Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Heads Up!

Poetry Now lists Los Escritores as meeting tomorrow night; actually they're meeting Friday, Oct. 28 in a Day of the Dead Celebration to honor the lives of the 2005 Fallen Chicano Heroes: Bert Corona, Rodolfo (Corky) Gonzalez, Lalo Guerrero, Carlos Cortez, Gloria Anzaldua, Octavio I. Romano, and Phil Goldvarg. These men and women were in the forefront of the struggle for recognizing Chicano culture and identity. Donation: $5 or as you can afford. Where: La Raza Galeria/Posada Bookstore; 1421 ‘R’ Street, Sac, upstairs. Info: 456-5323. Los Escritores del Nuevo Sol (Writers of the New Sun) is a literary community, established in 1993, that especially honors the literary and artistic cultures and traditions of Chicano, Latino and Indigenous peoples. Members write in Spanish or English, or both. All activities are open to the public. For information on the Escritores anthology, Cantos y Cuentos, go to their Website: http://www.escritoresdelnuevosol.com/

The other heads-up is a reminder that tonight's Urban Voices reading at the South Natomas Library will start at 6:30 pm instead of 7. Come hear Todd Walton.


ALL THINGS CAN TEMPT ME
—William Butler Yeats

All things can tempt me from this craft of verse,
One time it was a woman's face, or worse,
The seeming needs of my fool-driven land,
Now nothing but comes readier to the hand
Than this accustomed toil. When I was young,
I had not given a penny for a song
Did not the poet sing it with such airs
That one believed he had a sword upstairs,
Yet would be now, could I but have my wish,
Colder and dumber and deafer than a fish.

_____________________


AN APPOINTMENT
—William Butler Yeats

Being out of heart with government
I took a broken root to fling
Where the proud, wayward squirrel went,
Taking delight that he could spring;
And he, with that low whinnying sound
That is like laughter, sprang again
And so to the other tree at a bound.
Nor the tame will, nor timid brain,
Bred that fierce tooth and cleanly limb
And threw him up to laugh on the bough;
No government appointed him.

_________________________

A COAT
—William Butler Yeats

I made my song a coat
Covered with embroideries
Out of old mythologies
From heel to throat;
But the fools caught it,
Wore it in the world's eye
As though they'd wrought it.
Song, let them take it,
For there's more enterprise
In walking naked.

______________________

—Medusa

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry and announcements of Northern California poetry events to kathykieth@hotmail.com for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets.