BIRTHDAY POEM
—Anthony Buccino, Nutley, NJ
Why should you
Be happy on your birthday?
Maybe as a child
You did well and got presents
Maybe a party
With ice cream and a cake
With your name on and
Happy Birthday
But now, why should you
Be happy on your birthday?
Because you made it
Another year?
Because a calendar
Says this is the same day
You were born long ago?
I've never been very happy
On my birthday
Or had any particular
Special benefits on that day
Except that cake-ice cream route
And one time in Atlanta
Or was it Scottsdale
Or once in each?
But I won't go into that.
And when I turned forty
Everybody yelled surprise.
I knew I was forty,
What's the surprise?
I usually got into trouble
On my birthday and
Hoped because it was
My birthday I'd get a pass.
Any grown-up who thinks
He's special just because
It's his birthday
Needs another slap
On his bare rear.
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Thanks to Anthony Buccino and Robbie Grossklaus for today's poems. And happy birthday to Sam the Snake Man, who turned 46 yesterday and who, like the rest of us, is always stunned by the swift passage of time...
This week in NorCal poetry:
•••Monday (1/12), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Kate Asche at HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento. Open mic to follow. [See last Friday's post for Kate's bio.]
There will be no SPC reading next Monday.
•••Thursday (1/15), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged @ Luna’s Café presents Terry Moore. Open mic before and after. Twelve-time Slam Champion, author of 15 poetry books and 8 spoken word CDs, Terry Moore is a dynamic and electrifying nationally known, experienced, and respected performer. 1414 16th St., Sacramento. Free. Info: 916-441-3931.
•••Friday (1/16), 7:30 PM: The Other Voice in Davis presents two poets who teach at local universities: Brad Buchanan (CSUS) and Brad Henderson (UCD). The reading will be held in the library of the UU Church located at 27074 Patwin Road, Davis. Refreshments and Open Mike follow. Brad Buchanan teaches British and world literature as well as creative writing. His first book of poetry, The Miracle Shirker, was published in 2005 by Poets Corner Press and his new book, Swimming the Mirror: Poems For My Daughter, appeared under Roan Press, an imprint he co-founded in 2008. He is a board member of the Sacramento Poetry Center, editor for The Tule Review, runs an annual high school poetry contest, and is a visiting poet and judge for the national Poetry Out Loud contest.
Brad Henderson, also known as Beau Hamel, has deep roots in Davis. His great-great-grandfather, Henry Hartman Hamel, was one of the original settlers of Davisville. Both his father and paternal grandfather are emeritus professors from UCD's college of Engineering. Henderson/Hamel is the author of a dual chapbook of poetry, Split Rock, published by Natsoulas Press, 2006. As Beau Hamel, the originator of "neo-cowboy-ism", he has been called "a ten-gallon hat nod to Seamus Heaney". Henderson co-hosts (with Andy Jones) a reading series at Bistro 33.
•••Friday (1/16), 7 PM: Poetry at Raven's Tale in Placerville features Cleo Fellers Kocol and Phil Weidman. A short poetry open-mic follows (signup before the featured readers). Raven's Tale Bookstore is located at 352 Main Street, Placerville. There is no charge. [For more info on each poet, go to Medusa's archives: March 22, 2007 for Phil, and Sept. 12, 2008 for Cleo.]
Saltgrass!
Editor Julia Cohen writes: I'm pleased to announce that the third issue of Saltgrass is out, featuring these fine poets & writers: Eric Baus, CAConrad, Jessica deCourcy Hinds, Johannes Goransson, Kate Greenstreet, Brenda Iijima, Kristi Maxwell, Sawako Nakayasu, Keith Newton, Joshua Poteat, Joy Rhoades, Ken Rumble, Matt Sumell, Chris Tonelli, and Mike Young. Saltgrass is a $5.00 print journal. You can order the issue online & read sample poems at www.saltgrassjournal.blogspot.com. We're now reading for Issue #4, so please submit!
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WHEN I GO POSTAL
—Anthony Buccino
When I go postal
you will know it
you can tell all
I’m not your poet
When I go postal
don’t you worry
you can tell all
I’m in no hurry
think of all those things
you did wrong to me
you know injustice being
right from wrong to be
when I go postal
you won’t be in my camp
you can tell all
you’ll get the first stamp.
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
My favorite sin
is in your eyes,
ecumenical.
Where skin and
shadow converge.
Pull me back
into myself
and release me.
—Robbie Grossklaus, Roseville
__________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. The last of contributors' copies has gone into the mail. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!
Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings. But our October road trips inspired a new Rattlesnake publication, WTF, to be edited by frank andrick. This 30-page, chapbook-style (free) quarterly will primarily showcase the talents of readers at Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café, but anyone over 18 is welcome to submit. Deadline is Jan. 15 for a Feb. 19 premiere at Luna’s. Submission guidelines are the same as for the Snake, but please send three poems (each one page or less in length), photos, smallish art or prose pieces (500 words or less) to fandrickfabpub@hotmail.com (attachments preferred) or, if you’re snailing, to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. And be forewarned: this publication will be for adults only! so you must be over 18 years of age to submit.
Also available now (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at TBC or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!
Coming February 11: A new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.
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 SOWs; 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 and in-between! 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.
