Bears, Books, Tulips & Dungrollers (Working Survivors)

CONTINUUM
—Denise Levertov

Some beetle trilling
its midnight utterance.

Voice of the scarabee,
dungroller,
working survivor...

I recall how each year
returning from voyages, flights
over sundown snowpeaks,
cities crouched over darkening lakes,
hamlets of wood and smoke,
I find
the same blind face upturned to the light
and singing
the one song,

the same weed managing
its brood of minute stars
in the cracked flagstone.

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"Continuum" was sent to me by Stephani Schaefer of Los Molinos, who writes: Thanks for the poem by Wm. Stafford [see Wednesday's post—and it's Peggy Hill who deserves the thanks], one of my very favorites, especially his essays about writing. For that, and since it's been his birthday [see Thursday's post], I'm sending you the poem I wrote in honor of him:

SONGBIRD AT STAFFORD SPRINGS
—Stephani Schaefer

There are days when the
sky, not overcast,
allows the eye infinity.

Beyond the polished
blue you sense the black void
but the songbird knows

the secret hidden in
the folded wing
and is not daunted.

Life, he sings, lies
in the warmth of the fold,
the tucked in

intricacies, each
barbed feather in place,
each note fitting what is.

______________________

Thanks, Stephani!

This just in:

In browsing through The Mountain Democrat, a wee local newspaper that serves mostly El Dorado County, I came across the announcement that Books 'N Bears in the town of El Dorado will host Poetic License today at 3 PM, featuring a group of "poetry enthusiasts". This month's subject is "Political" (apparently they meet monthly). Everyone is invited to attend and listen to and share poems. Books 'N Bears is located at 6211-A Main St. in El Dorado (I've been in there; it's 'way cute.) Info: Marti Dunn, 530-621-1766 or bnb@direct-con.net. Medusa's mission in life is to root out and advertise poetry readings wherever they pop up in the NorCal area, and she is always gleeful at finding one she didn't know about. El Dorado is easy to get to; just take Hwy 50 east and take the El Dorado exit.

_______________________

Think tulips! One of the good things about all this cold weather is that tulips need a certain number of freezing temperatures to keep on truckin'. More Levertov:

THE TULIPS
—Denise Levertov

Red tulips
living into their death
flushed with a wild blue

tulips
becoming wings
ears of the wind
jackrabbits rolling their eyes

west wind
shaking the loose pane

some petals fall
with that sound one
listens for

_______________________

—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.)