Just Because

SOUTH OF THE YANGTZE, THINKING OF SPRING
—Li Po

How many times will I see spring green
again, or yellow birds tireless in song?

The road home ends at the edges of heaven.
Here beyond the river, my old hair white,

my heart flown north to cloudy passes,
I'm shadow in moonlit southern mountains.

My life a blaze of spent abundance, my old
fields and gardens buried in weeds, where

am I going? It's year's-end, and I'm here
chanting long farewells at heaven's gate.

________________________

Stephani Schaefer sends us some Li Po, as well as a poem of her own:

JUST BECAUSE

your neighbor only speaks to you
about the weather

doesn't mean he hasn't fallen
on the knife of divided self

hasn't walked on coals
to come to a hard decision

hasn't curled tight against some
woman's hip and held on for dear life

hasn't had dreams that go beyond
his front walk

hasn't sometimes wished to tell
someone some of this

hasn't found in words on some page
or in some song, some balm.

—Stephani Schaefer, Los Molinos

_______________________

Thanks, Steph! Medusa is late in posting today because Blogspot has been up to more tricks.

Tomorrow night, Rattlesnake Press presents Pearl Stein Selinsky reading from her new rattlechap, Vic & Me, at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., 7:30 PM. Read-around follows; bring your own poems or somebody else's. Here's a sample:

PATIENCE
—Pearl Stein Selinsky, Sacramento

I watch a stately goose
parade before
her own reflection
on the chrome bumper
of a truck.

No sound. Just fixed
attention
to that feathered sight,
her own lonely self,

the mate
crushed and trashed
by traffic months before.

She persists, believes
that it is him she sees

and like so many widows
who speak to photographs,
keep clothes and closets,
a dedicated mausoleum—

this goose, who mates for life,
will not admit to any other
possibility
beyond her faith.

She simply walks and waits.

_______________________

—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.)