(Patricia Wellingham-Jones with Java)
FASHION-SHOW HAIRDRESSER
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama
She twines her fingers
through long hair
so rich and thick
every male in the place
feels his palms grow damp
Readies models just past
their Barbie dolls
Takes those living
clotheshangers
beyond their pony tails
into Medusa-like twists
crowns of plaited silk
aureoles of ribboned filaments
Creates medieval
rock’n’roll braids
_______________________
Thanks, PWJ! Patricia Wellingham-Jones is a SnakePal from 'way back, loudly supporting us from Issue #1, for which she not only sent in poems, but badgered her friends coast-to-coast into sending us poems too—some of which remain contributors to this day. She kindly consented to publish Rattlechap #3 with us (Voices on the Land), a project which was fraught with difficulties, since that was the first book we did on laser printer rather than copy-shop. (It took forever for me to get the hang of the new machine, which was itself fraught with problems.) Patricia is also the author of Mill Race Café, a littlesnake broadside which came out in 2005, in addition to many chapbooks, broadsides, and other poet-phernalia. She is also active in her area, workshopping with other poets. For more about her writing, her publishing company (PWJ Publishing) and her interesting background in, among other things, handwriting analysis, go to www.wellinghamjones.com, either directly or through Snake Faves on rattlesnakepress.com.
Today is, by the way, Patricia's birthday, an otherwise-happy event which is colored this year by the very (two weeks ago) recent passing of her husband, Roy. Happy Birthday, PWJ, and here's hoping for some peace and poetry in the coming year.
MASK
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones
Masks fill the guest room closet
grins and leers and glaring eyes
hang in tiers on all three enclosing walls
Toddlers shriek in their parents’ arms
children refuse to sleep in that room
teens shudder on walking through the door
Waves of spirits with cast-off bodies
slither through stale air
Children know their own faces
could hang on those walls
Layer after transparent layer
over the person hidden inside
_______________________
ADVICE FROM A BEAVER
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones
So, dim one, I come
from my lodge, from gathering
alder bark for the winter.
The water in our creek
has almost stopped flowing.
Your water is nearly blocked up too.
If you don’t give that body
some rest, your poem juices
may decide not to flow.
The thing you call a muse
may stay underwater with me.
Just think what a beaver
with muse could make happen.
It’s time for you to retreat
to your lodge for a rest, to chew
on some green sticks,
slap water with your tail
a few times, dive deep
and bar the door.
______________________
Happy Groundhog Day! Hopefully, Punxsutawny Phil won't get eaten by a cougar but will see his shadow and, as Pat says about the beaver above, Dive Deep and Bar the Door so we can all get some more rain.
Taylor Graham writes: Tom Goff's poem [yesterday], and the mountain lion news, got me thinking about my old poem based on an event not far from here. I refurbished it, just a bit, and Medusa may use it if she wishes:
AN HOUR IN THE COUGAR'S GRACE
—Taylor Graham, Somerset
You swore the angels all have cat's eyes
in that place you happened into,
where you couldn't backstep out.
Braced against tree bark, you recalled
the scaffolding of nerve and bone
and memorized the lines of your hands,
and listened to the padding of an angel,
the breath of an angel with retractable claws
and mercies:
the hungry angel of this place so far
from heaven. You passed your life there
praying out its seconds, until at last
he left. And you stay, even now,
blest (you say) that you came there,
more blest than spared.
_______________________
Thanks to both TGs, Tom Goff and Taylor Graham. Today The Sacramento Bee says the cougar sightings along the American River may be bogus, that there are no tracks or other signs, and that the deer carcass that was found most likely died of disease. Still, I'd like to think that the big cats still do walk among us, slipping in and out without leaving any trace...
Also: Taylor Graham reminds us to send poems in response to her challenge in the last issue of Rattlesnake Review: write a let's-pretend/what-if poem of 36 lines or less and send it along with snail address to: piper@innercite.com or to Graham, P.O. Box 39, Somerset, CA 95684, "fun poetry" in subject line. Likewise, Katy Brown issued a challenge in that same issue, looking for poems about looking at things with new eyes. Write to her at Poetrybazaar@aol.com. And if you took a plunge and wrote one of the forms suggested by Joyce Odam, send those to me at kathykieth@hotmail.com.
______________________
This weekend:
•••Sunday (2/4), 6 PM: After Loss: Companion Spirit: The PoemSpirits of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento are pleased to announce the next featured reader: Jan Haag, a full-time, tenured professor in the Journalism and English departments at Sacramento City College. A prolific news reporter, copy editor and essayist, Jan also advises on student publications, especially Susurrus, the award-winning SCC literary journal. She turned to poetry, publishing Companion Spirit (by LAMP Press) after the loss of her husband, and with her subsequent involvement in the Sutter Writers Program. Co-Host Tom Goff will also offer a brief presentation on the writings of Michelangelo. These monthly presentations are free and open to the public. Place: Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento, 2425 Sierra Blvd [north of Fair Oaks Blvd., between Howe and Munroe/Fulton], Main Building. Free; refreshments provided. Open mic: You are encouraged to bring a favorite poem to share, yours or another’s. This monthly event is presented by UUSS members Tom Goff, Nora Staklis, and JoAnn Anglin. For info on reading, contact: Tom or Nora at 916-481-3312; or JoAnn at 916-451-1372. For info on UUSS: www.uuss.org
•••Next Monday (2/5), 7:30 PM: The Other Voice in Davis presents Tim Bellows and rattlechapper Shawn Pittard reading their poetry at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis, 27074 Patwin Road, Davis. There will be an open reading following the poets. This is a free event. James Lee Jobe will host. Call 530-750-3514 for details. Please check out http://uupoetry.blogspot.com for bios, sample poems, directions, and a map. [See Medusa's post last Weds. for more about Shawn.]
•••Also next Monday (2/5), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Judy Halebsky and Theresa McCourt at HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento. Open mic; free. [More about this tomorrow.]
_______________________
—Medusa
Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as 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.)