YOUR VOICE IS LIKE A FEATHER
(for my mother)
—Rhony Bhopla, Sacramento
Mother, it is like wind
a small voice, covering big giant
seeds, full of the colors of holi.
You are the saint,
sweet milky barphi, setting
into my holy places.
My taste buds coat
with your essence, true, pleasant
:a petal on my soul.
Your anger, a symbol
of divinity, shortening
my breath with its tiny blows.
You are the softness of skin
layering light
hue of chai, mixing with sugar.
You, my daily clearing
with penetration of
your shiny illumination
_______________________
Thanks, Rhony! Premiering tonight at the Rattle-Read at The Book Collector is Rhony Bhopla’s littlesnake broadside, Tulip Stem, while Song Kowbell and Todd Cirillo will also be celebrating the release of their new rattlechaps: Song's Lick Your Wounds and Want Again, and Todd's Everybody Knows the Dice Are Loaded. Also to be had: TWO (count ‘em—two!) free, brand-new editions of VYPER!, the journal of poetry from poets 13-19 years of age. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. 1008 24th St., Sac., 7:30 pm. Info: 916-442-9295.
Rhony will also be reading at The Other Voice in Davis this Friday (5/12), along with rattlechapper James Lee Jobe (What God Said When She Finally Answered Me) in the Unitarian Church Library, 27072 Patwin Rd., Davis, 7:30 pm. Info: 530-902-4591.
AND—Rhony and Bob Stanley have agreed to take over Poetry Now, the Sacramento Poetry Center monthly journal of poetry, news and reviews. They are working frantically to get an issue out for June, bless their hearts.
Today (5/10) is also the deadline for submissions for Squaw Valley. This year, Squaw Valley Community of Writers (July 22-29) will feature Robert Hass, Harryette Mullen, Sharon Olds, C.D. Wright, and Dean Young. Check: info@squawvalleywriters.org or 530-470-8440 for info, or www.squawvalleywriters.org.
One more calendar item for Saturday (5/13): There will be a Think Postcard! workshop in Winters at 10 am at the Winters Branch Library, 201 First St., Winters. So there are two postcard workshops that day: one in Winters and one at the Crocker Art Museum (see last Monday's Events post).
A new voice heard from—new to our environs, anyway:
FUMBLING
—Joe Tetro, Bakersfield
I reach up
with stunned hands,
fumbling
for the scribbled fashioning
of my own face,
and there—
among the ruins—
I fumble
for the scraps
of a child
buried in the bedrooms
of my bones...who
cries out
in the empty darkness
for words
of approval
I've never spoken.
For such favors missed
I fumble...as if such
fumbling had a meaning
________________________
Thanks, Joe! Watch from more poetry from Joe Tetro in the next Snake—deadline is, by the way, THIS MONDAY (5/15)!!
—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.)