STRAIN
—Amy Lowell
It is late
And the clock is striking thin hours,
But sleep has become a terror to me,
Lest I wake in the night
Bewildered,
And stretching out my arms to comfort myself with you,
Clasp instead the cold body of the darkness.
All night it will hunger over me,
And push and undulate against me,
Breathing into my mouth
And passing long fingers through my drifting hair.
Only the dawn can loose me from it,
And the grey streaks of morning melt it from my side.
Bring my candles,
Though they stab my tired brain
And hurt it.
For I am afraid of the twining of the darkness
And dare not sleep.
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Heads Up, Yolo-ites:
Rae Gouirand, Poet in Residence at Cache Creek Nature Preserve writes: Dear writers-round-here: I thought I'd help spread the news about The Yolo Crow, a new journal that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (as well as cover artwork) by local writers. The last issue featured a number of poets who attend my workshops at Cache Creek Nature Preserve, and I believe they're now taking submissions for their next issue. [see below] If you're interested, visit http://www.yolocrow.com or email the editor at editor@yolocrow.com for more info. You can buy the current issue at Newsbeat [or The Avid Reader] and some other spots around Davis. It's a nice, small journal that represents the greater community beyond the walls of UCD. [Note from Medusa: I checked the website, and Yolo Crow is open only to writers from Yolo County. They are currently accepting entries for their Halloween contest; check it out!]
Break Out the Coolers for These Po-Events, 7/17-23:
•••Tonight (Monday, 7/17), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Hot Thoughts: Two-Voice Poetry featuring Susan Hennies and Joe Finkelman. Jazz flute and Vocals by Francesca Reitano; Percussion and Sound Texture by Sharon McCorkell. SPC/HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac. Info: 451-5569. Free. Open Mic.
•••Tuesday (7/18), starting at 10:30 AM: Friends of the Rocklin County Library offer used books, videos and DVDs for sale. 5460 Fifth St., Rocklin. 916-624-3133.
•••Wednesday (7/19), 9 PM: Open-mic poetry by local artists at Capitol Garage, 1500 K St., Sac., $5. Info: 916-444-3633.
•••Also Wednesday (7/19), 6:30-8 PM: South Natomas Urban Voices presents Song Kowbell, Terrill & Eric, Rhony Bhopla, hosted by BL Kennedy. South Natomas Library, 2901 Truxel Rd., Sac. Free.
•••Thursday (7/20), 8 PM: Vibe Sessions Neo-Soul Lounge at Cobbler Inn Restaurant, 3520 Stockton Blvd., Sac. $5. Info: 916-457-6177.
•••Thursday (7/20), doors open at 7 PM, show starts at 8. Ms. La-Rue' writes: Get your SPOKEN WORD ON and your LAUGH ON and get your WEST INDIAN GRUB ON. You all know that laughter is good for the soul and poetry put something on your mind, and DJ BARNEY B got your favorite grooves to get the party jumping. You all know I can't wait to see YOU at the next AN EVENING OF POETRY!!!! Gwen's Caribbean Cuisine, 2355 Arden Way @ Bell, Sac., $5 cover, open mic. Info: 916-922-3468.
•••Thursday (7/20), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged features Jim Nolt and Cameron. Open mic before/after. Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sac. Info: 441-3931 or www.lunascafe.com. Free.
•••Friday (7/21) is the last day for Early Registration for the Sacramento State Summer Writers' Conference, coming up this August 18-20 at CSUS. Poetry workshops, led by Al Garcia, Josh McKinney, and Mary Mackey, include "The Publishable Poem"; "Invoking the Muse"; "The Sonnet & Its Variations"; "Pitfalls of the Novice Poet"; and "Accident as Method/Nuts & Bolts". Early reg. (by July 21) is $245; after that, it's $285. For an additional (optional) $50, you can reserve an individual 15-min. feedback session with a workshop leader on work you have submitted in advance. Info/reg: www.cce.csus.edu/writersconference or 916-278-4433 (x0), or find one of the many flyers that are travelling around the community.
•••Friday (7/21), 7 PM: Our House Defines Art poetry reading features Sacramento Rebecca Morrison (Eskimo Pie Girl) and Grass Valley-ite and After Hours Poet Will Staple. Free; an open mic follows. Our House Defines Art Gallery & Framing is located at 4510 Post St. in El Dorado Hills Town Center; from Sac., take the Latrobe exit and turn left into the shopping center.
•••Friday (7/21) at 7:30 PM, Robert Hass, Harryette Mullen, Sharon Olds, C.D. Wright, and Dean Young will read their poetry in the Starr King Room at the First Unitarian Universalist Center of San Francisco (1187 Franklin Street at Geary). This benefit reading will raise money for the Poetry Scholarship Fund at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Books donated by the poets and their publishers will be available for purchase before and after the reading, and the poets will be available to sign books after the reading. BUY TICKETS NOW: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4297. (Please note: They will not be taking ticket reservations this year. Tickets are available for advance purchase now, and if they don't sell out, there will be tickets available at the door.) Info: www.squawvalleywriters.org/reading_events.htm or benefit@squawvalleywriters.org
•••Closing this Sunday (7/23) at Sacramento Poetry Center's neighbor, California Stage: Fastened to a Dying Animal: Eros, revelation & the life of the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats, a world premiere written and performed by local dramaturgist Rick Foster. California Stage is a non-profit professional theatre company dedicated to supporting and encouraging arts created by local artists for local audiences; it’s located right across the parking lot from SPC, at 1723 25th St. (25th & R), Sac. Runs this Friday and Sat. at 8 PM, Sunday at 2 PM. Reservations: 916-451-5822. For more info on Cal. Stage and on Rick Foster, check out www.calstage.org.
_______________________
NUIT BLANCHE
—Amy Lowell
The chirping of crickets in the night
Is intermittent,
Like the twinkling of stars.
_______________________
NUANCE
—Amy Lowell
Even the iris bends
When a butterfly lights upon it.
_______________________
SPECTACLES
—Amy Lowell
He was a landscape architect.
All day he planned Dutch gardens: rectangular, squared with tulips; Italian gardens: dark with myrtle, thick with running water; English gardens: prim, box-edged, espaliered fruit trees flickering on walls, borders of snap-dragons, pansies, marjoram, rue.
On Saturday afternoons, he did not walk into the country. He paid a quarter and went to a cinema show, and gazed—gazed—at marching soldiers, at guns firing and recoiling, at waste grounds strewn with mutilated dead. When he took off his glasses, there was moisture upon them, and his eyes hurt. He could not see to use a periscope, they said, yet he could draw gardens.
________________________
DOG-DAYS
—Amy Lowell
A ladder sticking up at the open window,
The top of an old ladder;
And all of Summer is there.
Great waves and tufts of wistaria surge across the window,
And a thin, belated blossom
Jerks up and down in the sunlight;
Purple translucence against the blue sky.
"Tie back this branch," I say,
But my hands are sticky with leaves,
And my nostrils widen to the smell of crushed green.
The ladder moves uneasily at the open window,
And I call to the man beneath,
"Tie back that branch."
There is a ladder leaning against the window-sill,
And a mutter of thunder in the air.
________________________
—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.)