Photo by Theresa McCourt
ALMOST OCTOBER
—Theresa McCourt, Sacramento
As I sever the tattered bloom,
I wonder if there's enough time
for one more red rose to open.
_____________________
Thanks, Theresa! Gardener and rosarian Theresa McCourt has clearly been inspired by all this recent talk of Autumn, and yesterday's poem about roses from homeboy Ray Carver. It's a cliché, but heck—let's indulge in Fall poems for a few days. Send me your poems and/or photos, artwork, whatever about Autumn and I'll send you a free copy of Susan Kelly DeWitt's new chapbook, Cassiopeia Above the Banyan Tree. E-mail them to kathykieth@hotmail com or snail them to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726 by midnight next Weds., October 3.
Here's another Fall poem with roses, this one from Peggy Hill:
FIRST DAY OF FALL
—Margaret Ellis Hill, Wilton
It's the still wait of birds on myrtle
from certain shift of the sun;
orange trees bend to grasp warmth,
leaves show hints of yellows and burgundy.
It's the last chance for roses and marigolds
to challenge summer's hold.
Fields are brown now; sidelined pumpkins define edges
smells of apple pie and cider float on breezes.
Hazy dawns seem later than yesterday,
stiffness in knees is noticed,
a cat's reluctance to rise from curled warmth.
It's time for greens of summer to rest
and let autumn dazzle with her colors.
______________________
Poetry and Dance tonight:
The Sacramento Ballet Studios, 1631 K St., Sacramento (5:30 PM) will present A Woman’s Journey: The Tamsen Donner Story, An Evening of Poetry and Dance. Sacramento’s poetry and dance communities will come together for a special evening in which local poets Frank Graham, Indigo Moor, Rebecca Morrison and Mary Zeppa will read excerpts from Ruth Whitman’s book of poems, Tamsen Donner: A Woman’s Journey, which inspired choreographer Ron Cunningham to begin this new work. Sacramento Ballet dancers will improvise to the readings as Cunningham creates A Woman’s Journey; accompanying music will be selected from the work of composer Aaron Copland. A question-and-answer session with the choreographer, the dancers and Sacramento Poet Laureate Julia Connor will follow.
Slammers a-plenty:
Thanks to Charles Ellik for some up-to-date Slam info about our area and beyond. Charles has a slam e-newsletter at (http://people.tribe.net/charles). Did you know we had all these slam venues in our area???
•••Sacto/Life Sentence, every Tues. at 7:30 PM: Life Sentence is a weekly live/webcast show that showcases open mic acts, featured spoken word and a $30 Slam! This show is online interactive! What does that mean? It means we webcast from 7:30-10pm every Tues. live at www.artisticinsomnia.com (click the Life Sentence link). You can not only watch the show, but you can enter the chat room and talk with others watching.
•••Butch and Nellie's Coffee Co., 19th and I Sts. in Dwntwn Sacramento. $30 Cash Prize. Every Tues., 8 PM. Open mic/slam/preshow feature. Doors open at 7:30pm. $5 to watch and/or Slam, open mic acts, FREE! All ages!
•••3rd Eye Collective Presents: A.I. Live is a weekly TV show airing on Comcast Ch. 2 in Davis, Sacramento and Roseville to aproximately 286,000 homes every Friday night @ 1 AM. Every week you will see two open mic acts, one feature and the next round progression of that month’s freestyle battles.
•••Sol Collective 2010 Del Paso Blvd., Sac. 3rd Sat. 8 PM, open mic and battle sign-ups. 7:07pm. $10 Door. Now all ages! Cash Prizes. $100 Freestyle Battle. Hosted by: Lucky 7. More Info: ailive@tmail. com or call (707) 803-3393. See Myspace.com/3rdeyecollective or Youtube.com/3rdeyecollective
•••Modesto: Next Slam: Weds., Oct. 10. Prospect Theater, 520 Scenic Drive. Modesto. For directions: (209) 549-9341. 2nd Weds., 7 PM. For local Info: (209) 575-6183. Sign-up starts @ 6:45 PM. Regular Admission: $3, Poet's Fee: $5. Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff. Info: http://www.slamonrye.com.
•••INDI WORLD POETRY SLAM, 2009: 72 poets representing slam venues from around the world converge for three days of competition, electrifying audiences with their talents. Berkeley plans to add many related day events and side competitions to the main tournament, transforming it into a 10-day festival. The competition itself will be held at venues near the Ashby BART station in South Berkeley, home of the Berkeley Slam and our venue, the Starry Plough. Epic Arts & Poetry Flash are partners in the event. Epic Arts is a Performance Arts non-profit based in South Berkeley. Their new facility will be the epicenter of IWPS 2009. Info: http://www.epicarts.org/. Stay tuned.
Other addresses of Slam interest:
•••Slams nationwide: http://www.poetryslam.com
•••A listserve to chat about slams in NorCal:
norcalslams: subscribe@yahoogroups.com
•••To join the oldest international slam listserve: email: poetry_slam-subscribe@yahoogroups. com
•••For info on many non-slam poetry events in CA:
(NorCal) http://www.poetryflash.org/
(SoCal) http://www.poetix. net
•••Photos of slams: http://www.poeticdream.com
•••An 'incomplete history' of slam's early days:
http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam/
Medusa says: Slam on Rye. I like that.
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This weekend in NorCal poetry:
•••Sat. (9/29), 12-4 PM: Artists Embassy International is proud to present the winners of their 2007 world-wide poetry contest in this Saturday’s Dancing Poetry Festival, in which poetry and dance are combined for an afternoon of beautiful words and beautiful movement. All winning poets have been invited to read at the Festival at the fabulous California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco’s Lincoln Park. For information and advance ticket sales, call 510-235-0361 or email Artists Embassy International at naticaaei@aol.com. For more info, visit www.dancingpoetry.com.
•••Sat. (9/29), 7-9 PM: "The Show" at Wo'se Community Cdenter, 2863 35th St., Sacramento (near Broadway) presents Supernova, Andy Jones, R&B artist Sene, $5. Open mic and the band, LSB. Info: 916-208-7638.
•••Sun. (9/30): Poet Jelaluddin Balkhi (Rumi) celebrates his 800th birthday!
•••Monday (10/1), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Six Sierra Poets reading from Yuba Flows, a new collection from Hip Pocket Press. Readings by Iven Lourie, Kirsten Casey and Scott V. Young [plus three more?]. Hosted by Art Mantecon at HQ, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento. Open mic after.
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IN THE CATSKILLS
—Margaret Ellis Hill
The trees have changed their dresses
for a formal dance. Sweet gums don
showy red sheaths, and sour gums
drape red feathers over their arms.
Weeping willows sway yellow fringe
as they waltz. Birches decorate their pale limbs
with gold-sequined shawls and bracelets.
Crepe myrtles flirt pink ruffles once more.
Luminescent maples shine in burgundy
and orange-satin ball gowns. The gingko
chaperones from a saffron carpet.
The evergreen trees wear various shades of velvet
to escort all this finery. Then, holding white
blankets, they shelter their companions till spring.
______________________
FALL SOLSTICE
—Margaret Ellis Hill
I have come to worship the season,
throw myself at the mercy of autumn,
watch an angled sun turn leaves like hair
to different hues and luster. Day by day,
there is no choice for them.
I wonder if trees tire of shading skin,
providing a bed above curled roots,
standing alone through cycles of dark nights,
know their time of glory creeps closer—
one last burst of color before a winter cover.
Mantras rise with the fall of crisp leaves
that the sun's light at this solstice be
a guide towards quiet and rest.
I bathe in dim light as trees wait
until time comes to wave goodbye.
____________________
—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.) For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com).
SnakeWatch: Up-to-the-minute Snake news:
Journals: The latest issue of Rattlesnake Review (#15) is available for free at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or send $2 to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. Next deadline is November 15. The two journals for young people, Snakelets and Vyper, are on hiatus; no deadlines this Fall.
September's releases: The Snake returned with a bang on Wednesday, September 12, presenting Susan Kelly-DeWitt's new chapbook about growing up in Hawaii, Cassiopeia Above the Banyan Tree, at The Book Collector. Also available now: a littlesnake broadside from dawn dibartolo (Blush), and a continuation of B.L. Kennedy's Rattlesnake Interview Series (#4—frank andrick).
Coming in October: Rattlesnake Press celebrates Sacramento Poetry Month on Wednesday, Oct. 10 (at The Book Collector, Home of the Snake, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM) with the release of Spiral, a rattlechap by Kate Wells; Autumn on My Mind, a littlesnake broadside by Mary Field; and #5 in the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy, this one featuring Sacramento Poet Laureate Julia Connor. Also released that night will be Conversations, Volume One of the Rattlesnake Interview Anthology Series (a collection of B.L.'s conversations with eleven Sacramento poets)—plus other surprises (and cake!). Be there!