Photo by Stephani Schaefer, Los MolinosWEAVE THE SUNLIGHT
—Margaret Ellis Hill
“Weave, weave the sunlight in your hair”
from "La Figilia Che Piange" by T. S. Eliot
You sit waiting,
rooted to a deeper path than ours.
Fireworks blaze in eyes
tuned to displays we don’t understand.
Your hands wring or ring bells
sounding in your new world.
Soft skin remains new
washed with unsullied dreams,
You eat with hums,
rock with taste, and smile
as winds catch your mind,
You have gone to lands
farther from our ability to know,
yet you still weave the sunlight in your hair.
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RIVERS OF RAIN
—Margaret Ellis Hill
Rain curls rivulets on the dirty windows
of Porter’s abandoned railroad building
giving the glass an etched appearance
of Marcel-waved hairdos on the ladies
who used to work there years ago.
The upstairs offices closed in the ‘40s
due to rerouting and loss of revenue.
One can only imagine now how busy
the ladies of the C B and O must have been--
backs to the light, typing or writing receipts,
orders and schedules until trains and women
went elsewhere, leaving rusted rails,
ghost roads and old empty windows.
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Thanks to Peggy Hill and Michelle Kunert for today's poems, and to Steph Schaefer for the beautiful ocean photos. All of these fine artists will be represented within the pages of the new issue of Rattlesnake Review, which is steaming up my computer these days and will be ready (most likely) on the evening of Weds., March 11 at The Book Collector. As are B.L. Kennedy and Joe Tetro, come to think of it... And Donald Anderson!
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Call for submissions:
Donald Anderson of Stockton writes: Please send your submissions of short stories, poetry, essays, photos and artwork (in jpg format) to the following email for publication in San Joaquin Delta College's Artifact: artifactsjdc@gmail.com/. They need more content for the next issue! Type in San Joaquin Delta College Artifact for more info.
Also, you may still send poetry/art/photo submissions for Poet's Espresso newsletter and Moon Mist Valley anthology to poetsespresso@gmail.com/.
Photography Exhibit in Placerville:
You are invited to stop by the Cozmic Café on Main Street in Placerville during the month of March to see the photography exhibit, Friends & Neighbors: Mexico, by Janis Arnell and (rattlechapper) Irene Lipshin. The show includes images from the state of Michoacán, where many of their students lived before coming to the United States. In addition, please join them on Saturday, March 21 for a Third Saturday Artwalk reception at the Cozmic Café from 6-8 PM.
B.L.'s Drive-Bys: A Micro-Review by B.L. Kennedy
LOST IN AMERICA: Memoirs of a Maverick
By Joe Tetro
House Press
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200
Bloomington, IN 47403
688 pp. Trade-paper
ISBN 978-1-4389-2454-0
Lost in America: Memoirs of a Maverick is Joe Tetro in the naked light of his psyche and without apology. This is a big novel of some 688 pages, divided into twelve chapters that take the reader for a ride of rough and ready adventure through the author‘s vision of America. The book is not a light-hearted read; in fact one should get ready for some downright confrontation of the soul. There is no price listed on this book, which makes me suspect that it is self-published—but hey, so was Walt Whitman. I suggest Joe Tetro’s great “Kerouac-inspired adventure” only to those who can handle it... In other words, if you’re weak in the gut, skip it.
—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence
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T.S. Eliot talked of all kinds of cats
but there's more he would have covered
"Felix" is not like the cutesy cartoon character
He's a nearly twenty-pound black dude
who acts like the block is his 'hood
he jinxes not just on thirteenth of Fridays
He goes after a young grey cat named "Artie"
growls and claws at this poor little boy
and goes to attack others in their own front yards
to show them he is number one
Calico Hurley's only seen him out the window
mystified as if by a dark magic spell
She meows as if to say
"I'm a spay can't I go out to 'play'?"
No Way I say, Felix was likely a tom before his operation
he's much too rough for a house kitty
and we humans protect you from such harm
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ON YOUR SEVENTIETH BIRTHDAY
—Margaret Ellis Hill, Wilton
Sometime, in the night
you slipped out without leaving
maps in a coat pocket.
Now we recall something about
a journey coming. Among clues
we find: old camping tales,
how to pilot a boat hour after hour
keeping cold beer on hand,
Halloween treks with costumed kids:
notes about old dragsters and buddies.
Forty-five years of tapes play.
We cannot find the path you took.
Clouds mist the windows, the room empty.
You left silently without a scarf
wrapped around to keep warm.
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Today's LittleNip:
Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable our nests get with all that metal in them.
—Thomas Merton
Photo by Stephani Schaefer
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (RR20) is currently available at The Book Collector, on rattlesnakepress.com, or send me four bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 was Feb. 15; the issue will appear in mid-March. 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!
Coming in March: On Wednesday, March 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing 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)! Join us at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30. 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, 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.......!
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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.