency?
I’ve been a savagely attacked by a prose poem
Are you injured?
It didn’t draw blood, but got to the core of my
psyche
Can you describe your attacker?
metrical, syllabic, repetitious, sometimes
rhymes, member
of a terrorist group called the “Haibun”,
known to associate
with poets like Robert Lee Brewer
Do you need medical response?
No, just need to really clear my head
Perhaps a quiet game of solitaire would calm your
nerves
Thanks, you’ve been very helpful
* * *
And a Haiku Chain, also by Carl:
CHANGE
—Caschwa
Spring will slip away
hibernate like grizzly bears
we’ll need some ice cream
***
The lawns are both mowed
the hedges trimmed and tidy
time to embrace sleep
***
My house fully cleaned
if only for a moment
dirt still follows me
***
Good vacuum cleaner
does the work, no complaining
helps in time of need
***
If you can’t handle
farm to fork, maybe try that
drive-thru-to-plate style
* * *
We close with an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth. “Language is my jewel chest…”
—Caschwa
Spring will slip away
hibernate like grizzly bears
we’ll need some ice cream
***
The lawns are both mowed
the hedges trimmed and tidy
time to embrace sleep
***
My house fully cleaned
if only for a moment
dirt still follows me
***
Good vacuum cleaner
does the work, no complaining
helps in time of need
***
If you can’t handle
farm to fork, maybe try that
drive-thru-to-plate style
* * *
We close with an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth. “Language is my jewel chest…”
HORDE
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Language is my jewel chest
though not an heirloom, familial trust;
mystery that words should move,
poetic use primeval call,
cargoes from Gidding to Xanadu—
diamonds, amethysts, topazes,
and isle emeralds set the lexicon.
The sound and feel, phoenetic print,
homonyms, graphs and synonyms;
these my coinage, currency,
and maybe brain, a growth hormone;
the fabled phrase on bus top heard,
transferred to broadcast, radio.
As scout I was taught breeches' buoy,
though thought them trousers, unlike
trews for girl; broach and brooch then
beech and beach and reach, my lips
and tongue slavered, dribbled more.
Like our people, alloy, medley, assembly,
words, a battle-plan with sound and sight,
carnyx giants win the ground.
Chimaera fish share many names
ghost sharks, rabbit, rat, spook fish too,
as fire mouth hybrid myth-mix
lion head, goat body, snake tail roar.
History's triumphs now lie under foot,
with those whose victories scholars taught,
their golden breastpins for burial bent,
a twisting torque for neck piece ring.
Above the stonechat call, two pebbles dashed;
the falcon's beak in sickle form,
while stupid booby lands and eaten Spanish ship,
puffins, little brothers of the north,
miners using coal tits in narrow seams,
while magpie pica, pied mix white,
money changing chiffchaff, jingling song
and common sparrow flutterers.
Wagtail, dipper, flycatch, puzzle, not at all,
and blackbird not a challenge thought.
There is a deep layered treasure trove,
digging field for seams of etymology;
though as detectorists know, first fruitless searches,
blinded alleys, raised hopes on hearing alert
means tarnished nails, corroded torn tin, uncertain
` trails,
dead end street, blind pouch, cul-de-sac.
____________________
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.) Stephen says “Language is my jewel chest”, and those jewels are laying all over the place—in newspapers, books, TV— Write us a “Found” poem from bits and pieces of language you find laying around:
•••Found Poem: www.writersdigest.com/personal-updates/found-poetry-converting-or-stealing-the-words-of-others AND/OR poets.org/glossary/found-poem
•••AND/OR lighten things up with a Clerihew:
•••Clerihew: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/clerihew-poetic-forms
AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/clerihew.html
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic one.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “An Unexpected Guest”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Butterfly Cinquain: https://poetscollectivepoetryforms.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/butterfly-cinquain
•••Clerihew: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/clerihew-poetic-forms AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/clerihew.html
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Found Poem: www.writersdigest.com/personal-updates/found-poetry-converting-or-stealing-the-words-of-others AND/OR poets.org/glossary/found-poem
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••Haiku: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/haiku-or-hokku AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Octelle: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/octelle.html
•••Response Poem: creativetalentsunleashed.com/2015/11/18/writing-tip-response-poems
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••Senryu: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-senryu-poems#quiz-0
•••3-Style (Taylor Graham): a combination of a Koori, a Ganta, and a Shoa
•••Tuesday Seed of the Week: a prompt listed in Medusa’s Kitchen every Tuesday; poems may be any shape or size, form or no form. No deadlines; past ones are listed at http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/calliopes-closet.html/. Send results to kathykieth#hotmail.com/.
__________________
—Medusa
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic one.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “An Unexpected Guest”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Butterfly Cinquain: https://poetscollectivepoetryforms.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/butterfly-cinquain
•••Clerihew: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/clerihew-poetic-forms AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/clerihew.html
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Found Poem: www.writersdigest.com/personal-updates/found-poetry-converting-or-stealing-the-words-of-others AND/OR poets.org/glossary/found-poem
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••Haiku: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/haiku-or-hokku AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Octelle: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/octelle.html
•••Response Poem: creativetalentsunleashed.com/2015/11/18/writing-tip-response-poems
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••Senryu: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-senryu-poems#quiz-0
•••3-Style (Taylor Graham): a combination of a Koori, a Ganta, and a Shoa
•••Tuesday Seed of the Week: a prompt listed in Medusa’s Kitchen every Tuesday; poems may be any shape or size, form or no form. No deadlines; past ones are listed at http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/calliopes-closet.html/. Send results to kathykieth#hotmail.com/.
__________________
—Medusa
Today's Ekphrastic Challenge!
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Photo Courtesy of Public Domain
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Photo Courtesy of Public Domain
A reminder that
Out With Lanterns:
A Queer Poetry Reading
takes place in Sacramento
tonight, 6pm.
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.
Poets’ bios appear on their first MK visit.
To find previous posts, type the name
of the poet (or poem) into the little
beige box at the top left-hand side
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Would you like to be a SnakePal?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
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send poetry and/or photos and artwork
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that which was previously published—
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Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
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