Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth, and
Caschwa
WHACK
I’m adrift in the morning’s news,
the world changed, again, overnight
as if prearranged, carved in stone,
retroactive annals of inevitability—
a staple of the new regime.
It sounds to me like blasphemy
against Mother Nature and every
Golden Rule of religion and philosophy.
Turn off the computer.
Take my walking stick, an oaken
shaft tall and straight (once a broom
handle) and step out into all this lovely
springing green. Soon I’ll be weed-
whacking as if it were the foe.
I’m adrift in the morning’s news,
the world changed, again, overnight
as if prearranged, carved in stone,
retroactive annals of inevitability—
a staple of the new regime.
It sounds to me like blasphemy
against Mother Nature and every
Golden Rule of religion and philosophy.
Turn off the computer.
Take my walking stick, an oaken
shaft tall and straight (once a broom
handle) and step out into all this lovely
springing green. Soon I’ll be weed-
whacking as if it were the foe.
AMONG TALL GRASSES
It’s time for mowing—here’s the catch,
wild oats chest-high and twined with vetch—
it clogs my trimmer like a wreath
of purple flowers; underneath, the clovers stretch.
But this white flower, woodland star,
as small as fireflies in a jar—
I’ve never seen them here before,
oh, how they must be fairy lore come from afar.
NOTES: SATURDAY WALK IN THE RAIN
high school track and fields deserted
lady with umbrella walks under solar panels
talking into her phone
here’s a big blue arrow pointing where?
follow it—arrows stop, I’m on my own—
maintenance area: lilac in bloom
get real close—rain stole fragrance?—
intricate mosaic of tiny flowers
on classroom doors, spring wreaths
small bird flies out of wreath—look closer
tiny green-grass nest with Q-tip
make do with what’s at hand & free,
like walking, seeing
TAKE A DEEP BREATH
from The Anatomy Coloring Book
The diaphragm is responsible for 75%
of the respiratory effort. Have you ever paused
breathing to consider that? What about
the other 25%? I’m trying to visualize my insides,
to get a mental anatomical drawing of my
diaphragm. Instead, it takes me back 35 years,
when my dog Roxy was run over by an empty
dump truck. She had no broken bones, the only
problem was her diaphragm, popped loose
on three sides. The emergency ve—half-hour
away—had a fix for that. In the meantime
I guess the other 25% helped keep her alive.
from The Anatomy Coloring Book
The diaphragm is responsible for 75%
of the respiratory effort. Have you ever paused
breathing to consider that? What about
the other 25%? I’m trying to visualize my insides,
to get a mental anatomical drawing of my
diaphragm. Instead, it takes me back 35 years,
when my dog Roxy was run over by an empty
dump truck. She had no broken bones, the only
problem was her diaphragm, popped loose
on three sides. The emergency ve—half-hour
away—had a fix for that. In the meantime
I guess the other 25% helped keep her alive.
BITTACUS CHLOROSTIGMA
On blue dicks, storks-bill,
and Ithuriel’s spears, bugs
are buzzing. What’s this
long-legged yellow insect?
My app IDs it—
hangingfly. It’s been around
since the dinosaurs.
How have I missed it till now?
Learn a new thing every day.
A DESOLATE PLACE
I walk a thin strip of abandoned green dissected by railroad track, its train passed on; a ditch runs on rain-time. This strip of living wild, confined by fences that don’t define it—private property on either side. Today it blooms with happy grasses, storks-bill, lupine, poppies. Old gnarled willow’s young again in catkin-green. Listen to red-wing, nuthatch, phoebe, wren, a raven who knows everything. Is it beautiful? It lifts my step, my spirit, does what words can’t say.
hear the trestle’d creek
alive with flowing water
magic of the land.
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
GREEN DOCK BEETLE
lunching on green dock
—Taylor Graham
Pure metallic green—
I tried to snap its photo—
disappeared in green.
___________________
Spring is always ambivalent about whether to rain or not; we’re still on the cusp of seasons, and our thanks to Taylor Graham for her poems and photos about that today. Forms she has used include a Haibun (“A Desolate Place”); a Borrowed First Line (“Take a Deep Breath”); a Word-Can Poem (“Whack”); a Chōka (“Bittacus chlorostigma”); a Florette (“Among Tall Grasses”); and a List Poem (“Notes: Saturday Walk in the Rain”). The Florette and the Borrowed First Line poem were two of last week’s Triple-F Challenges, and mentions of bugs were responses to our Tuesday Seed of the Week, Bugs.
In El Dorado County poetry this week, 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!
I walk a thin strip of abandoned green dissected by railroad track, its train passed on; a ditch runs on rain-time. This strip of living wild, confined by fences that don’t define it—private property on either side. Today it blooms with happy grasses, storks-bill, lupine, poppies. Old gnarled willow’s young again in catkin-green. Listen to red-wing, nuthatch, phoebe, wren, a raven who knows everything. Is it beautiful? It lifts my step, my spirit, does what words can’t say.
hear the trestle’d creek
alive with flowing water
magic of the land.
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
GREEN DOCK BEETLE
lunching on green dock
—Taylor Graham
Pure metallic green—
I tried to snap its photo—
disappeared in green.
___________________
Spring is always ambivalent about whether to rain or not; we’re still on the cusp of seasons, and our thanks to Taylor Graham for her poems and photos about that today. Forms she has used include a Haibun (“A Desolate Place”); a Borrowed First Line (“Take a Deep Breath”); a Word-Can Poem (“Whack”); a Chōka (“Bittacus chlorostigma”); a Florette (“Among Tall Grasses”); and a List Poem (“Notes: Saturday Walk in the Rain”). The Florette and the Borrowed First Line poem were two of last week’s Triple-F Challenges, and mentions of bugs were responses to our Tuesday Seed of the Week, Bugs.
In El Dorado County poetry this week, 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, Stephen Kingsnorth, and Caschwa:
NO MATTER WHERE
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
I may be a bit of a princess.
I always must travel in style.
My jolt must be French-pressed
and served with a muffin.
Otherwise, I won’t be there.
* * *
X FILE
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
The weather’s fine, though beach of stone,
that roll looks good, but marmalade?
The table free, yet for how long,
while I’d not bear accoutrements.
I’ll take the plunge with question mark,
if I alone see UFI,
or am I missing something here,
the very subject, my complaint.
That bread seems barely eaten clear—
unless a mouse took nibble there—
no evidence for coffee drunk,
unlikely source of LSD.
So what’s the stopper in my tale,
unanswered issue hanging there?
No flying saucer in this pack,
or place for setting such a shape.
My expectations may deceive,
or eyesight, focal length at fault,
as sight seen unexplained at best,
an esoteric mystery.
Can it be something in the bay,
an installation, estuary,
though clarity of outline tells
it’s lies far nearer to the lens.
I say not ‘stands’ for without legs,
and regret ‘lies’, when no support;
e’en ‘hangs’ suggests some string above,
while ‘dropping’ must have made imprint.
Perhaps my angle fantasy,
poetic licence wild, astray,
of optical illusion, prey;
can anyone explain away?
* * *
TREASURE FOR ONE
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Back off!
it’s all mine
the circuitous
motion of the cheese
grater builds a circle of
protective walls around that
oh so desirable one, single, sweet
roll which my anxious mouth and tongue
have no intentions of sharing with anyone
else. A generous portion of my favorite
beverage to be poured into none other
than my one metal cup, for me alone
to wash .down that sweet roll before
any other hungry soul can pounce
on it and whisk it away forever.
Not if I can help it. No way,
no sir, no chance, this is
how it is going to be
for the last time
it’s all mine
Back off!
* * *
Caschwa (Carl Schwartz) was very prolific this week! Here are some Florettes #2 of his, one of our Triple-F Challenges last week:
NEITHER HERE NOR THERE
—Caschwa
I lost my glasses once again
and cannot see what’s on my chin
all covered with an old man’s beard
corrective lenses smudged and smeared
through all of that I sense a trace of cinnamon
—Caschwa
I lost my glasses once again
and cannot see what’s on my chin
all covered with an old man’s beard
corrective lenses smudged and smeared
through all of that I sense a trace of cinnamon
~~~
Three cheers, hurrah! I found that crumb
that rendered half my brain so numb
it settled gently on one tooth
a prize like at a kissing booth
closed lips concealing giant wad of chewing gum
~~~
I never ever saw the light
that lit the handrail on that flight
of stairs upon which I did fall
and bumped my head against the wall
revealing stars around my head that shone so bright
* * *
A List Poem from Carl:
THE GREATEST GENERATION
—Caschwa
My father, from the Greatest Generation, would
pull out his 1908 Sears catalog and tease me about
how much lower the prices used to be. Now I find
myself giving that same speech to my own grown
son, rattling off what we used to get for one penny
or a dime.
With taxes, tariffs, shipping costs, insurance, legal
fees, surcharges, Consumer Price Index, somehow
our economy managed to take ownership of all 5
stages of grief:
1) denial (this is the easiest one to sell)
2) anger (a powerful gun with countless triggers)
3) bargaining (we usually let smooth talkers handle)
4) depression (lack of both money and hope)
5) acceptance (we now call this the New Normal)
And with all this for the background, we expect our
sorely divided Congress to make headway passing
laws to ease the perpetually increasing tensions
surrounding gun control, abortion, immigration,
gender issues, etc.
At least I can lounge in the history of once being
able to rely on one thin dime being enough to buy
me a cup of coffee, two scoops of ice cream, or to
make a call at a payphone.
* * *
Carl’s Nonce Poem: Each quatrain has syllable count 5,5,7,5, and rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, etc.
—Caschwa
My father, from the Greatest Generation, would
pull out his 1908 Sears catalog and tease me about
how much lower the prices used to be. Now I find
myself giving that same speech to my own grown
son, rattling off what we used to get for one penny
or a dime.
With taxes, tariffs, shipping costs, insurance, legal
fees, surcharges, Consumer Price Index, somehow
our economy managed to take ownership of all 5
stages of grief:
1) denial (this is the easiest one to sell)
2) anger (a powerful gun with countless triggers)
3) bargaining (we usually let smooth talkers handle)
4) depression (lack of both money and hope)
5) acceptance (we now call this the New Normal)
And with all this for the background, we expect our
sorely divided Congress to make headway passing
laws to ease the perpetually increasing tensions
surrounding gun control, abortion, immigration,
gender issues, etc.
At least I can lounge in the history of once being
able to rely on one thin dime being enough to buy
me a cup of coffee, two scoops of ice cream, or to
make a call at a payphone.
* * *
Carl’s Nonce Poem: Each quatrain has syllable count 5,5,7,5, and rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, etc.
POETIC JUSTICE
—Caschwa
This will become some
kind of poem soon
might be the kind one can hum,
a familiar tune
everything we see
touch, hear, feel, and smell
turns into the history
of Liberty Bell
big crack in the side
that alters its tones
one cannot possibly hide
such protruding bones
so we turn our head
and question the sense
is our democracy dead?
over with, past tense?
Congress assembles,
takes form of two halves
till it kind of resembles
a herd of young calves
who don’t recognize
who their parents are
so they follow with blind eyes
the luxury car
driven by humans
with all the answers
though with unsurpassed lumens
fail to see cancers
pandemic ensues
millions die in pain
gone are all the useful clues
only sad refrain
* * *
Here is a Tautogram from Carl, who says it’s about our recent Tuesday Seed of the Week, Bugs:
APPETIZERS
—Caschwa
Awesome aardvarks are admirably
adept at approaching ample ants
absent anger and abruptly assimilating
any amount
* * *
And Carl calls the form of this poem that he’s “springing” on us is the “High Bun Haiku”:
TRADITIONAL STYLE
—Caschwa
Lovely braids but too much hair
to land on skin so fair, alas what
is a girl to do but gather it in a
ball that remains Spring through Fall
Whatever happens
the bun will not come undone
oh, so beautiful
—Caschwa
Lovely braids but too much hair
to land on skin so fair, alas what
is a girl to do but gather it in a
ball that remains Spring through Fall
Whatever happens
the bun will not come undone
oh, so beautiful
__________________
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!
__________________
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 HexSonnetta:
•••HexSonnetta: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/hexsonnetta.html
•••AND/OR: Taylor Graham has given us a wonderful example of a Chōka; give it a shot, but don’t chōk-a on it:
•••Chōka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka AND/OR https://girlgriot.wordpress.com/tag/choka
•••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 “So Extravagant”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Borrowed First Line: Just what it says…
•••Chōka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka AND/OR https://girlgriot.wordpress.com/tag/choka
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Florette: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/essence.html
•••Florette #2: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/florette2.html
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••HexSonnetta: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/hexsonnetta.html
•••List Poem: clpe.org.uk/poetryline/poeticforms/list-poem
•••Nonce Poetry Forms: www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/nonce-forms-what-they-are-and-how-to-write-them
•••Response Poem: creativetalentsunleashed.com/2015/11/18/writing-tip-response-poems
•••Tautogram: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/tautogram-poetic-forms
•••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/.
•••Word-Can Poem: putting random words on slips of paper into a can, then drawing out a few and making a poem out of them
__________________
—Medusa
•••HexSonnetta: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/hexsonnetta.html
•••AND/OR: Taylor Graham has given us a wonderful example of a Chōka; give it a shot, but don’t chōk-a on it:
•••Chōka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka AND/OR https://girlgriot.wordpress.com/tag/choka
•••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 “So Extravagant”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Borrowed First Line: Just what it says…
•••Chōka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka AND/OR https://girlgriot.wordpress.com/tag/choka
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Florette: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/essence.html
•••Florette #2: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/florette2.html
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••HexSonnetta: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/hexsonnetta.html
•••List Poem: clpe.org.uk/poetryline/poeticforms/list-poem
•••Nonce Poetry Forms: www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/nonce-forms-what-they-are-and-how-to-write-them
•••Response Poem: creativetalentsunleashed.com/2015/11/18/writing-tip-response-poems
•••Tautogram: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/tautogram-poetic-forms
•••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/.
•••Word-Can Poem: putting random words on slips of paper into a can, then drawing out a few and making a poem out of them
__________________
—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
For info about
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
of this column. See also
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom
of the blue column on the right
side of this column to find
any date you want.
Miss a post?
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scrolling down under this daily one.
Or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column.
(Please excuse typos in older posts!
Blogspot has been through a lot of
incarnations in 20 years!)
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!
