LOVE IN A WARM ROOM IN WINTER
—James Wright
The trouble with you is
You think all I want to do
Is get you into bed
And make love with you.
And that's not true!
I was just trying to make friends.
All I wanted to do
Was get into bed
With you and make
Love with you.
Who was that little bird we saw towering upside down
This afternoon on that pine cone, on the edge of a cliff,
In the snow? Wasn't he charming? Yes, he was, now,
Now, now,
Just take it easy.
Aha!
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Lots to do tonight: Keely Sidira Dorran and Bri Pruett read at Poetry Unplugged, Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 pm. Free. Info: 916-441-3931. Or...
Also tonight (3/16), La-Rue, Rob Anthony and Flo-Real read at Gwen's Caribbean Cuisine, 2355 Arden Way, Sac., 8 pm. $5; open mic. Info: 916-922-3468. Or...
Also, at 7:30 p.m. the Nevada County Poetry Series will present the poets Jack and Billy Shields, Drew Dellinger and Judith Hurley Prosser. These poets will be reading from their works concerning the interplay of man and nature and the influences that interplay has on the environment and the human spirit. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5 general, seniors and students, and $1 for those under 18. Refreshments and open-mic included. The show will be in Off Center Stage (the Black Box theater, enter from Richardson Street) at the Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley, CA. For more information call (530) 432-8196 or (530) 274-8384.
Speaking of Grass Valley, Molly Fisk writes from neighboring Nevada City: The line-up at Squaw looks great this summer (the Community at Squaw Valley Poetry Workshop) and I encourage any of you who haven't had a chance to work this way "live" to check it out. I modeled Poetry Boot Camp on the Squaw workshop's idea of writing every day for a week, just because the process had so changed my own writing. This year's teacher-poets are Sharon Olds, Bob Hass, C.D. Wright, Dean Young, and Harryette Mullen. I've worked with the first four and found them all to be good—and very different—teachers. I'm looking forward to meeting Harryette. (I'm going up to visit, not attending this year.) The dates are July 22-29th, and the contact info is http://www.squawvalleywriters.org/poetry_ws.htm. So if you're looking for a place to get juiced with your writing, I recommend it! Meanwhile, since it isn't summer yet, how about signing up for the Internet March Poetry Boot Camp, 3/26-3/31? There are still some spaces available. [Ed. note from kk: I don't have a contact number for Boot Camp handy, but I'm sure you can find it under "Molly Fisk" on the 'Net. Or I'll find it for you—I have it around here, somewhere...]
By the way, Nevada City Poet Molly Fisk will be reading at PoemSpirits in Sacramento Sunday, April 2 at 6 pm. A radio host and essayist on Grass Valley’s KVMR, Molly has published widely and received grants from the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and others. She teaches Writing to Heal classes, poetry critique workshops, and an Internet Poetry Boot Camp. The reading will be in Room 11, Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd., 2 blocks north of Fair Oaks Blvd, between Howe and Fulton Avenues. Info: Tom Goff or Nora Staklis, 916-481-3312; JoAnn Anglin, 916-451-1372.
Speaking of Interviewer-in-Residence JoAnn Anglin, she read my mind. Well, actually, she preceded me—she wrote to tell me that she has already interviewed Staajabu (see yesterday's post) for the next Rattlesnake Review, due out in June! See why I have columnists? They make the wheels go so much more smoothly while I'm over here, day-dreaming out the window, circling upon my star...
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THE SLEEPWALKER
—Nelly Sachs
The sleepwalker
circling upon his star
is awakened by
the white feather of morning—
the bloodstain on it reminds him—
startled, he drops
the moon—
the snowberry breaks
against the black agate of night
sullied with dream—
No spotless white on this earth—.
____________________
DISILLUSIONMENT OF TEN O'CLOCK
—Wallace Stevens
The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches tigers
In red weather.
__________________
—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. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.)