Havva cuppa Joe? Today's photo is from Sacramento Poet/Photographer Jane Blue. It was taken at her local haunt, Central Valley Coffee on Riverside Blvd. in Sacramento. See more of Jane's work in Rattlesnake Review #11, due out later in September. Thanks, Jane! And the rest of you—send me visuals!
____________________________
TO THE READER
—Denise Levertov
As you read, a white bear leisurely
pees, dying the snow
saffron
and as you read, many gods
lie among lianas: eyes of obsidian
are watching the generations of leaves,
and as you read
the sea is turning its dark pages,
turning
its dark pages.
_______________________
SONG FOR ISHTAR
—Denise Levertov
The moon is a sow
and grunts in my throat
Her great shining shines through me
so the mud of my hollow gleams
and breaks in silver bubbles
She is a sow
and I a pig and a poet
When she opens her white
lips to devour me I bite back
and laughter rocks the moon
In the black of desire
we rock and grunt, grunt and
shine
_______________________
EROS AT TEMPLE STREAM
—Denise Levertov
The river in its abundance
many-voiced
all about us as we stood
on a warm rock to wash
slowly
smoothing in long
sliding strokes
our soapy hands along each other's
slippery cool bodies
quiet and slow in the midst of
the quick of the
sounding river
our hands were
flames
stealing upon quickened flesh until
no part of us but was
sleek and
on fire
sliding strokes
our soapy hands along each other's
slippery cool bodies
quiet and slow in the midst of
the quick of the
sounding river
our hands were
flames
stealing upon quickened flesh until
no part of us but was
sleek and
on fire
_______________________
COME INTO ANIMAL PRESENCE
—Denise Levertov
Come into animal presence.
No man is so guileless as
the serpent. The lonely white
rabbit on the roof is a star
twitching its ears at the rain.
The llama intricately
folding its hind legs to be seated
not disdains but mildly
disregards human approval.
What joy when the insouciant
armadillo glances at us and doesn't
quicken his trotting
across the track into the palm brush.
What is this joy? That no animal
falters, but knows what it must do?
That the snake has no blemish,
that the rabbit inspects his strange surroundings
in white star-silence? The llama
rests in dignity, the armadillo
has some intention to pursue in the palm-forest.
Those who were sacred have remained so,
holiness does not dissolve, it is a presence
of bronze, only the sight that saw it
faltered and turned from it.
An old joy returns in holy presence.
COME INTO ANIMAL PRESENCE
—Denise Levertov
Come into animal presence.
No man is so guileless as
the serpent. The lonely white
rabbit on the roof is a star
twitching its ears at the rain.
The llama intricately
folding its hind legs to be seated
not disdains but mildly
disregards human approval.
What joy when the insouciant
armadillo glances at us and doesn't
quicken his trotting
across the track into the palm brush.
What is this joy? That no animal
falters, but knows what it must do?
That the snake has no blemish,
that the rabbit inspects his strange surroundings
in white star-silence? The llama
rests in dignity, the armadillo
has some intention to pursue in the palm-forest.
Those who were sacred have remained so,
holiness does not dissolve, it is a presence
of bronze, only the sight that saw it
faltered and turned from it.
An old joy returns in holy presence.
_______________________
—Medusa
Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their poetry, photos, artwork 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.)
