WITH SINCEREST REGRETS
—Russell Edson
(for Charles Simic)
Like a monstrous snail a toilet slides into a living room on a track of wet, demanding to be loved.
It is impossible, and we tender our sincerest regrets. In the book of the heart there is no mention made of plumbing.
And though we have spent our intimacy many times with you, you belong to an unfortuante reference, which we would rather not embrace...
The toilet slides away on another track of wet...
__________________
We're talking about politics this week, and for some reason this poem (one of my favorites) came to mind... Send your political musings to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. And thanks to Taylor Graham and Chrys Mollett for today's further offerings on the subject.
Join us tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 14, at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, when Rattlesnake Press will release a new chapbook from Brad Buchanan (The War Groom) and a new Rattlesnake LittleBook from William S. Gainer: Joining the Demented. That's 7:30 PM at The Book Collector. Be there!
Deadline for Issue #4 of Rattlesnake Press's WTF!!, the free quarterly journal from Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick, will be tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 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 (clearly marked for WTF). And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)
Then join us for a ROAD TRIP on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM, as we all travel over to HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts. in Sacramento, for Rattlesnake Press's release of the new SPC anthology, Keepers of the Flame: The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center. Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers (plus Richard Hansen on cover and lay-out) have put together many, many documents and photos from SPC's history, and the resulting anthology (and SPC's 30th anniversary!) will be celebrated that night. Be sure to join us for this historic occasion.
To further celebrate SPC's birthday and Sacramento Poetry Day, Carlos Alcala at the Sacramento Bee is asking for your poems about Sacramento or one of the surrounding communities in 75 words or less. Send it to calcala@sacbee.com by Monday, Oct. 19, and they'll run some of their favorites in the Books & Media section on the 26th. Include your name, town and a phone number where they can reach you if your poem is selected.
__________________
CAMPAIGN TRAIL GOOD-BYE
—Chrys Mollett, Angels Camp
I will not be running for office this year.
Campaign coffer's empty—Support is unclear.
I needn't fake ardor, concern or a tear.
I can sit back, complain, point the finger, behave
And take dirty secrets with me to the grave.
(The family's tired; my wife has been brave.)
You'll not see my face on the back of page three.
I won't have to cram for debates on TV.
Deep throat and deep pockets won't matter to me.
Donkeys and elephants are animals again—
Neighbors just people—simply women and men.
I'll dig out my banjo—crosswords in the den.
I'm no longer chained to the cheer or the hiss.
Your sniveling babies I won't have to kiss.
Political limelight—I surely won't miss !
My own sphere of influence will be manageably small.
I'll not miss involvement in politics at all.
I'm relieved to be out of the running this fall.
__________________
AUDIENCE WITH LORD R.
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
(for Elihu Burritt, 1848)
By nature you’re optimistic—how else
could you keep going in this world of Cain?—
even in the presence of this small wizened
man, old before his time, “the Atlas
upon whom the British Empire rested.”
Does he ease his bearing just a bit to hear
your message, or is it your imagination,
as you outline issues: America’s pesky war
with Mexico, her earnest goodwill
toward the Mother Land; the Peace Congress
just concluded; arbitration to settle disputes
between nations. White of his eyes,
hint of heat lightning. Will that cloud pass
without thunder?
__________________
Today's LittleNip:
The first casualty of the truth is war.
—Brad Buchanan, "From Now On", The War Groom
__________________
—Medusa
SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:
RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:
RR23 is now available free at The Book Collector,
and contributor and subscription copies
will go into the mail in the next two weeks.
You may also order a copy through rattlesnakepress.com/.
Deadline is November 15 for RR24: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine!
Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review.
(More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)
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 (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!
COMING IN OCTOBER:
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Rattlesnake Press will release
a new chapbook from Brad Buchanan (The War Groom)
and a new Rattlesnake LittleBook from
William S. Gainer: Joining the Demented.
That's 7:30 PM at The Book Collector.
WTF!!: The third issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from
Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick,
is now available at The Book Collector,
or send me two bux and I'll mail you one.
Deadline for Issue #4 will be Oct. 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 (clearly marked for WTF).
And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be
over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)
Then gear up the flivver for a ROAD TRIP on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM
as we all travel over to HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento
for Rattlesnake Press's release of the new SPC anthology,
Keepers of the Flame: The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.
Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's history, and the resulting anthology (and SPC's 30th anniversary!)
will be celebrated that night. Be there!
_________________
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.
RATTLESNAKE REVIEW:
RR23 is now available free at The Book Collector,
and contributor and subscription copies
will go into the mail in the next two weeks.
You may also order a copy through rattlesnakepress.com/.
Deadline is November 15 for RR24: 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 add all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of the on-going Medusa are always hungry; keep that poetry comin', rain or shine!
Just let us know if your submission is for the Review or for Medusa, or for either one, and please—only one submission packet per issue of the quarterly Review.
(More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)
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 (include snail address) and I'll send you one. Free!
COMING IN OCTOBER:
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Rattlesnake Press will release
a new chapbook from Brad Buchanan (The War Groom)
and a new Rattlesnake LittleBook from
William S. Gainer: Joining the Demented.
That's 7:30 PM at The Book Collector.
WTF!!: The third issue of WTF, the free quarterly journal from
Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe that is edited by frank andrick,
is now available at The Book Collector,
or send me two bux and I'll mail you one.
Deadline for Issue #4 will be Oct. 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 (clearly marked for WTF).
And be forewarned: this publication is for adults only, so you must be
over 18 years of age to submit. (More info at rattlesnakepress.com/.)
Then gear up the flivver for a ROAD TRIP on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM
as we all travel over to HQ for the Arts, 25th & R Sts., Sacramento
for Rattlesnake Press's release of the new SPC anthology,
Keepers of the Flame: The First 30 Years of the Sacramento Poetry Center.
Editor-in-Chief Mary Zeppa and her helpers have put together
many, many documents and photos
from SPC's history, and the resulting anthology (and SPC's 30th anniversary!)
will be celebrated that night. Be there!
_________________
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.