One of Those Days

THOMASINA
—Irene Lipshin, Placerville

In her ninth life,
she spent indoor hours
curled up on one lap
or another,
generating warmth
like a tightly
woven blanket—
then without warning
stretched herself free
and in that feline
spine-lengthening
yoga position,
purred her spirit
into the air.

(Previously published in Rattlesnake Review)

_______________________

Thanks, Irene! Irene Lipshin will be getting a copy of Song's new chapbook, as will Taylor Graham (see below). Send me a cat poem of yours before midnight on May 31, previously published or not, and I’ll send you a free copy of Song Kowbell’s new rattlechap, Lick Your Wounds and Want Again. Or, if you have that one, I’ll send you something else.

I can't believe I spelled "Bukowski" with a y in yesterday's post. (I've since fixed it.) Yesterday was One of Those Days, with three trips to the airport.

Anyway, if you're not going to the Jazz Jubilee this weekend (or New York, where Sam the Snake Man is): tonight (5/27), The Show Poetry Series features Prentice, K and Shanine-Ambercrobie, 7 pm at the Wo'se Community Center, 2863 35th St., Sac. $5. Info: 916-445-7638. And Monday (5/29), Sacramento Poetry Center will have its usual fifth-Monday Open Mic at 7:30 pm, hosted by Bob Stanley. That's at HQ, 25th & R Sts., Sac. Free.

LOGIC OF CATS
—Taylor Graham, Somerset

The basket is hers. It fits her to a purr.
It begs for the curl of peach-furred tail
in a wicker weave. So the puppy must keep
his place, which is just outside the reach

of sharpened nails. A basket is a boat
to sail the dreamy seas, where sirens sing
like finches, and goldfish float below
the surface, gleaming. Amber eyes and wings.

A woven basket needs no nails. No bark
to belly-out its sails. No grumbling dogs
to crew it. Without a word it unfurls
to wrap whole globes about a cozy ark.

The fire warms itself on ember’d logs.
A woven basket by the fire purrs.

________________________

STANDOFF
—Taylor Graham, Somerset

The old black cat
and the new gray tabby—
four yellow eyes
glaring.
They divide our house
between them, not
sharing.

_______________________

Thanks, TG! She says she sent two poems because she has two cats, and they refuse to share. Hatch, by the way, is home from the hospital and seems to be doing okay, though his chainsaw activites are apparently put on hold for the moment...

—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.)