Still Dreaming of Persephone

Proserpine (Proserpina/Persephone)
Painting by Daniel Gabriel Rosetti

The short night:
A scarlet flower has bloomed
At the tip of the vine.

—Issa

THE SUNLIGHT ON THE GARDEN
—Louis MacNeice

The sunlight on the garden
Hardens and grows cold,
We cannot cage the minute
Within its nets of gold,
When all is told
We cannot beg for pardon.

Our freedom as free lances
Advances towards its end;
The earth compels, upon it
Sonnets and birds descend;
And soon, my friend,
We shall have no time for dances.

The sky was good for flying
Defying the church bells
And every evil iron
Siren and what it tells:
The earth compels,
We are dying, Eqypt, dying

And not expecting pardon,
Hardened in heart anew,
But glad to have sat under
Thunder and rain with you,
And grateful too
For sunlight on the garden.

_________________

Speaking of love, the editors from Tiger's Eye: A Journal of Poetry write: Adding to your January submitting angst, we are having a little love-fest poetry contest on the Tiger's Eye blog. Send the love to: http://tigerseyepoet.blogspot.com/. The poet with the most unique/exquisite poem wins a subscription to the tiger, and a full week in Aruba. Not really. A subscription and a broadside of your winning poem. And publication on the blog if you so choose. No rules, no limits, just send the love. Or anti-love. A good rant is always welcome.


This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Tonight (Friday, 1/25), 7:30 PM: Poems-for-All presents Burns Night: A Poetic Celebration of Scotland with Arturo Mantecon and Rebecca Morrison at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento. Free. Every January, Scots celebrate their national bard, Robert Burns, with an evening in his honor. Our take on the traditional Burns Night expands the tribute into a celebration of Scottish Poets, past and present. The evening will include a reading of Burns' poems in Spanish by Poet and Translator Arturo Mantecon. Poet Rebecca Morrison will present a collection of poems from various Scottish poets. An open mic will follow the featured programme. Sign up to read a poem of your own and one from your favorite Scot. Any attempt to read a Burns poem will be rewarded with a dram! RSVP a slot on the open mic programme via the email above, or sign up at the event. Poems-for-All special edition miniature chaplettes will be dispensed. The event is free. Info: (916) 442-9295 or richard@poems-for-all.com or www.poems-for-all.com/.

•••Also tonight (1/25), 7:30-10 PM: Winter Poetry Showcase: The sizzling hot poetry of Terry Moore (www.terrymoore.info), winner of the 2007 Hub Choice Award (Best Poet), plus Simoetry, Mario Ellis Hill, R & B artist Remy, Musician and gospel vocalist Calvin Lymos, and poet Claudia Epperson. Inside the new TIGER THEATRE on the campus of Inderkum High School, 2500 New Market Drive. Located just one block from Arco Arena. From Sacramento, take Interstate 5 to Del Paso Rd. exit, turn right, left on Truxel Rd, left on New Market drive. Park in the first lot and walk toward the flag pole and enter the front atrium. The theatre is located to the left. $5. Info: (916) 271-8202 or www.parkersplay.com/. This event is being brought to you by Inderkum High School Drama Department & Parker's Place.

•••Sat. (1/26), 7-9 PM: “The Show” poetry series (the only family-oriented 'clean mouth' poetry event in town!) presents Kafiah from Phoenix and Khiry Malik Moor, plus Candy, house band LSB, house vocalist Chris Bush and comedian emcee KJ, plus open mic for “all talents and all ages”. Wo'se Community Center (Off 35th & Broadway), 2863 35th Street, Sacramento. $5.00. Info: T-Mo (916)208-POET.

•••Monday (1/28), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Frank Graham and Jordan Reynolds at HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento, with music by Jenn Rogar. Frank Graham is a political activist in the Sacramento region and the current editor of Poetry Now. He originally hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he learned how to throw a screwball from Jim Brewer. Jordan Reynolds is one of the future stars of the Sacramento literary scene, currently a protegé of Josh McKinney at Sacramento State. He has published in Louis Liard Magazine, Calaveras Station, Suisun Valley Review, Poetry Now, Poetry Midwest, hardpan, HazMat Literary Review, Tule Review, and The League of Laboring Poets. His current project is a journey into the world of online literary magazines. He is co-editing A Salt Mag with Brett Wallis, which they describe as “offering the literary salt that accompanies a meal of existing; consider a reading of our magazine a conversation with a trustworthy friend, eat our salt, pinch some of it, throw it over your shoulder.” He is currently accepting submissions for the first issue at a.salt.press@gmail.com/.

__________________

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
—e.e. cummings

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands

__________________

PERSEPHONE IN A HOUSE DRESS
—Kathy Kieth, Pollock Pines

This early case of joint custody
has arrived for her summer
visit. I see her puttering in

the garden: cheery dress of primary
colors floating down the rows
(something loose, with lots of

yellow). . . Today she is planting
radishes: murmuring to them
about Brother Sun and how soft

the earth is, so easy to fathom.
But she is still young enough
to need a long night's sleep; for her,

it is early yet, and some dark chill
often calls her back downward
into the earth. . .

__________________

CELIA CELIA
—Adrian Mitchell

When I am sad and weary
When I think all hope has gone
When I walk along High Holborn
I think of you with nothing on

__________________

—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.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. 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:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue of Rattlesnake Review (Sweet 16) is available for free at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or send $2 to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726 and I'll mail you one. Next deadline (for Issue #17, due out in mid-March) is February 15—sooner than you think!

Coming in February: The Snake is still in winter hibernation for January: no readings, no books, no broadsides. Then, on February 13, Rattlesnake Press will roar to life again with a new SnakeRings SpiralChap from Don and Elsie Feliz (To Berlin With Love), plus a new littlesnake broadside from Carlena Wike (Going the Distance), as well as Volume Two of Conversations, B.L. Kennedy's Rattlesnake Interview Series. Come help us launch all of this on Weds., Feb. 13 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM.