Claire J. Baker
BRIEF VISITOR
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole
A hummingbird hovered just above my head
as if my head some longed-for open flower.
My unexpected buddy for these moments
seemingly bound for nearby honey gardens,
paused mid-flight, churning fan-like wings,
whirring chaotic fears past toppled towers
and anthrax spores into bluer skies.
As if this rainbow bird above my aura,
this comma or apostrophe in time,
sensed my withheld grief, he lowered, stayed
by hovering, no reason I was sure of,
amazingly near, so complimentary
my eyes released a sudden clearing mist.
How often in the pit of feeling low,
there comes a lift, a simple consolation.
("Brief Visitor" was first printed in Alameda Anthology,
edited by Mary Rudge, 2008)
Thanks, Claire, for today's poems and LittleNip! Claire J. Baker has been active in the Bay Area poetry scene for years as contest judge, contest chair, editor, reader, organizer, friend to poets. Her publications number over 2400, with awards and honorable mentions in local and national contests over 400. Her work has appeared in Blue Unicorn, Street Spirit, Poetalk, EDGZ, Song of the San Joaquin and others. She twice won the Grand Prize and poem dance performance at Dancing Poetry Festival/Artists Embassy Intl. Last year she chaired the national contest offered by Bay Area Poets Coalition, and she has served 23 years on the Poets Dinner (luncheon) Arrangements Committee. She believes poetry saved her life from a rough start on her own in her late teens. She has self-published eight books, the last co-authored with Mary Rudge.
___________________
THIS GENIUS
who watercolors
to perfection 111 birds
of the Caribbean
& describes their lives
in a stunning book—
my blood sister
who, because her eyes
are hazel, still wonders if
we have a different father.
She still remembers
a rumor 71 years ago!
—Claire J. Baker
__________________
TWO NUNS
—Claire J. Baker
On a sunny summer Saturday
in their chapel's patio
two Nuns power-hose
the Madonna & Child
of dust & bird droppings.
Matter of fact in manner,
they give themselves & old
habits a thorough workout.
The drenched statue
begins to gleam.
__________________
PAPER BROOK
—Claire J. Baker
Do you too
come upon passages
on a printed screen
where due to chance
word/space alignments
a narrow brook flows
down the screen, line
to line, and your eyes
follow the flow as if
the Ganges or the Nile
as seen from a plane?
__________________
WHEN IN GRIEF
—Claire J. Baker
The kindest thing anyone can say
Is: Go ahead and cry.
At start or mid or end of day
The kindest thing anyone can say
Is that we all have feet of clay
And hearts of roses and sky.
The kindest thing anyone can say
Is: Go ahead and cry.
__________________
ANCHOR PRAYER
—Claire J. Baker
Titanic emotions
undermine your foundation.
You start to flounder.
We've survived
drownings in floods
& whirlpools. Son,
may unconditional
love anchor us
enough to anchor you.
_________________
This photo is our Seed of the Week;
see what comes up for you.
It's called "Ice-Heart-Fire".
see what comes up for you.
It's called "Ice-Heart-Fire".
_________________
Today's LittleNip:
It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want— oh, you don't quite know what it is you want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so.
—Mark Twain
_________________
Claire J. Baker
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
Rattlesnake Review: The latest Snake (RR21) is now available (free) at The Book Collector, 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, and please—only one submission per issue.
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 APRIL: A SpiralChap of poetry and photos from Laverne Frith (Celebrations: Images and Texts); a (free!) 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. Now available from the authors, or The Book Collector, or (soon) rattlesnakepress.com/.
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.......!
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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.
