Sunrise with Oak
—Photo by Taylor Graham
SEASON OF CHANGES
—Taylor Graham, Sacramento
A skull-shaped cloud floats
overhead, changing as clouds do
but so slowly, a mortal can’t
see it happen. White as sheep
yet sweet with a hint of rain
to water this parched landscape,
a cloud soft and porous
as bone-casque to absorb
moisture from earth, breathing
in and out with the wind,
the spirals of weather
and evolving sky.
I think it became an angel.
—Taylor Graham, Sacramento
A skull-shaped cloud floats
overhead, changing as clouds do
but so slowly, a mortal can’t
see it happen. White as sheep
yet sweet with a hint of rain
to water this parched landscape,
a cloud soft and porous
as bone-casque to absorb
moisture from earth, breathing
in and out with the wind,
the spirals of weather
and evolving sky.
I think it became an angel.
________________________
COLD MOON ROAD
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
Turkeys on the two-lane,
crossing and re-crossing. Acorns
disappear. Deer are on the
move, the field is full of geese.
When they fly, as they enter
flight, you can hear each feather,
an individual voice. And yet
they fly as pattern changing as
the weather. Every creature
hoofed and winged is moving.
What do they know
I haven’t fathomed yet?
_______________________
WAITING IN THE PARKING LOT
—Taylor Graham
Out of my book flew enough
blackbirds to crust a king or dream
a poet. It was too dark inside the book.
Released, the birds glistened
with wet ink. Their shadows rain-
bowed greasy pavement where two
women pushed their lives in shopping
carts toward the weedy fields that edge
the slough. One hand-slapped
but innocently the air. There was
an eye in her hand. The birds ascended,
November sun divorced the clouds.
“Bogard’s blue,” she said.
_______________________
PERFECT NOTHING TO DO
—Taylor Graham
He woke up from dreaming rain to find it was
raining. Now he sits at the window looking out at
rain. The oak trees are alive, waving their limbs
gently, rocking, as if cradling their crowns,
meditating on the oneness of root with earth.
They’re content in their place. So are the sheep,
not wanting to leave the barn, to step out into
weather. Only the grass and clover are dancing,
opening their green mouths to rain-songs.
He releases his outer self, bundled in oiled wool
tight-woven, to walk in the wet gray world,
to bring in firewood. Sing as the spirit wishes,
sway with the great oaks, dance with the clover.
______________________
ERASURES OF MORNING
—Taylor Graham
A bridge, its toll.
Ink still wet, hoping for birds.
Waiting for the light,
God, a sunny day. Everything breaks
like dawn,
holds together past the gardens.
Enough to start a fire,
birds of different colors,
words on the horizon.
We must stand in this wind
walking on the levee.
No more logic.
We create another of ourselves.
Time, sand and wind, wind and sand
own names and stone eyes.
The fire charm,
dances of the lightning
sliding through walls,
floating ships of water.
Near the creek
a yellowing book of tales.
Dark forms fluttering
the lights on the tower,
spinning of the earth to catch
the shimmer
drowning, a mirror.
Our true selves.
—Taylor Graham, Placerville
Turkeys on the two-lane,
crossing and re-crossing. Acorns
disappear. Deer are on the
move, the field is full of geese.
When they fly, as they enter
flight, you can hear each feather,
an individual voice. And yet
they fly as pattern changing as
the weather. Every creature
hoofed and winged is moving.
What do they know
I haven’t fathomed yet?
_______________________
WAITING IN THE PARKING LOT
—Taylor Graham
Out of my book flew enough
blackbirds to crust a king or dream
a poet. It was too dark inside the book.
Released, the birds glistened
with wet ink. Their shadows rain-
bowed greasy pavement where two
women pushed their lives in shopping
carts toward the weedy fields that edge
the slough. One hand-slapped
but innocently the air. There was
an eye in her hand. The birds ascended,
November sun divorced the clouds.
“Bogard’s blue,” she said.
_______________________
PERFECT NOTHING TO DO
—Taylor Graham
He woke up from dreaming rain to find it was
raining. Now he sits at the window looking out at
rain. The oak trees are alive, waving their limbs
gently, rocking, as if cradling their crowns,
meditating on the oneness of root with earth.
They’re content in their place. So are the sheep,
not wanting to leave the barn, to step out into
weather. Only the grass and clover are dancing,
opening their green mouths to rain-songs.
He releases his outer self, bundled in oiled wool
tight-woven, to walk in the wet gray world,
to bring in firewood. Sing as the spirit wishes,
sway with the great oaks, dance with the clover.
______________________
ERASURES OF MORNING
—Taylor Graham
A bridge, its toll.
Ink still wet, hoping for birds.
Waiting for the light,
God, a sunny day. Everything breaks
like dawn,
holds together past the gardens.
Enough to start a fire,
birds of different colors,
words on the horizon.
We must stand in this wind
walking on the levee.
No more logic.
We create another of ourselves.
Time, sand and wind, wind and sand
own names and stone eyes.
The fire charm,
dances of the lightning
sliding through walls,
floating ships of water.
Near the creek
a yellowing book of tales.
Dark forms fluttering
the lights on the tower,
spinning of the earth to catch
the shimmer
drowning, a mirror.
Our true selves.
November Sunrise
—Photo by Taylor Graham
PARENTHESIS
—Lelania Arlene, Sacramento
Fleeing down Jackson highway,
Sometimes bookended by geese and hawk.
Now parenthetically by runnels of fat cloudy tears.
I slam on the brakes so I can feel the seatbelt noose,
Choke-hold strap, satisfactory and bracing.
Feels like the way you make me hate me.
I now understand the siren appeal of the noose.
Who wants to drift off, puking?
So inelegant.
Choke me, Make it real.
Make it what it is.
The honesty of a rope.
Drop it like it’s hot.
_____________________
PECKER
—Lelania Arlene, Sacramento
Fleeing down Jackson highway,
Sometimes bookended by geese and hawk.
Now parenthetically by runnels of fat cloudy tears.
I slam on the brakes so I can feel the seatbelt noose,
Choke-hold strap, satisfactory and bracing.
Feels like the way you make me hate me.
I now understand the siren appeal of the noose.
Who wants to drift off, puking?
So inelegant.
Choke me, Make it real.
Make it what it is.
The honesty of a rope.
Drop it like it’s hot.
_____________________
PECKER
—Lelania Arlene
Outside the hive you still get pricked,
Outside the hive you still get pricked,
They peck the shine right off of you.
Port flush without the warmth,
Port flush without the warmth,
Flayed skin fits in a thimble.
Inside the hive you might get dicked,
Inside the hive you might get dicked,
They will accept the shine right off you.
An iron breech births on and so forth,
An iron breech births on and so forth,
Wolves' cape accepts your mingle.
Shine on, shine off.
_____________________
FERAL
—Lelania Arlene
She child-laps water from the plastic dog bowl,
Shine on, shine off.
_____________________
FERAL
—Lelania Arlene
She child-laps water from the plastic dog bowl,
Plastic edges ragged from canines, matted with fur.
Surface slick with oil from Chuck Wagon.
I’m a DOG and I have a beard when in my bowl....
Fueled it’s time to RUN, slipping on avocados.
Dodging snails on the mossed concrete.
Passes to avoid captive dogs' pooled urine, free outside their fence.
Up, Up onto a staircase of packed dirt.
Into the sandy wilderness, beyond the privacy bamboo.
Sniffs the fuel of dirt bikes, angry at their snarls.
Crouching to taste clean mud on a tiny fingertip.
Smiles, lips pressed together, legs akimbo in a crouch.
She pisses.
_____________________
ON FOG
—Lelania Arlene
_____________________
ON FOG
—Lelania Arlene
Nightmares crept in like reaper cats on soft padded paws.
They must have ridden in on the fogs!
Screw you, sleep.
—Photo by Caschwa, Sacramento
Today's LittleNip:
TWO MORE THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR
—Kevin Jones, Elk Grove
And so the doctor’s going through her checklist:
“Any tattoos?”
“Yes! Two.”
“Where’d you get them?”
“Well, one in Bloomington, Illinois
And the other in San Diego.”
“No, where did you get them?”
“Ankle.”
“No, where? Prison or a
Tattoo parlor?”
“Parlor.”
She looked relieved,
Made a big check on the list.
Didn’t even ask what they
Looked like.
—Kevin Jones, Elk Grove
And so the doctor’s going through her checklist:
“Any tattoos?”
“Yes! Two.”
“Where’d you get them?”
“Well, one in Bloomington, Illinois
And the other in San Diego.”
“No, where did you get them?”
“Ankle.”
“No, where? Prison or a
Tattoo parlor?”
“Parlor.”
She looked relieved,
Made a big check on the list.
Didn’t even ask what they
Looked like.
_____________________
—Medusa
Anna Marie and Lawrence Dinkins (NSAA)
at Rancho Cordova Library
where they read and talked about their work at
Spotlight on Poetry on Nov. 20
—Photo by Michelle Kunert, Sacramento