A Gloss of Paint

Photo by Katy Brown, Davis

MY CIRCUS LIFE
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys

I thought my big-top lifestyle
Would finally end
When the kids moved out
To lead their own lives
Was I ever wrong!
But having raised three children
I am used to being mistaken
The three rings changed
But life goes on in swirl
I understand better all the time
Why Ray Bradbury found the circus
Such a useful symbol
For a variety of things
Loss of innocence for a small town boy
A hiding place for evil
Excitement of change
The transient waves that move through life
Leaving no outside signs
But deep changes within
Yet some weeks I find myself longing for peace

_________________

DISILLUSIONMENT
—Mitz Sackman

I always expected the circus
To be something special, something exciting
But I guess it is like Little Women or Steppenwolf
You have to experience it at the right age
The first time I finally attended a circus
Was as a mom with kids past the age of enchantment
The smells were right, dust and popcorn
But the show was a shrunken thing
Despite skilled performers
It looked dirty, shabby and sad
A gloss of paint on a has-been soul
It felt as old and tired as I did that night

__________________

We're still talking about the circus (our Seed of the Week); thanks to Mitz Sackman for the circus poems, and to Katy Brown for the photo. Not that cows have much to do with the circus—though I suppose, in a really small sad circus such as Kevin Jones was talking about yesterday (and will talk about tomorrow)... See Snake 21 for more work from these fine artists; get your free copy at The Book Collector. And watch for our third journal of writing prompts from Katy, due out April 8: Musings3: An English Affair. I've seen the galleys, and it is terrific!


B.L.'s Drive-bys: A Micro-Review From B.L. Kennedy

AS IF
by Angela Consolo Mankiewicz
LRB #55
Lummox Press
PO Box 5301
San Pedro, CA 90733
44pp, chapbook, $5.00

YES! I love this small collection of poetry by Angela Consolo Mankiewicz. Yes—I am telling you, not asking you, but telling you to dig up $5.00 and order this very cool chapbook from Lummox Press. Mankiewicz is a poet of deeply heartfelt humor; her poetry will sting, will make you cry and laugh. I was just so amazed by this small collection that I couldn’t wait to get the word out after my first read. Buy this chapbook: trust me, it will be a wise investment, and you, my dear reader, will have a gas!

—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence

__________________

STILL LIFE
—Reed Whittemore

I must explain why it is that at night, in my own house,
Even when no one's asleep, I feel I must whisper.
Thoreau and Wordsworth would call it an act of devotion,
I think; others would call it fright; it is probably
Something of both. In my living-room there are matters I'd

rather not meddle with

Late at night.

I prefer to sit very still on the couch, watching
All the inanimate things of my daytime life—
The furniture and the curtains, the pictures and books—
Come alive,
Not as in some childish fantasy, the chairs dancing
And Disney prancing backstage, but with dignity,
The big old rocker presiding over a silent
And solemn assembly of all my craftsmen,
From Picasso and other dignities gracing my walls
To the local carpenter benched at my slippered feet.

I find these proceedings
Remarkable for their clarity and intelligence, and I wish I

might somehow

Bring into daylight the eloquence, say, of a doorknob.
But always the gathering breaks up; everyone there
Shrinks from the tossing turbulence
Of living,
A cough, a creaking stair.

__________________

MUSEUM PIECE
—Richard Wilbur

The good grey guardians of art
Patrol the halls on spongy shoes,
Impartially protective, though
Perhaps suspicious of Toulouse.

Here dozes one against the wall,
Disposed upon a funeral chair.
A Degas dancer pirouettes
Upon the parting of his hair.

See how she spins! The grace is there,
But strain as well is plain to see.
Degas loved the two together:
Beauty joined to energy.

Edgar Degas purchased once
A fine El Greco, which he kept
Against the wall beside his bed
To hang his pants on while he slept.

_________________

Today's LittleNip:

Writers should write about what they don't know about what they know.

—Ken Kesey

_________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The new Snake (RR21) is out! The issue is now available at The Book Collector, and contributor and subscription copies will go into the mail this week and next—or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Next deadline is May 15 for RR22: 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; let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one.

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!

NEW FOR MARCH: Rattlesnake Press is proud to present a new chapbook from Norma Kohout (All Aboard!!!); a littlesnake broadside from Patricia Hickerson (At Grail Castle Hotel); and a new issue of Rattlesnake Review (the Snake turns 21)!

COMING IN APRIL: Wednesday, April 8 will be our FIFTH ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY/BUFFET at The Book Collector, featuring a SpiralChap of poetry and photos from Laverne Frith (Celebrations: Images and Text), a littlesnake broadside from Taylor Graham (Edge of Wildwood), and Musings3: An English Affair, a new blank journal of photos and writing prompts from Katy Brown. That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM.

And April 15 is the deadline for the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Submission guidelines are the same as for the Snake, but send your poems, 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 is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. Copies of the first issue are at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one.


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.