GHOST
—James Lee Jobe, Davis
My father's ghost has long arms
And a short memory. He reaches
From a dark place for the shards
Of glass I keep hidden in my heart.
And he never asks permission.
______________________
NOTICE MY SON, WILLIAM, HE MOVES
—James Lee Jobe, Davis
Notice my son, William, he moves
In realms of light. A golden balloon
About him, he knows many small joys,
Cricket catching, water spraying
At fountains, drawing octopuses
With big goofy grins, and arms
That wave hello; his pastimes.
William is five years old; his embrace
Is a lifeline, a parachute, needed rain
That saves the village. He runs wild
Across my crabgrass, toward
Adventures new and imagined, he is
Rapture! Each day is his first,
Night is his mystery and blanket.
And I am his father.
______________________
Thanks, James Lee Jobe, for the Dad poems! And thank you to those who have responded so far to the Dad Poem Giveaway: send me poems about dads: wry, sentimental, disgusted, or otherwise, and I'll send you a rattlechap of your choosing. Photos, too! Dad's Day is Sunday; let's give 'em a proper send-up. Send poems and whatever to kathykieth@hotmail.com by midnight on Saturday, June 16, or snail 'em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA.
Tonight:
•••Thursday (6/14), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Featured reader, plus open mic before and after.
72 pages!!
I'm telling people I'm knee-deep in Snakes these days—well, that isn't exactly the body part I've been using... This issue of Rattlesnake Review is coming out at a whopping 72 pages!!! Yikes! That's 30% bigger than ever before. It's full of poetry, photos, articles and reviews, including the continuation of B.L. Kennedy's interview of D.R. Wagner; a new interview of Mary Mackey (whose new novel, The Notorious Mrs. Winston, about a woman who fights as a soldier in the Civil War, has just been released); Margaret Ellis Hill's description of her in-person visit with Mary Oliver; plus our usual writers-in-residence and their wonderful columns. PLUS—we hit the Mother Lode! Manzanita's Monika Rose has sent us a description of what's happening in poetry in her area, along with poetry from many of its denizens in Amador, Calavaras and Tuolumne counties. And of course there will be scads and scads of wonderful poetry and photos from our friends new and old, near and far. Not to mention new artwork from Snakeman and Artist-in-Residence Sam Kieth. And, as always, it's all free.
When will all this Poetry Gold be available, you say? Next Wednesday, June 20 will be the unveiling! Come to the rattle-read that night at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacamenno, and pick up your free copy. Or subscribe (send $18 for a year's worth of RR, Snakelets, VYPER, and assorted broadsides, including the Rattlesnake Interview Series), or send me too bux and I'll mail you a copy when the issue comes out.
Also emerging next Wednesday will be a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Tom Miner (North of Everything), a littlesnake broadside from Stockton Publisher and Poet David Humphreys (Cominciare Adagio), and Rattlesnake Interview Series #3, wherein our new Interviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy, talks to Sacramento Poetry Icon Jane Blue. So many poetry riches—can you believe it???
(I'm still reeling over 72 pages!)
______________________
More Dad poems, these from Czeslaw Milosz:
FATHER IN THE LIBRARY
—Czeslaw Milosz
A high forehead, and above it touseled hair
On which a ray of sun falls from the window.
And so father wears a bright fluffy crown
When he spreads before him a huge book.
His gown is patterned like that of a wizard.
Softly, he murmurs his incantations.
Only he whom God instructs in magic
Will learn what wonders are hidden in this book.
_____________________
FATHER'S INCANTATIONS
—Czeslaw Milosz
O sweet master, with how much peace
Your serene wisdom fills the heart!
I love you, I am in your power
Even though I will never see your face.
Your ashes have long been scattered,
Your sins and follies no one remembers.
And for ages you will remain perfect
Like your book drawn by thought from nothingness.
You knew bitterness and you know doubt
But the memory of your faults has vanished.
And I know why I cherish you today:
Men are small but their words are great.
_____________________
—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 (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) 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.)
SnakeWatch: Up-to-the-minute Snake news:
Journals (free publications): Rattlesnake Review #13 is available at The Book Collector; RR #14 will be out June 20. Next deadline, for RR #15, is August 15. VYPER #6 (for youth 13-19) is in The Book Collector; next deadline is Nov. 1. Snakelets #10 (for kids 0-12) is now available at The Book Collector; next deadline is 10/1.
Books/broadsides: May's releases are Grass Valley Poet Ron Tranquilla’s Playing Favorites: Selected Poems, 1971-2006, plus a littlesnake broadside by Julie Valin (Still Life With Sun) and a Rattlesnake Interview Broadside (#2) featuring Khiry Malik Moore and B.L. Kennedy. All are now available at The Book Collector. Rattlechaps are $5; broadsides are free. Or contact kathykieth@hotmail.com or rattlesnakepress.com for ordering information.
Next rattle-read: Rattlesnake Press will present Sacramento Poet Tom Miner at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, on Wednesday, June 20 from 7:30-9 PM to celebrate the release of his new chapbook, North of Everything. Also featured that night will be a new littlesnake broadside (Cominciare Adagio) from Stockton Poet/Publisher David Humphreys, plus #3 in the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy, this one featuring Sacramento Poet Jane Blue. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else's. More info: kathykieth@hotmail.com/ NOTE: For June, and for June only, our monthly Rattlesnake reading will be on the THIRD Weds. instead of the second one. And there will be no Snake readings/releases in July or August.