Rain
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis
MINING CLOUD
—Tom Goff, Carmichael
Folsom in rain has a Pennsylvania aspect:
the clouds thin and sunlight’s a patina
clinging sparse to mist as it drifts the hills.
The evergreens,
in tints as dull as they are cloud-crowned,
whisper coal, whisper black seams under
boulder and loam,
and the lift of drizzle to reveal anything
is a sudden
light lurch, a jolt forward
in the manskip carting that tiny miner heart,
as the eye recoils, pickaxe, anthracite glint.
The dammed lake a little Johnstown,
depleted, gorging on rainwater,
fast. Yet the scene craves
rain, more rain, and will get it.
Yellow? California? Daffodil?
Those never were, or
rather, might yet be, just one hemisphere
over, and the landscape, under
the pressure and heat of humankind,
weather, or fire, a chrysalis, a metamorphosis:
change of eye, hobbled tongue, stammers,
pulses, little shocks and quakes.
__________________
THE WINTER OF HER DISCONTENT
—Shawn Aveningo, Rescue
Yesterday's woman wore yellow.
Then vanished
under cloak of ebon sky.
Dawn pierced through clouds,
merely to reveal
shadows
now in command.
Salt stained cheeks,
porcelain shards at her feet.
Glimmer from a blade
reflects her visage
lost,
alone.
Today she's bathed in blue.
__________________
TAX-EXEMPT
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
Oh for a Medusa’s head of serpents
with their so-many quick keen eyes,
nictating membranes to tick off each
exemption: heart’s-blood ink
to pen a priceless line; a year’s
wages for sun reflected on the sea;
paper with its tribal memory
of trees. What else? The daily cost
of breathing-in blue sky; each step
on Earth to keep a poet grounded
as she flies.
__________________
BOY WITH GREEN KITE
—Taylor Graham
That well-used path from school to home—
a shortcut that somehow leads him
into wildwood, its blizzard
of dogwood petals, the deep dark webs
of roots and mold; spring’s old doggerel
of birdsong, the same worn notes
repeated till they call to him alone—
draws him today farther, to a hilltop
with rainbows to be seen in any
weather, arcs to bind the terrible circles
of sun and stars. He’s read
such things in books that call for heroes
to go adventuring, and forget
the path back home.
__________________
BIRD OF PREY
—Taylor Graham
Just past sunup, the heron stands
with its thin, sharp hunger
in a winter field of thistle, waiting
for something—gopher? frog?—
to stir frost-brittle grass;
waiting to spear some fat,
hidden secret with a quick
twist of daylight
as at my window I stand
with sharpened pencil,
watching for something to stir
out of frozen ground
or empty
air; waiting to
punctuate it.
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
PRAYER
—Galway Kinnell
Whatever happens. Whatever
what is is is what
I want. Only that. But that.
__________________
—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. 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.
Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing 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.
And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)
Also available (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 The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!
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, or any other day!): 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.......!
_________________
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.