On Time

THE KINGDOM
—Russell Edson

...That's funny, my watch is melting on my wrist.
I wonder if it's painful?
I have been living in my mind.

Out in the provinces of my extremities, where any event seems central, a simple folk of fingers, yoked in habits, are beginning to find evidence that nature is at least changing its mind.

Out in the province of my left wrist, my watch is melting—hands reaching out, curl back to their breast of numbers in the sudden heat. An old man's supplication.
Time, the bringer, finally ruins everything.

I have been living in my mind. Pain rides in. I no longer care; the king is sick with doubt.

________________________

TIME
—Mary Ursula Bethell

'Established' is a good word, much used in garden books,
'The plant, when established'...
Oh, become established quickly, quickly, garden!
For I am fugitive, I am very fugitive—

Those that come after me will gather these roses,
And watch, as I do now, the white wistaria
Burst, in the sunshine, from its pale green sheath.

Planned. Planted. Established. Then neglected,
Till at last the loiterer by the gate will wonder
At the old, old cottage, the old wooden cottage,
And say, 'One might build here, the view is glorious;
This must have been a pretty garden once.'

_______________________

Gotcha! Medusa played a wee April Fool's joke yesterday, switching the authors on the two poems posted, and apparently nobody noticed! At least, nobody complained. I do have respect for Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry, but by no stretch of the imagination was that poem written by Will Shakespeare... Gotcha! April Fools.......!

Poems? In The Bee??? Turn to the Scene section today for—yes—poems!—about Daylight Savings Time. You did sproinnnggg your clock forward an hour, didn't you?


AND SUDDENLY IT IS EVENING
—Salvatore Quasimodo

Everyone stands alone at the heart of this earth
Stunned by a ray of sunlight
and suddenly it is evening.

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See the latest Rattlesnake Review for Taylor Graham's article on time and poetry.

—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.)