TO MY DAUGHTER RIDING
IN THE CIRCUS PARADE
—Joan Labombard
("Reporter Catherine Schutz...an editor's
assignment put her atop an elephant..."
—The Contra Costa Independent, Richmond, CA
Once, more than you wanted
the moon or the stars,
you wanted a rabbit.
Your father brought one home,
a scared snowball of fluff,
to nest in your eager arms.
You were ecstatic.
You were determined to ride a mule
down into the Grand Canyon,
and you did,
while I, already pinched
in the dull vise of caution,
waited nervously at the rim.
You wanted to dance
in a musical comedy,
and there you were,
looking owlish without your glasses
and flashing your high kicks
with a Rockette's verve.
And now, my dear,
that you're thirty, and settled,
and should know better,
you've erupted again—a star
in every girl's fantasy—
spangled in pink sequins, trying
to steady your headdress
while you keep a precarious balance
on the back of an elephant.
And I, who have loved you through
each translation
of child to girl to woman,
can only applaud, saluting
your untamed heart,
that does not know it knows
there's an end to dreaming.
___________________
Ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Or just pitch hay to the elephants for a few weeks? Do you know what the 24-hour man is? Write about the circus for this week's Seed of the Week. Think specifics (colors, smells, music, costumes) or think broader: symbols, circus culture, your life (or somebody else's) as a "circus". (How about politics??)
I was never especially hooked on the circus, but my parents did have one circus story. I grew up in a house on Marconi and Howe Avenues; at the time, there were only open fields there and three little houses, and when I was born in 1946, my parents lived in the middle one. After dinner, they used to take walks down Marconi, west toward the railroad tracks, and sometimes the trains would stop there. One summer evening before I was born, my parents were walking along beside the stopped train and they turned around to see the elephants right behind them—huge animals unloading so noiselessly from the train that my parents didn't hear them!
Now I don't know if the elephants really were that quiet (my parents' hearing was, in their 30's, still good), or if this is one of those family stories that grows bigger (more elephantine) with each passing year. But I've never forgotten the image of these huge grey ships moving silently along in the twilight...
Anyway, join the circus this week and write some poems about it. There's never a deadline on SOWs. And here's a cat poem Allegra Silberstein sent us in response to yesterday's post and photo by Patricia Wellingham-Jones, along with a carousel poem to kick off the SOW, and several poetic opportunities for you. Be sure to join Allegra at The Other Voice poetry reading in Davis this Friday; see yesterday's post for details. Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
MY QUEENLY CAT
in one effortless leap
ascends to the table where I write,
sits on her haunches and
for a moment quietly surveys my work
then bats her paw at my moving pen.
I bat back
My cat showing her disdain
stretches out to the edges of my paper
and in one fluid movement
rolls indolently on her back
delighted with her sensual self
looks at me—
no need of crown.
She knows who’s boss:
raises the tip of her tail
in pointed exclamation.
I laugh.
What’s my scribbling
to one aristocratic twitch
of her royal scepter.
—Allegra Silberstein, Davis
_________________
Calendar addition for this week:
•••Sat. (3/21), 4-6 PM: Women's Writing Salon (Men welcome!). Spring Celebration reading of poetry and prose penned by six foothill women writers: Charity Bryson, Judy Crowe, Heather Donohue, Kathryn Finn, Ann Keeling, Eleanore McDonald. Coffee Town, 134 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley. Free.
New journal looking for poetry:
Ernest Dempsey is working on a new mag called The Recovering Self (to be published by Victor Volkman of Loving Healing Press). They are looking for poetry, essays, short fiction, non-fiction, etc. on the topic of healing / recovering from illness/disease. Contact him at ernest dempsey dempsey87@gmail.com
Cache Creek workshop this spring:
•••Tuesdays, Mar. 26-May 28, 10 AM-2 PM: Rae Gouirand writes: I’m happy to announce the second workshop in this year’s series at Cache Creek Nature Preserve in Woodland: Laughing Matters. This workshop will offer a thoughtful exploration of humor elements (including sarcasm, imitation, mockery, hyperbole, and the like, as well as the actual phenomenon of laughter itself). This workshop will be a space for participants to enjoy the fresh air of a good laugh for its own sake, though the work you produce here doesn’t have to be funny. There will be weekly homework to keep you asking the questions of the course on your own throughout the week. You don’t have to be a poet to join us, though the writing exercises will ask you to explore some of the concerns of our discussions with a poet’s attention to line and language.
This workshop is offered free to the public, thanks to support from the Teichert Foundation and Cache Creek Nature Preserve, but registration will be capped. Those who register will be expected to attend regularly, to arrive on time, and to remain on site at the Preserve during the second class hour (typically devoted to independent writing outdoors on the Preserve) as a show of support for the work of the whole group. Please register only if you can commit to being present. To register, email the Writer-in-Residence, Rae Gouirand, at rgouirand@gmail.com with your name, email address, and phone number, even if you have registered for CCNP workshops in the past. Directions to CCNP will be emailed with a confirmation in the week preceding the first class
The Writer-in-Residence program at Cache Creek Nature Preserve provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the local landscape and to experience the connection between the natural world and creative practice. Our outdoor classroom and gathering spirit make this workshop series a unique opportunity for those who would like to grow their creative lives from the support of both human and natural community. The Preserve is located in rural Yolo County, five miles northwest of Woodland, California. The 130-acres of outdoor classroom are augmented by indoor offices and an antique barn. The surrounding habitats include riparian forest, wetlands, willow thickets, open water, heritage oak woodlands, and grasslands bordered on one side by Cache Creek. Participants should dress for the weather and wear shoes comfortable for walking outdoors. Carpools from Davis and Sacramento can be arranged at the first meeting.
Poetry in Yosemite:
•••Friday (3/27), 8:15 PM: A poetry reading entitled Nature of Poetry. The reading's location will be the Garden Terrace space at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. This program follows the regular DNC Interpretive Services program of Ansel Adams: A Film from 7-8 p.m. across the courtyard in the Cliff Room. Local poets Joy Downs, Tim Lopez and James Downs will join guest poet Molly Weller of Portland, Oregon in an evening of poetry about the nature of nature and of human relationships. Molly Weller was born in Boulder, CO in the middle of the night during a wind storm and spent her youth running wild in the foothills on the Rocky Mountains. She now lives on the side of a hill in Portland, OR, where she runs wild through the Columbia Gorge. She holds degrees from Willamette University, the University of Colorado, and the University of Sydney. She leaves a little piece of her heart in every place she visits. Molly got her start as a writer with a ghost story contest she won at the age of nine. She is now a college English instructor. Her work has been published in the US, Canada, and Australia. Molly is author of the poetry volume, Finding Passage, published by Poetic Matrix Press. Tim Lopez, winner of poetry awards, is the author of a book of poetry about love. He is co-host of the Internet interview program, "The Corner", and he helps his friends out whenever he can. Joy Downs is a poet of sensitivity, writing about relationships and of the nature about her in Yosemite. She has had poems accepted for publishing on Poetic Matrix Press, The Golden Lantern and other sites. James Downs lives and works in Yosemite National Park. James produces a twice-yearly on-stage writer’s night, WORDS (see below). Poetic Matrix Press has published a chapbook, Where Manzanita, and a full-length volume, Merge with the River, by Mr. Downs. Presently, James is working on his next manuscript to be entitled, The Skin of All Things. James participates in as many poetry readings around California as possible and leads poetry workshops. Most important of all, he spends time with his beloved wife, Joy, and their cat, Belle.
•••Sat. (4/25): The celebration of the tenth anniversary of WORDS, the writer's performances in Yosemite. They are hoping to have use of the then-newly refurbished Curry Lounge for a day-long Saturday coffee-house setting. Otherwise, they will share an evening in the East Auditorium that day. Stay tuned for updates about the venue. E-mail James Downs (jamespeakdowns@yahoo.com) and let him know if you can share your poetry or stories or songs for this special event in Yosemite on April 25th.
Statewide Leadership in Arts Education Conference April 20-21:
Register now for the Statewide Leadership in Arts Education Conference at the Embassy Suites, Sacramento. Especially now, we need to come together to focus on the right path for arts education in California. In order to build that future, we need your participation in this year's Conference. Together we can help ensure that every child receives arts education.
Register Online at:
[ http://ccsesaarts.k12oms.org/eventdetail.php?gid=403&id=22809
]http://ccsesaarts.k12oms.org/eventdetail.php?gid=403&id=22809
For lodging discount, register with Embassy Suites before March 30, 2009. Contact the hotel directly at (916) 326-5000 or go online to [Link]http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/SACESES-CCS-20090419/index.jhtml
For additional information or questions, please contact the CCSESA office at (916) 446-3095.
__________________
THE CAROUSEL
—Husein Tahmiscic
Wants to open the circle and depart
Wants to enter a bar full of girls and soldiers
Wants to listen attentively to that bickering and haggling
Want to protest
Against the low price of circles
Against the routine of spinning round on a single pivot
Wants to start moving
In circles superior to itself
Wants above all
To be its own boss
But the curse of this world
Makes it stay put on the outskirts of town
Makes it spawn pennies and sixpences
Makes it spell consolation to childhood
And dream of that someday walk
(translated from the Serbian by John Hartley Williams)
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
Soft words butter no turnips.
—Irish Proverb
—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.
