Linda Collins
PEACE LINE WALL
—Linda Collins, Carmichael
The Peace Line looms, smog
colored concrete, the height
of two men. Topped by ten
feet of corrugated green,
finished with a road's width
of wire screen, it's forty
feet tall, enough to block
a bomb or stop a brawl.
Street level murals scream
the failure of the political machine,
whose answer was the building of a wall
that brings no peace to Belfast at all.
Peace Line Wall, BelfastPhoto by Linda Collins
Thanks, Linda! Linda Collins lives and writes poems in Carmichael, California. She studied literature at Vanderbilt University in the early 1980's, where she became interested in Irish history and poets. She participates in local writing groups, and is looking forward to her first appearance in Rattlesnake Review (#19), due out in mid-September.
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This week’s HandyStuff Quickie:
Cindy Wathen writes: Poets & Writers Magazine has graciously set up a Yahoogroups literary listserv for Valley writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, publicists, literary event coordinators and others. They already run thriving listserves for northern and southern California, so we're thrilled to have one of our own. At present, we have about 105 members from Bakersfield to Sacramento. A Valley literary listserv is a great place for Central California writers or other event coordinators to announce Valley-wide literary events, freelance opportunities or other writing discussions. If you think that you or others would be interested in participating, please help us to spread the word. It's a great chance for us to pull together and support each others' efforts. Join in the discussion! For those who are interested, simply go to:
And here’s a HandyStuff-to-Be: Katy Brown’s Musings2: Vices, Virtues and Obsessions. Katy’s previous Musings was well-received and highly acclaimed, spawning many great poems from NorCal poets far and near. Her newest collection of photos and other poetry prompts is coming September 10 to The Book Collector! Be there, 7:30 PM, get ’em while they last!
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LOW TIDE
—Linda Collins
We reach the beach just after dawn.
Moisture dapples our skin, bearing
the pungent tang of salted kelp.
I push my hips into the sand,
still infused with yesterday’s heat.
You sit beside me, smear sun block
on my arms, chap stick on my lips.
“Such a kind, thoughtful man,” I think,
and smile to show I’m unafraid,
grateful to this gallant stranger.
Silently, we gaze out to sea
where gentle waves unfurl like
orchid blossoms lapping sunlight.
Suddenly, comprehension breaks
over me. I reach for your hand,
remembering the sweet scented
orchid I wore at our wedding,
countless seaside sand castles,
my fingers sweeping our grandson’s
soft, coral-colored sea-grass hair.
With my awareness, your tension
ebbs. You lean into me, whisper
urgent, tender memories that
float, then form a swirling eddy
that surrounds us, pulls us close.
The tide recedes, sweeps away my
recollections. I drift away,
drop your hand. My heart strains to hold
our memories, but soon it’s empty
like the seashells scattered at our feet.
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HAPPENSTANCE
—Linda Collins
We are two seeds dropped
from one bloom, carried by breeze
to the same serene garden.
While you thrive in fertile soil,
the sun teasing your branches
upward, your blossoms open,
I land among shadowed
stones, forming only a gnarled
stunted tangle struggling
against their rough surface.
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SHE CAN’T REMEMBER
what it’s called.
It sat on the front windowsill
in the old house where she grew up.
Golden as a genii’s lamp
it glittered with streetlight magic
in the dark. Her mother
made it shine, a useless beauty
she wouldn’t give away. How
could it not have a name?
This morning the late sun struck
at such a slant, it flared,
ignited dust motes
in the air. Now, nothing
but a wisp of smoke
like memory.
—Taylor Graham, Somerset
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Thanks, TG! Taylor Graham sent us this poem in response to yesterday's Seed of the Week.
Today's LittleNips:
I have performed the necessary butchery. Here is the bleeding corpse.
—Henry James, following a request from his editor to cut three lines from a 5,000-word article
Everyone needs an editor.
—Tim Foote, commenting in Time magazine on the fact that Hitler's orginal title for Mein Kampf was Four-and-a-Half Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice
One should fight like the devil the temptation to think well of editors. They are all, without exception—at least some of the time—incompetent or crazy. By the nature of their profession they read too much, with the result they grow jaded and cannot recognize talent though it dances in front of their eyes.
—John Gardner
An editor should have a pimp for a brother, so he'd have someone to look up to.
—Gene Fowler
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—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 Thirteen Poems, a new chapbook from Patrick Grizzell; #2 in Katy Brown's series of blank journals (Musings2: Vices, Virtues and Obsessions); a littlesnake broadside (Wind Physics) from Jordan Reynolds; 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.