Now I Forgot Tom!

TRANSFORMATIONS
—Thomas Hardy

Portion of this yew
Is a man my grandsire knew,
Bosomed here at its foot:
This branch may be his wife,
A ruddy human life
Now turned to a green shoot.

These grasses must be made
Of her who often prayed,
Last century, for repose;
And the fair girl long ago
Whom I often tried to know
May be entering this rose.

So, they are not underground,
But as nerves and veins abound
In the growths of upper air,
And they feel the sun and rain,
And the energy again
That made them what they were!

______________________

Yesterday would've been Thomas Hardy's 166th birthday; sorry to forget you, Tom!

Plenty of poetry activities going on this weekend (see last Monday's post), and don't forget Kathleen Lynch's reading at Headquarters for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac., at 7:30 PM next Monday (6/5). Some other events which are related (or not):

•••Booksale tomorrow (Sunday, 6/4) at the Arthur F. Turner Branch Library in West Sac., 1212 Merkeley Av., West Sac., 9 AM-4 PM, sponsored by the W. Sac. Friends of the Library (info: 916-375-6465).

•••In the mood to shred your poems? I know the feeling! Free shred-a-thon today (6/3) at Weyerhaeuser's recycling facility, 50 S. River Rd., West Sac., 11 AM-6 PM. Bring any "confidentials" (of course that MUST include poems, the most confidential things of all!). Info: 916-371-4634.

•••Did you know it's illegal to throw away old cell phones? Hazardous waste. Throughout June, donate them to St. Paul's Catholic Church, 8720 Florin Rd., Sac., and the church will receive a monetary donation from the American Cellular Donation Organization. Info: 916-381-5200.

•••And the most precious event: This Sunday (6/4) will be the 2nd Annual Great Sacramento Duck Race, a benefit for Special Olympics programs in Nor-Cal. Starting at 2 PM on Sunday, a "flock" of rubber ducks will be released into the Sac. River at Waterfront Park (100 Front Street); the first ten to make it to Tower Bridge will win prizes for their sponsors, such as vacations, cash, bbq's, etc. Adopt one for $5, or a "six-quack" for $25: www.sacramentoduckrace.com (deadline tonight at 10 PM) or 916-929-RACE.

_______________________

IN A MUSEUM
—Thomas Hardy

I

Here's the mould of a musical bird long passed from light,
Which over the earth before man came was winging;
There's a contralto voice I heard last night,
That lodges in me still with its sweet singing.

II

Such a dream is Time that the coo of this ancient bird
Has perished not, but is blent, or will be blending
Mid visionless wilds of space with the voice that I heard,
In the full-fugued song of the universe unending.

________________________

HEREDITY
—Thomas Hardy

I am the family face;
Flesh perishes, I live on,
Projecting trait and trace
Through time to times anon,
And leaping from place to place
Over oblivion.

The years-heired feature that can
In curve and voice and eye
Despise the human span
Of durance—that is I;
The eternal thing in man,
That heeds no call to die.

________________________

And James Lee Jobe writes from Texas to say that he misses his friends and family very much, but that his mother came through her surgery better than he had dreamed possible. We're thinking about you, JJ!

—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.)