May You Become A Pen In The Sun's Hand

Russian Dancers at Southside Park
Photo by Michelle Kunert

THE LUTE WILL BEG
—Hafiz

You need to become a pen
In the Sun's hand.

We need for the earth to sing
Through our pores and eyes.

The body will again become restless
Until your soul paints all its beauty
Upon the sky.

Don't tell me, dear ones,
That what Hafiz says is not true,

For when the heart tastes its glorious destiny
And you awake to our constant need
For your love

God's lute will beg
For your
Hands.

_____________

Medusa will be gone for a week or so. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits:

Congrats to Diane di Prima for being selected as
San Francisco's next Poet Laureate!

You might try a site called PEN TEN (invitations@pentenscribes.ning.com),
which allows writers to post stories only ten sentences long.

This week in NorCal poetry:

•••Monday (5/18), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents
Kirk Parker, Cameron Parker, and Joseph Pratt.
HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento. Open mic.

•••Tues. (5/19), 7 PM: Hannah Stein will be giving a reading
at the Arboretum in Davis (all new poems). This poetry reading is part of
the annual Writers in the Garden series and takes place on Wyatt Pavilion
in the Arboretum. Hannah plans to read poetry on themes of nature and ecology. Wyatt Pavilion is across Putah Creek from the Dramatic Arts Building
at UC Davis, and across Old Davis Road from Wyatt Pavilion Theater.

•••Thursday (5/21), 8 PM: The unveiling of the second issue of WTF,
the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged and Rattlesnake Press
at Luna's Cafe (1414 16th St., Sacramento), edited by frank andrick.
Free copies of the journal, plus lots of other features besides!

_________________

This week's LittleNip:

Here's hoping your poetry—
what you read and what you write—
"makes the top of your head come off"
this week, as Emily Dickinson said!

—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!

WTF!: Join us on Thursday, May 21 at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento for the unveiling of the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Next deadline, for issue #3, is July 15. 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.

ALSO NEW FOR MAY: A new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. Now available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or from the authors, or [soon] from rattlesnakepress.com/.

COMING IN JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandoria: A Prelude, a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick, and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30, on Wednesday, June 10. 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.

Moose, Wine & Expanding Underwear

Photo by Katy Brown, Davis

AN UNINTENDED THING
—William S. Gainer, Grass Valley

Maybe it's a word,
a poorly placed
phrase,
a slip of the tongue
and boom,
you feel
the concussion
as a voice is raised.

Or maybe
it's simply
an unintended
embrace,
a soft kiss,
or gentle touch
that allows
you to hear
each other
breathe.

Maybe
it's one of those things
that either brings us
closer,
or drives the nail
deeper...

one of those
things
that's beyond our control—
fate...

Maybe it's fate
that pushes it to our
doorstep
and leaves us wondering—
what happened...

I've tried to put it together,
thought about it
a lot,
even questioned
god...

I still don't
know...

_________________

Thanks to Bill Gainer and Claire J. Baker for today's poetry, and to Katy Brown for the photos. Be sure to join Katy this Sunday (5/17), from 3-5 PM, as the Poets Club of Lincoln features her and an Open Mic at Twelve Bridges Library in Lincoln. Today's photos are parts of two series of hers: one, her Maine/moose series, and the other, her extensive wine series. (Yes, that's wine that's pouring in the second photo...)

And here's your homework:

Contest and Submission opportunities:

•••The FRIENDS OF THE SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY literary contest started May 1; they say go to their website, saclibrary.org, for info, but I don’t see it there. There is a flyer at The Book Collector; check it out. The contest goes on for awhile; I’ll get info posted soon.

•••The SACRAMENTO POETRY CENTER Annual Contest began May 1. Go to their newly-refurbished/'way cool website (thanks, Richard Hansen!) for info—just click on the Sacramento Poetry Center link at the right of this column.

The rest of these were sent by Ellen Bass:

•••RACHEL CARSON SENSE OF WONDER CONTEST 2009

The EPA, Generations United, the Dance Exchange, and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc., announce a poetry, essay, photo and dance contest "that best expresses the Sense of Wonder that you feel for the sea, the night sky, forests, birds, wildlife, and all that is beautiful to your eyes." In 2009 many people, communities and organizations across the United States will celebrate the Year of Science (http://www.epa.gov/yearofscience/). Consider submitting an entry expressing how science has contributed to your sense of wonder and appreciation of the natural environment. Contestants will work across generations to share through one of these distinct mediums their own interactions with and reflections on the wonders of nature.

Dance video entries are not limited to the moving body. You can use live performers and/ or capture movement and change visible in nature: birds landing, trees shaking in a storm, a river flowing... Experienced and first-time dancers and video makers are encouraged to participate.

Entries are due June 10, 2009. Entries will be judged on its creativity, originality and its ability to capture a "sense of wonder." Entries will also be judged on 1) how the intergenerational team was went about planning and carrying out the project and what made it special because the project involved persons from different generations: and 2) how the creative project brought the team in touch with the natural world.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm


•••CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BEST NEW POETS, AN ANTHOLOGY OF 50 EMERGING WRITERS, ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR ITS OPEN COMPETITION
Deadline: June 1, 2009.

Entering poets cannot have published a book-length poetry collection by November 2009 (chapbooks do not affect your eligibility). Entry fee: $3.50. Each entry can contain two poems. Selected poets receive five copies of the print anthology. This year's guest editor is Kim Addonizio. In 2009, we're taking entries through ManuscriptHub. To create your submission, go to www.bestnewpoets.org for details.


•••CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ANTHOLOGY SEEKING POETRY BY MEN ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN TODAY
Deadline: June 30

Interested in poems that explore the complex psychosocial issue of male identity. Please avoid poems that project an overripe machismo. Submit to John Smelcer, P.O. Box 234, Binghamton, NY 13905.


•••CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW’S ANNUAL PRIZES
Deadline: August 1, 2009

$1,000 Poetry Prize (Judge: Tony Hoagland)
$1,000 Fiction Prize (Judge: Gail Godwin)
$1,000 Nonfiction Prize (Judge: Phillip Lopate).

Looking for exceptional writing about health, healing, illness, the body, and the mind. Entry fee: $15 ($20 includes subscription). Submit online: www.blreview.org.


•••CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: THE TEACHER'S VOICE, A LITERARY MAGAZINE FOR POETS AND WRITERS IN EDUCATION.

A free online magazine and teacher resource, they seek poems, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays about the promise and hard truths of teaching in our schools and colleges. Chapbook and poetry contests too. Send to: The Teacher’s Voice, P.O. Box 150384, Kew Gardens, NY 11415. Query: editor@the-teachers-voice.org/. Visit: www.the-teachers-voice.org/.


•••CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: AESTHETICA MAGAZINE, A UK-BASED INTERNATIONAL ARTS PUBLICATION, ANNOUNCES COMPETITION
Deadline: August 31, 2009

Three recipients to receive £500 (approx $750) each in three categories:
Poetry, fiction, artwork & photography

The 2008 Aesthetica Creative Works Competition provided a huge boost for the winners and finalists involved. Since the publication of the Creative Works Annual, some of the winners and finalists have enjoyed further publications and commissions, as well as exhibitions around the globe from London to New York.

For complete details: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/submission_guide.htm
Pauline Bache
pauline@aestheticamagazine.com
www.aestheticamagazine.com


•••FELLOWSHIP: MENDOCINO COAST WRITERS CONFERENCE AND POETRY CONTEST IN CELEBRATION OF ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY July 30-August 2, 2009.
Deadline: June 9, 2009

The Mendocino Coast Writers Conference is an intimate conference limited to 100 participants where you will be encouraged to find and express your own voice by excellent writers who are outstanding teachers. You will explore how your writing can shape the world. Whether fiction, nonfiction,or poetry, words are a powerful instrument for change. Faculty includes: Ellen Bass, Charlotte Gullick, Gennifer Choldenko, Robert McDowell and many others. A generous donor has offered to fund a full fellowship to the poet who wins the conference poetry contest.

For details on the poetry contest, other fellowship opportunities, and the conference program, see info@mcwc.org or 707-962-2600, ext. 2167.

_______________________

Workshop opportunities:

HEART AND CRAFT: A MEMOIR WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN, TAUGHT BY ANNDEE HOCHMAN, November 14-20, 2009.

To be held in La Barra de Potosi, Mexico, a small, vibrant fishing village. We'll spend six days together (classes in the morning, writing/exploring in the afternoon on Mexico's Pacific coast (near Zihuatanejo). For beginning and experienced writers; we'll write stunning prose about the lives we've lived in an atmosphere of safety, inspiration and challenge.

Early-bird price is $1100 ($500 deposit due by June 1) includes tuition, accommodations in the magical Casa del Encanto, breakfast and dinner. More info about Casa del Encanto and La Barra at www.casadelencanto.com; e-mail aehoch@aol.com for details and application.


•••PACIFIC COAST CHILDREN’S WRITERS WORKSHOP, August 21-23, 2009
Theme: "Vision and Voice."

Near Santa Cruz, CA at a beachfront conference facility. Congenial, team-taught seminar. Core faculty includes author and teacher MARION DANE BAUER, Knopf Senior Editor ERIN CLARKE, and literary agent STEPHEN FRASER, formerly a HarperCollins editor. The focus is on craft as a marketing tool; 90 percent hands-on. Open critique clinics are enhanced by pre-workshop interactive assignments. For the most critique options and lowest fees ($299-$599), apply ASAP. Contact Director Nancy Sondel: www.childrenswritersworkshop.com/.


•••UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA, INTERNATIONAL ONLINE POETRY COURSE— COMMENCING SEPTEMBER 2009

This course is followed by a weeklong summer school at the University of Cumbria’s Charlotte Mason Campus, Ambleside, in the United Kingdom. July 2010 (date to be announced). Tutors: Geraldine Green, Nick Pemberton, George Wallace. Nick Pemberton has written, published and performed his poetry seriously for the last fifteen years. He is the subject leader for creative writing at the University of Cumbria. Geraldine Green (BA Hons, MA Dist.) lives in Cumbria, is a poet and University lecturer. She has performed in the UK, Italy, Greece and America. Currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing at Lancaster University, New York's George Wallace (AB, MPH, MFA) is a university lecturer and a poet who has conducted writing workshops and readings widely in the US and UK. He has studied the craft of writing with recognized masters of the art, including Marvin Bell, David St John, Ellen Bass and WD Snodgrass; and dialogued with numerous others, including William Stafford, Robert Bly, Diane Wakoski and Allen Ginsberg.

This Online Poetry Course is suitable for:
a) Recent graduates of undergraduate creative writing programs
b) Continuing Education students wishing to participate in an online workshop setting
c) All poets at all stages of their writing—please indicate if you feel you are a beginner or wish to be classed as a poet who wants to ‘move on’

The Course aims to support you in developing your confidence in writing, editing and providing feedback and fostering a sense of community. For further details and to register please contact Nick Pemberton nick.pemberton@cumbria.ac.uk/.

__________________

THIS IS FOR YOU JANE
—William S. Gainer

When I'm old,
feeble—
strapped in my
wheelchair,
the age difference,
will show.

You, gracefully mature,
a wisp of gray in the red
at your temples—
wishing I was gone.

In the end
I'll probably find myself
pushed into the traffic,
rolling down
the off ramp—
I-80 and 49,
the commute hour.

We'll both scream,
"I'll, love you
for forever—

you bastard—
you bitch..."

The final words
of our romance
will be written
in the police report—

"She misses him now..."

__________________

SOMEBODY—SAY IT
—William S. Gainer

Yes,
we've battled
a long time
now—
and the blood's
been high
and the heart's
been weak,
but never weak
enough
to fall out of love
with you.

_________________

THE PAIN OF LOVING—
THE PASSION OF NOT
—William S. Gainer

both knowing
where the softness
ends—
what it is
to bloody the other,
to lick the wound.
to hurt
deep,
to feel the feelings,
the pain
of loving
each other,
the passion of not
and yes
the forgiveness
of needing to...

Photo by Katy Brown

__________________

Today's LittleNip(s):

ADAGE SPIN-OFF

"If the shoe fits"
try to find
the other one.


THE PRICE WE PAY

Since we've expanded
here and there
we now pay more
for underwear!


QUIPLASH

Sitting Bull
never bothered me.
But "bull" left standing
bothers me alot.

—Claire J. Baker, Pinole

__________________


—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!

WTF!: Join us on Thursday, May 21 at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento for the unveiling of the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Next deadline, for issue #3, is July 15. 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.

ALSO NEW FOR MAY: A new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. Now available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or from the authors, or [soon] from rattlesnakepress.com/.

COMING IN JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandoria: A Prelude, a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick, and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30, on Wednesday, June 10. 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.

What We Might Not See Otherwise...

Hubble's-eye View of the Heavens

airing out
—dawn di bartolo, citrus heights

spring slips thru open windows,
scents the air to undress winter.
bbq grills demand attention.
friends hug comfortably, hold
tightly to years shared
knowing each other.
skin greets sunshine
with a shedding of clothes.

children squeal with delight
as thawed little limbs
remember run & jump,
and giggles carry beautifully
in the breeze.

the pool looks enticing, but
“you know it ain’t warm
enough to swim.” I agree,
making plans for future strokes.
heat stings more than the air.

vodka, cran and laughter
but we don’t burn the chicken
this time, and the only man
praises his only woman,
“good job, baby.” winter
was not kind to them ~ any of us,
but the sun will shine again.

__________________

Thanks to Dawn Di Bartolo for today's poems (watch for a rattlechap from Dawn-D next Fall), and to Tom Goff for his take on our Seed of the Week: The Clerihew [see Tuesday's post]. Tom's new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, is now available at The Book Collector or [soon] from rattlesnakepress.com/. I notice that some other rattlechappers are reading this weekend: Danyen Powell [Anvil; Blue Sky Flies Out] and Katy Brown [too numerous to mention!]. Plus Joe and Susan Finkleman [Poems in Two Voices; plus Susan has a rattlechap coming out in the Fall] will have a booth at the Multicultural Arts Festival at Fremont Park in Sacramento on Saturday, where you can find lovely cards and 8x10's of Joe's images suitable for framing, as well as their poetry CDs. Check out the calendar below; it's a VERY busy weekend!

And thanks to the Hubble telescope (and its intrepid fixers!) for showing us things we would never have seen, otherwise...


This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Friday (5/15): Deadline for Issue #22 of Rattlesnake Review. 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.

•••Friday (5/15), 7:30 PM: The Other Voice (sponsored by the UU Church of Davis) proudly presents two local poets: Danyen Powell and Dr. Andy Jones. [See last Monday's post for bios.] The Other Voice meets in the library of the Church located at 27074 Patwin Road. Open Mike and refreshments follow the reading, so bring along a poem or two to share. This will be the last reading in this series until September.

•••Friday (5/15): Please note, there will be no Poetry at Raven's Tale this month. The next scheduled reading is Aug. 21, featuring Susan and Joe Finkleman.

•••Sat. (5/16), 11-2 PM: Together with Friends of Fremont Park, CADA, and city councilman Rob Fong, Sacramento Poetry Center is co-hosting the first annual Multicultural Children's Literary Arts Festival in Fremont Park (16th & P Sts., Sacramento) this Saturday. Come lend a hand, paint a picture, help write a poem, join in the dance...! For a schedule of events, click on the Sacramento Poetry Center link to the right of this column.

•••Saturday (5/16), 7-9 PM: The Underground Poetry Series features Supanova, The Saint and Miles Miniaci, plus open mic. Underground Books, 2814 35th St. (35th & Broadway), Sac. $3. Info: Terry Moore at 916-455-POET.

•••Sat. (5/16), 1 PM: Gillian Wegener and Lee Herrick will present a free poetry reading at the McHenry Museum, 1402 “I” St., Modesto. Light refreshments will be served. Info: Gillian Wegener (wegenerspage@yahoo.com) or Cleo Griffith, (209) 543-1776. [See last Monday's post for bios.]

•••Saturday (5/16), 7-9 PM: The Underground Poetry Series features Supanova, The Saint and Miles Miniaci, plus open mic. Underground Books, 2814 35th St. (35th & Broadway), Sac. $3. Info: Terry Moore at 916-455-POET.

•••Sat. (5/16), 10 AM: Writers of the New Sun/Escritores del Nuevo Sol have a new meeting date: the 3rd Saturday of each month. The potluck meetings are at La Raza Galeria Posada, 1024 22nd St., Sacramento. Call ahead for info or to confirm: 916-456-5323. Members of all skill levels support each other via readings, exercises, critiques and information, writing in English, Spanish or both.

•••Sat. (5/16—and every third Sat.), 7 PM: Celebration of Word, Sound and Paint at Carol’s Books features Straight Out Scribes (yes, Staajabu is in town!), 1913 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento.

•••Sat. (5/16), 9 AM-Noon: Poetry Publishing Workshop with CB ('Lyn) Follett, Rebecca Foust, and Susan Terris at Falkirk Cultural Center in Marin County. This workshop will give tips and strategies for getting your poems published in journals and magazines; handling submissions without wasting writing time; the value (or not) of poetry contests; the do's and don'ts of cover letters; tracking submissions; choosing the right places to submit; and dealing with rejections. Bring your current cover letters for advice. If time permits, the workshop will close with a brief discussion about how to position yourself for the next challenge—publishing your book or chapbook of poems. Info: Susan Terris: SDT11@aol.com/ or Rebecca Foust, PO Box 399, Ross, CA 94957 (www.rebeccafoust.com).

•••Sunday (5/17), 3-5 PM: Poets Club of Lincoln presents poet/photographer Katy Brown and an Open Mic at Twelve Bridges Library in Lincoln.

__________________

Fanny Brawne,
swift as dawn,
bundled John Keats,
when outdoors, in coats; when indoors, in sheets.

—Tom Goff, Carmichael

__________________

the night she left, and days of aftermath
—dawn di bartolo

in the dark hours
of february, night
claimed a star;
enveloped by blackness,
she shone. at least,
this is my hope…

bitter cold wheezed
thru an unsealed window,
the white sill completely
contradictory to touch,
innocence cut away
by the blade of a razor:
dead stop…

my heart froze,
exploded back
to shattered beating,
once i saw the note:
hell haphazardly realigned
to perpetuity. feet wouldn’t move.

astonished, i watched the sun rise,
encircle the stillness of my
immobilized world
several times before i realized that…
enveloped by blackness,
i had managed to shine.

__________________

thieves
—dawn di bartolo

snuck to steal
some sun, fraying
from an april
sky, spring
clinging to winter
and menthol clouds.
had to hug myself close,
brace against the breeze,
forgetting to breathe
between puffs. seems
stability is
not so easily attained.

__________________

Giant Disk of Cold Gas and Dust Fuels
Possible Black Hole at the Core of NGC 4261
Credit: Walter Jaffe/Leiden Observatory,
Holland Ford/JHU/STScI, and NASA

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable.

—Carl Sandburg

__________________


—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!

WTF!: Join us on Thursday, May 21 at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento for the unveiling of the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Next deadline, for issue #3, is July 15. 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.

ALSO NEW FOR MAY: A new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. Now available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or from the authors, or [soon] from rattlesnakepress.com/.

COMING IN JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandoria: A Prelude, a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick, and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30, on Wednesday, June 10. 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.

Wayward Squirrels, Pt. 2

Jeff Dutko

WHAT’S LOST IN THE SNOW
—Jeff Dutko, Farmington, Connecticut

It’s early and you pour your coffee
on top of the milk already in the cup
and it devours that heavy white color as it darkens
through shades called Taupe, Sombrero Tan
Almond Cream, Caramel Kiss and Chocolate Fudge
by the swatches of paint sample come-ons left in your living room
And you realize this is why you’re up while the moon’s still visible
with the ache of yesterday still in your bones
Not because your boss has set up a time
for you to earn from your toil
No, you’re outside before you lose the white
of last night’s snow to the brown hues of the mechanized world

The day, as they all do, will travel fast at you
and this is your one chance to dance in purity
to practice the step-crunch-scrape-slide shuffle
The rhythm the speeds the movement of chest
while the rest of your body discovers its pulse and purpose
baling bundles of snow by hand
and losing what you thought you knew by heart
With every extended heave, every exhale
you lose to gain, to gain that tautness in your shoulders and thighs
to gain even that sting in your palms when the business end of the shovel
slams into an unseen ridge in the covered asphalt
shaking your whole arm into shivers joining you to the tool
This brings the work into your hands for good this morning

Now you wonder if you can remember the last time
your hands hurt from a rendezvous with force
was it when you still believed contact connected you to something manly?
(of course it’s manly, would a woman do that?
this is the wisdom you’ve worked at for so long)
Yet it feels good to incur the stings of a young man once again
Not so much that you don’t eye a landmark to remember the spot
You’re an older man, long past any of that foolishness

You throw again
while your dog wags his tail over the blade and ball
An icy, saliva coated rime over his aging muzzle
but that’s another poem, as you pause
from throwing that thread of thought
onto the unhomogenized crystals
that form an edge, a place of emancipation
and a blanketed boundary
Where another thought is lost unto the pile
more poems tossed into this accumulation of clearing

__________________

Thanks, Jeff! Jeff Dutko writes: Right now my bio should read, “Jeff Dutko has threatened to beat his computer more times than any other human.” However, a more pleasant bio would go something like this:

Jeff Dutko has written and published poetry for over a quarter-century, but only in the last few years has he taken it with consistency to the mail box. Much of his poetry attempts to give voice to the special needs students he teaches, but these poems deal with a wider variety of themes and issues. He recently moved back to Farmington, Connecticut where he lives with his with his wife, two children and their very crazy dog who enjoys chasing a red rubber ball when not reading Whitman to the neighborhood squirrels.

[Ed. note: For appropriate squirrel photo, see yesterday's post.]

__________________

KATE
—Jeff Dutko

Shake it out, far and wide
your area rug of understanding
stretch the corners tight
so that it may cover the most of me
and the mess of me you can sweep it under

sit on the spots you find
most familiar and comprehensible
flatten that out and smooth them
the way you like
tuck the choices in at the edges

from your spot,
you can skip stones
into the vast and undulating sea
of my complexities and irregularities
turning your back on the ripples
as the both grow distant and near

__________________

DUET
—Jeff Dutko

In the post neon, pre-sunlit hours
I awaken to the sonorous sounds
of untuned guitars strummed
from the nasal passages
of my wife and dog

The love of my life
pregnant with both
neo-natal machinations
and the bass notes of birth

The dog, unexcused and billowing
provides counterpoint
as well as the percussive
sounds of foot tapping
as he runs an imaginary solo
mission after wayward squirrels

I lie awake listening
to this duet in awe
Then I just lie awake
waiting for the right time
to walk out on this performance

__________________

CONCENTRIC CIRCLES
—Jeff Dutko

Mother and child weaving in their love quietly in the sun
crossing fraying loops of shoelace into tight bouquets
and I always the leaving line, pulling the knot undone

Their paths begin spiraling over into repetition
the larger laps outside the other, to herd in her stray
mother and child weaving in their love quietly in the sun

Signs of infinity form from the circles they had begun
by linking together the sandy ovals pressed into the clay
and I constant the leaving line, pulling the knot undone

Moving on by linear lines, spoking in every direction
forming an endless wheel on a map that spins me away
mother and child weaving in their love, quietly in the sun

as fingers lock with fingers, they tumble through their run
only to finish innocently bound in the space left in the day
and I always the leaving line, pulling the knot undone

enclosed in a world rapt tight in its own revolution
that exacts a recompense for every minute of delay
mother and child weaving in their love quietly in the sun
and I the constant leaving line, pulling the knot undone

__________________

B.L.'s Drive-Bys: A Micro-Review from B.L. Kennedy:

The Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Neel
by Barbara Foster and Michael Foster
Overlook Press
329 pp, $16. 95
ISBN: 0-87951-774-3

My partner Genelle tells me of a conversation she had with her father about people climbing Mt. Everest. To paraphrase her father: “When we talk about an assault on Everest, for example, we really mean the Anglo-Saxon explorer, not the natives that the mountain belongs to.” This brings me to our next book, The Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Nee. Without sounding like a sexist, I have to say that Alexandra David-Neel had some serious balls! For example, this basically dismissed explorer was the first female to cross Everest by herself with just a canteen, a blanket and a pistol—in 1902—and entered the city of Lasha—a transgression, I may add, that even the peaceful Buddhist inhabitants of the city would have put her to death for, because she was a woman.

The story of Alexandra David-Neel is rich in content and a gripping narrative which should satisfy any contemporary reader of Women’s Studies, Cultural Studies, or Buddhist Studies, for it is the story of a woman who simply said “No” to the labels society stamped on her forehead. In short, she should be considered a hero to every imaginative, adventurous, and open-minded person, female and male alike. I highly recommend this book. My copy had to be special-ordered from Powell’s Books online, but if you have the chance, and want a compelling read, purchase The Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Neel and find out just how easy it is to be everything that you currently doubt yourself as being.

—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence


[Be sure to watch for many more reviews from B.L. Kennedy in the up-coming issue of Rattlesnake Review, as well as his Drive-Bys on Medusa's Kitchen each Thursday. Say!—the deadline for the next issue of RR is tomorrow—Friday, May 15! Don't forget!]

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Spring goes, and the hundred flowers.
Spring comes, and the hundred flowers.
My eyes watch things passing,
my head fills with years.
But when spring has gone not all the flowers follow.
Last night a plum branch blossomed by my door.

—Man Giac (1051-1096)

(translated from the Vietnamese by Nguyen Ngoc Bich with W.S. Merwin)

__________________


—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!

WTF!: Join us on Thursday, May 21 at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento for the unveiling of the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Next deadline, for issue #3, is July 15. 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.

ALSO NEW FOR MAY: A new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. Now available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, or from the authors, or [soon] from rattlesnakepress.com/.

COMING IN JUNE: Walt Whitman Orders a Cheeseburger, a rattlechap by Bob Stanley; Mandoria: A Prelude, a littlesnake broadside from frank andrick, and a brand-new issue of Rattlesnake Review! All at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30, on Wednesday, June 10. 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.

Gone Squirrelly

View From My Front Window
(Squirrel on Bird Feeder)
Photo by Sam The Snake Man, Pollock Pines

LOST KEY
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama

The key glints silver
against the gray gravel road.
I stoop to pick it up,
leave it alone.
I picture the small boy
trudging home from the bus stop,
drooping from school
and the heavy pack on his back.
Hope his eye catches
that gleam on the road
before he gets to the house.
Finds his pocket empty,
crouches on the step,
stomach growling.

__________________

LOST SHOE
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones

I lost a shoe
don’t know where I left it
can’t remember what I was doing
I stand one-legged in my Birkenstock
survey the dancing-cat sock on the other foot
Wonder why I didn’t feel pebbles
and sticks when I walked to the car
Some picnic I think to myself
bundling bread crusts and peach stones
into a paper bag
Wonder if someone will stumble across
the perfect match for her unclad foot

__________________

LOSSES
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones

Plastic straw in a crystal glass
of water tinged with bourbon.
Hamburger patties with bottle BBQ sauce
where once was prime rib rare.
Top denture fallen from slack mouth
where the tight one traveled the world.
Padded briefs instead of
turquoise silk bikinis.
Hands fluttering in sleep-blasted night
that once stroked joy into both bodies.
Keys, friends, loves, favorite foods
disappear—or come back in weird forms.
The most beloved person in the universe.
Who are you?

__________________

Thanks to Patricia Wellingham-Jones for her "lost" poems, and to Taylor Graham for tackling the clerihew (our Seed of the Week—see yesterday's post).

Issue #8 of the online journal, Ginosko, is available now at www.GinoskoLiteraryJournal.com/.

The Sacramento Poetry Center is now taking entries for its annual contest. Click on the Sacramento Poetry Center link in the column to the right of this for details.

Join us tonight, Weds., May 13 for a new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Free!

And the next deadline is this Friday, 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.


Wellspring Summer 2009 Writers' Residency
Philo, CA, May 31‐June 7

Come to Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley and bring your pen and paper. Both beginning and practiced writers are welcome. Cost is very reasonable, and includes food and lodging. Choose among four workshops: fiction (Charlotte Gullick), nonfiction (Bob Stanley), playwriting (Todd Evans), poetry (Maya Khosla) or a combination.

Bring a draft if you are seeking feedback from one or more of the workshop leaders. Evening talks will invite you to be inspired, explore your natural surroundings and to take as many risks as you can on the page. Wellspring fosters a relaxed atmosphere and the property fronts the Navarro River and Hendy Woods State Park, which provides you with chances to hike, wade and swim. Go to www.wellspringrenewal.org for more information. Contact Todd Evans (evansol@sbcglobal.net) for details.


Multicultural Children's Literary Arts Festival this Saturday:

Together with Friends of Fremont Park, CADA, and city councilman Rob Fong, Sacramento Poetry Center is co-hosting the first annual Multicultural Children's Literary Arts Festival in Fremont Park (16th & P Sts., Sacramento) this Saturday, May 16, from 11 AM-2 PM. Come lend a hand, paint a picture, help write a poem, join in the dance...! Info: 916-606-4303 or mccaf@jps.net/.

__________________

FOUR CLERIHEWS
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Inventor George C. Ballas,
had a brainstorm worth a palace.
What marvelous deeds—
his machine eats weeds!

Francis (Jim) Taylor
at JPL, a virtual star-sailor.
Hubble not doing well?
he cranks up his Excel.

This same Cousin Jim
stays at work on a whim.
No retirement clover—
can he rescue Mars rover?

My husband, Hatch Graham,
lambasting political mayhem,
just scared off the muse
of clerihews.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

A fallen blossom
returning to the bough, I thought—
But no, a butterfly.

—Arakida Moritake

__________________


—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!

WTF!: Join us on Thursday, May 21 at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento for the unveiling of the second issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick. Next deadline, for issue #3, is July 15. 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.

ALSO COMING IN MAY: Join us Weds., May 13 for a new rattlechap, Sinfonietta, from Tom Goff; Vol. 5 of Conversations, the Rattlesnake Interview Series by B.L. Kennedy; and the inauguration of a new series, Rattlesnake LittleBooks, with Shorts: Quatrains and Epigrams by Iven Lourie. That’s at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. 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.