ONE
—dawn dibartolo, sacramento
black sky.
no stars.
cavernous, pulling me in.
curling inward
doesn't shorten its reach ~
still stings the skin,
the soul.
maybe if i'm quiet
(like a mouse, like
a mouse),
dark won't find me;
maybe if i pretend
that its gravity doesn't affect,
limitless won't take me;
or maybe black sky
is just who i am.
_______________________
Thanks, Dawn!
THE BIGGEST QUESTIONS*
—David Humphreys, Stockton
The day starts as days usually do nosing into
the paper and a cup of coffee, nothing much
out of place or sequence except for something
nagging in the distant background like storm
clouds on the high mountain horizon, plateau
edged with sagebrush, tan sandstone and red
salty iron. Shades of gray graduate perspectives.
In physics it is why are there particles that have
mass while others have none, lead heavy or
neutrino phantom. The front page glares its
usual tragedies into the morning, weather
breathing down the neck of page two. By what
series of chemical reactions did atoms form
the first living things? This is enough to crack
an egg into the sizzling skillet and drop a slice
of bread into the toaster. The local section with
its inevitable crimes and punishments comes next.
Biology and what the complete structure and
function of the proteome gestates with the
undoubtedly enhanced and muscled up sports
section. Wondering if geologically accurate
weather forecasting will ever help anything has
more to do with the entertainment section since
everyone can use a good laugh. This brings us
finally to the money section and want ads where
breakfast is finally finished with the bottom line
and we can safely say that we would like to one
day know why in astronomy the universe is
expanding faster and faster, something clearly
seen in the red shift spectral evidence. You return
to your hot valley town through the front door
to shade trees of a thick canopy over sweltering
summer heat. Early summer sweet jasmine has
gone but the bougainvillea is rich in cardinal red.
Fall is a cold keen edge that warms up in the afternoon.
You consider these various questions and it occurs
to you that the only really important thing about
science for you is really pretty good looking after
all and has somehow been around for as long as
you would care to remember. You sort the paper's
sections on the counter next to the water boiler and
head off to do whatever it is you still may have to do.
*See: The Five Biggest Questions in Science by
Wiggins & Wynn. John Wile & Sons, Inc., 2003
_______________________
Thanks, David, and thanks for the idea for the title of today's Medusa.
Time for a give-away! Send me your autumn poems by midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 26, and I'll send you a free copy of Phil Weidman's new rattlechap, Fictional Character: The Ernie Poems (or something else equally dandy, if you already have Phil's book).
This weekend's poetic adventures:
•••This weekend (Sept. 23-24), the West Sacramento Friends of the Library book sale will take place from 9 AM-4 PM on Saturday and from 10 AM-2 PM on Sunday. Books range in price from five to fifty cents, and the Sunday sale features books at $1/bag. Arthur F. Turner Branch Library, 1212 Merkley Av., West Sac. For info or to donate books: 916-375-6465.
•••Saturday (9/23), 4 PM: The Central California Art Association and the Mistlin Art Gallery announce a poetry reading at the gallery, 1015 J St., Downtown Modesto. This event will be celebrating the poetry of George Rogers, a much-beloved teacher and artist, by readings from his posthumous chapbook, about to fly. The chapbook was published by friends of George Rogers in April 2006 in Modesto, CA. All proceeds from the sale of about to fly will be donated to the George A. Rogers Neighborhood Park, a fund with the Stanislaus Community Foundation. Copies will be available at the reading, or by contacting Ken White at Ken1White@aol.com. There will also be an "Open Mic" at the reading.
•••Also Sat. (9/23), 10 AM-4 PM: The Children's Book Celebration at Fairytale Town offers demonstrations, poetry, music, puppets, the library's Wonder Wagon, and more. 3901 Land Park Dr., Sac.. Free. Info: 916-264-5233.
•••Sunday (9/24), 4-6 PM: Poems-For-All presents a book release party for Bill Pieper's latest novel, Belonging, a tale of Downieville and California's modern Gold Country. The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac. Free. Info: 916-442-9295.
And a couple more:
•••Sunday (9/24), 2-4 PM: Gail Entrekin presents the Sunday Salon, a quarterly reading of women writers, including Elizabeth Appell, Liz Collins, Molly Fisk, Miki Lanseadel, Donna Hanelin and Robin Wallace. Jason's Studio Cafe, 134 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley, in Book Town Books. Info: Gail 265-1996 or Ronnie 265-0478.
•••Monday (9/25), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Camille Norton, winner of the 2004 National Poetry Series Award winner for Corruption. Camille is on the faculty in the English Department at The University of the Pacific, where she teaches courses in critical theory, post-colonial world literature and film, modernism and creative writing. She has recently been published in Field: Contemporary Poetry and Poetics; The Colorado Review; Tiferet; Iris; Ekphrasis; The White Pelican Review; The Gail Scott Reader; and How2: On-line Journal of Women and Experimental Writing. She has received numerous awards and fellowships in poetry, including and NEA fellowship at The MacDowell Colony in 2002. That's Monday, at HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sac. Info: 451-5569.
And one more:
Donna Hanelin writes: Saturday, September 23, I'm giving a free sample class and organizational meeting for writers in the Sacramento to Roseville area, which will be followed by a series of seven Saturday classes between now and February. If you'd like to come to the meeting and/or subsequent classes, please call or email for more information. I also continue to work with writers as a private teacher-consultant on manuscripts.
My classes also begin here in Nevada City over the next two weeks. (For complete information, call or email for a paper brochure or go to www.creativewritingclasses.us, click on Classes.)
•••Light of Day, a bookwriters’ group, meets on Thursdays, 9-Noon, beginning Sept. 28. It's a critique group for those of you who are working on novels, short story collections and memoirs.
•••Creative Writing, in-class writing practices, discussion, for all levels meets either Tuesdays, 7-9 PM or Wednesdays, 10 – Noon, beginning Oct. 3 & 4.
•••Open Door Writing Practice, spontaneous or 'free' writing, suggestions given, meets Tuesdays, 3-5 PM, beginning Oct. 3.
•••Short Story Clinics, monthly Saturday critique-workshops—bring in your short stories or chapters for group feedback. First clinic is September 30, 10 AM-3 PM.
Just call or email for more information. Donna Hanelin, 530-265-8799,
www.creativewritingclasses.us
_______________________
But of course you'll be spending the weekend getting your poem(s) together for Medusa's latest snake-a-thon, yes? [See above.] Here's a WCW to inspire you:
AUTUMN
—William Carlos Williams
A stand of people
by an open
grave underneath
the heavy leaves
celebrates
the cut and fill
for the new road
where
an old man
on his knees
reaps a basket-
ful of
matted grasses for
his goats
_______________________
—Medusa
Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry, photos and art, 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.)