ONE NIGHT STAND
—Dewell Byrd, Eureka
I will not say again the words—
I said in bed last night—lies
you wished so dear to hear
that made you blush and melt with sighs.
I will not say again those lies
that steal away the scent of green,
words that trap our blithe spirits
and freeze us forever in between.
I will not say those words that bind,
cement my life to status quo
hold false and empty promises,
property of property that cannot grow.
I will not pledge to you again
and swear to live my life with you.
It was only a one night stand,
just motel sex. I thought you knew.
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Thanks, Dewell! Dewell Byrd is a long-time Rattlesnake Review contributor from 'way up north-state. Watch for more of his work in Snake 19, due out in mid-Sept. (Deadline is August 15.)
Dewell's poem is in response to our Seed of the Week: Sex. Good sex, bad sex, naughty/nice/noble sex: send your SOW poems (no deadline) to me at kathykieth@hotmail.com and I'll mail you a copy of my latest book of poetry, Sex—For Animals...
Just mention sex, and you hear from lots of people who don't normally send us stuff! Thanks, Todd Cirillo, for these two:
ADULTS ONLY
—Todd Cirillo, Grass Valley
Knock at the door
door opens
silently
straight into the bedroom
stumbling over belts and boxers
grabbing, pulling, pushing,
fuck for the next 20 minutes
uttering only
grunts, howls,
shrieks of pain, pleasure
or persistance
climaxing into blank stares
belts and boxers back on
then
separation,
door slammed shut,
brake-up
reflections of possible wrong doings
alone again
my advice for lovers
young and old—
do not forgot
those sweet little tender nothings of the world
such as,
hello
or first names
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ONE-WAY FARE
—Todd Cirillo
Honey,
after sleeping
with you—
I feel
at one
with
the people
who ride
the public bus.
___________________
Taylor Graham writes: A SEX SOW? Don't you know it's too hot for that, in this season when A/C means all the windows open and hoping for a breeze?
NURSERY RHYMES
—Taylor Graham, Somerset
A mother won’t tell you what,
in the dark, a dish does
with the spoon—cupboards
shut like bedroom doors
for the night, only tighter,
as if to lock the stars out.
But down in the barn, the cow
dreams once more leaping
when the moon’s just right.
And listen to the little dog
laugh, remembering his sport.
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Calendar addition for this weekend:
•••Sat. (7/26), 7-9 PM. "The Show" Poetry Series for Spoken Word & Music features Brigit Truex, Sean King and 3rd place Sac Idol vocalist Jessica Teddington. All artists (poets, singers, comedians, musicians, etc.) are welcome to sign-up at the door to perform on the open mic. Any youth 18 years of age and under will be admitted free of charge; $5.00 admission for folks over the age of 18. Wo'se Community Center (Off 35th & Broadway), 2863 35th St., Sacramento. Contact: T-Mo (916)208-POET. Free beverages and snacks provided by Crystal’s Creations.
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And finally, Pearl Stein Selinsky couldn't resist sending us just a pure, old-fashioned love poem:
THE ROAD TAKEN
—Pearl Stein Selinsky, Sacramento
The globe upon my bookcase cannot show
the million miles of road we have traversed
from love's initial pledge through touch and go.
There were times we thought the path was cursed;
we couldn't find each other in the night
but plodded on, until we learned the worst
road-ruts were those we dug,that our plight
could not be helped unless we found a key
to open each to other... to light
beacons in the dark to help each see
the other with an outstretched, groping hand.
Once fingers touched and intertwined, we
finally found that we could understand,
and interpret signs along the way,
bypassing rancor, anger and demand
so that now, I think it safe to say
with our journey nearing toward its end,
that by choosing wayside spots to play
and laugh together, we two lovers blend
so well, we can call each other "friend."
___________________
Today's LittleNip:
Two seconds before orgasm, he thinks of the cosmos ascending; two seconds after, he thinks of his bills.
—Stephen Dobyns
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's Up With Rattlesnake Press
The Snake will be snoozing through July and August, leaving Medusa to carry on alone. Then on September 10, we shall burst back onto the scene with Ten Poems, a new chapbook from Patrick Grizzell; #2 in Katy Brown's series of blank journals (Musings Two: Vices, Virtues and Obsessions); plus Issue #19 of Rattlesnake Review (deadline is August 15). Meanwhile, look in on Medusa every day, and, for heaven's sake, keep sending stuff! The snakes of Medusa are always hungry...
Medusa's Weekly Menu:
(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)
Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar
Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOW; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.
Wednesday (sometimes): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.
Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.
Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar
Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.
And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!
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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). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.