FLOWER-PATTERNED SNAKE
—So Chong-Ju
A back path, steeped in musk and mint.
A beautiful snake.
Into what monstrous sorrow must you have been born
to bear a form so repulsive.
Like flower-patterned anklets.
Your grandfather's eloquent, Eve-beguiling tongue,
voiceless, flickers round your red mouth.
The blue skies—bite them,
in your resentment bite them
and flee, take your face away!
I follow,
hurling stone upon stone after you
down the scented, grass-choked path,
gasping as if I had swallowed oil,
but not because Eve was an ancestor's wife.
How I would like to wear your colors
more lovely than flower-patterned anklets.
The lovely mouth, gleaming red
as if wet with Cleopatra's blood.
Sink down, my snake!
Twenty-year-old Sunie's mouth, beautiful
as a cat's... Sink down, my snake!
and flee, take your face away!
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Something to add to this week’s busy calendar: Some of us NorCal poets know Connie Post, who will be reading at Valona Deli in Crockett (1327 Pomona St.) at the Second Sunday Poetry Reading series this Sunday, April 9 from 4-6 pm. Connie writes powerful poetry that addresses issues such as autism, diagnosis, parenting, divorce and a broad range of life experiences. A published poet for twenty years in such journals as California State Poetry Quarterly, Carquinez Poetry Review, Mid West Poetry Review and Mobius, Connie has won over fifty awards (including first and grand prizes) in various poetry contests. As the City of Livermore’s First Poet Laureate, she has conducted workshops for teenagers and has initiated poetry readings at the Ravenswood historical site and at Garré Winery’s Martinelli Event Center. Author of five books of poetry (most recently Waking State), Connie presented her work in 2005 on the nationally-syndicated radio program, “West Coast Live”.
Tonight (4/6), hear Straight Out Scribe Staajabu (with family and friends) at Poetry Unplugged, Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sac., 8 pm. Info: 916-441-3931. If you miss the gals tonight—or even if you do hear them—come hear them at the SECOND ANNUAL RATTLESNAKE PRESS BIRTHDAY BASH next Wednesday, April 12, at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., 7:30 pm. Free broadsides and a serious, industrial-strength buffet...
Heyday Institute, the Merced County Arts Council, and the University of California, Merced are proud to present the first Great Valley Book Writers Conference—a stimulating, interactive literary gathering that aims to cultivate audiences of writers and readers in this rapidly changing, creatively dynamic part of California. The conference will be held on Saturday, April 15 at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center, 645 Main Street, Merced. Events, including afternoon panels, morning workshops led by Gerald Haslam and Lucy Corin (Fiction); Tim Z. Hernandez and Lawson Fusao Inada (Poetry); Mark Arax and JoAnn Levy (Non-Fiction), and an evening keynote speech by Juan Felipe Herrera, are co-sponsored by the Poets and Writers Readings/Workshops program. The afternoon will include Merced Union High School students from the Valley Voices Poetry Program, who will read original work from their Footsteps in Time project, followed by "Writing from the Valley: Experiences by Valley Journalists", a panel discussion moderated by David Hosley of KVIE public television, featuring panelists Steve Magagnini, Sacramento Bee; Franz Weinschenk, Valley Writers Read (VPR 89.3 Fresno, KPRX 89.1 Bakersfield); Eduardo Stanley, Pacific News Service and KFCF 88.1; Dr. Andy’s Poetry Hour (KDVS 90.3 FM); and Karen Tellalian, Refine magazine. Finally, there will be a panel discussion on the topic, "Do Books Matter? Building a Literary Community", moderated by Ray Tatar of the California Arts Council and featuring panelists Cheryl Klein, Poets & Writers; Vicki Bailey, Merced Barnes & Noble; Cindy Wathen, Yosemite Writers Conference; Steve Mettee, Quill Driver Books; Howard Lachtman, Stockton Writers Group. The only cost for the day is $50 to attend a morning workshop of your choice, and that fee includes lunch.
For more information, or to register for the Great Valley Books Writers' conference, go to http://www.heydaybooks.com/gvbconference/index.html. If you have any questions, please contact Patricia Wakida at patricia@heydaybooks.com. (Technically the deadline for registration has passed, but Patricia assures Medusa that she is still welcoming folks in all three workshops—she just doesn’t want to have to register people at the door. Also, technically, this conference is geared toward encouraging Central Valley writers, those to the south of us, but it looks like it might have more general appeal, as well.)
________________________
WINTER SKY
—So Chong-Ju
With a thousand night's dream
I have rinsed clear the gentle brow
of my heart's love,
to transplant it
into the heavens.
A fierce bird
knows, and in mimicry
arcs through the midwinter sky.
_____________________
BESIDE A CHRYSANTHEMUM
—So Chong-Ju
To bring one chrysanthemum
to flower, the cuckoo has cried
since spring.
To bring one chrysanthemum to bloom,
thunder has rolled
through the black clouds.
Flower, like my sister returning
from distant, youthful byways
of throat-tight longing
to stand by the mirror:
for your yellow petals to open
last night such a frost fell,
and I could not sleep.
(Today's poems were translated from the Korean by David R. McCann)
________________________
—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.)