I'm Watching U
—Poems and Photos by Smith, Cleveland, OH
SISYPHUS MIST
Crawl slow and deep
from slink of sleep
to thick awake
to foot the fog of day
till sleep's return
in constant loop of voodoo rue
we do do oh so well
Pour black coffee down dark hole body
reboot mind to lighten way
This Little Piggy
RIGHT SOCK WRONG?
We are born in cave of shadow
washed in birthing pan
walk with shadow in search of sun
till washed again at end
How well are our ways wound?
If I put left sock on left foot first
instead of right sock on right foot
does it make a difference?
Or yesterday's right on today's left?
Does the moving shadow
of my belt buckle on the floor
portend play of day?
Do things change if I put my pants
on left or right leg first?
What about both legs at once?
I know kindness to others,
listening, caring, compassion, patience
sways day's way.
But what of stretch or no stretch?
yawn or no yawn?
left or right side of bed arise?
Is there a right right
and a wrong right?
Of the mother thread of life
Clotho spins and sings of is
Lachesis measures song of was
and Atropos cuts will be
Do they care what sock I wear?
or right left of wrong?
Wonder Woman
STATUS REPORT 188
I chop big batch carrots, celery,
onions, garlic, chives, parsley,
cilantro, thyme
and toss in Dutch oven
with quarter cup extra virgin olive oil
and sauté while wondering
how virgins become extra virgin
and do they have to fuck extra hard
to lose their extra virginity
then add generous tablespoon ground cumin
3 small cans black beans
1 large can diced tomatoes
4 caps cream sherry
shake some MSG
small plop of salt with serious black pepper
little water
bring to boil
simmer 50 minutes
puree half in blender
pour back in with half bag frozen corn
simmer 40 minutes
serve with a dollop of sour cream
and good bread and butter
to help harried wife's hurried life.
Does this besmirch my bad boy rep?
Cleveland Flats
TIMEOUT
Early autumn late day light
unshadows tops of trees
with golden slant
of setting sun
below
slow traffic
in fading light
makes soft water sound
of whine on road
rode somewhere
from there
to there
and yet here's here
This World or That
ROAD RULES
If autumn ascending, watch for the fall
If tall depending, look to the small.
If spring unsprung, speak to the snow.
If too young, wait for the grow.
If no truth eastbound, westbound I'll go.
If ending unfound, outbound is slow.
When you wander don't wait too long
for your offender to admit that they're wrong.
Since outside is in and inside is out
just cuz they sin don't mean you should shout.
Your life is yours, mine's my own.
I ain't sure but I think I'm the clown.
White People
RABBIT RUN
There’s a cult of African ants
who construct arched hives
But only when populous enough
Until then,
they specialize in false starts
When enough exist
not enough workers
or enough pushers
or enough grasshopper guards
but simply enough ants
Mass mind kicks in
and arches arch
Pre-mind arches arch up and over
till over
Mass-Mind inserts keystone
Why do more ant units = keystone logic?
What evolutionary advantage accrue arched ants?
No Ant Popes?
No Arch Ant Conservatives?
No SubCult MassMind McDonald franchise?
(tho believe too late for latter prevention)
Ant politicians must be one happy critter:
For once it IS quantity
NOT quality
The Texas rabbits I understand
They reach critical population density
They develop nervous disorder
They die
Make room for daddy
Which are we?
Mass Mind in bloom of blossom?
Or rabbit run?
The Whole Thing
CHAIRMAN OF THE BORED
Don't call us
we won't call you
The system's not broke
it's fixed
It's always been fixed
in favor of the few
Who with fear and force
control the course
Sometimes you just got to bite the bully
and carry on
No glory without grief
Velvet Claws
HIGH WIND WHETHER
The trees they are dancing
Wind playing the tune
In sky tall prancing
Beneath a full moon
Clouds chant the chorus
Direction and sound
In song sung just for us
We being earth bound
Romance abounds
Adventure exists
Just look around
At all that you’ve missed
Our feet stuck to dirt
Our hearts leap for air
With happiness we flirt
And shirk our despair
Yes the trees they are dancing
Leaping for the moon
My soul sky chancing
Laughing in loon
To hear my one vocal that I like, go to 3:52, 2011, Peter Ball (1949-2015) music, Smith words&voices: www.reverbnation.com/mutantsmith/song/12074804-high-wind-whether
Mandy Magic
Today’s LittleNip:
RITUAL RISING
coffee in the morning
kitty with the purr
wife with the kiss lips
happiness pure
______________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Smith (Steven B. Smith) for today’s nummy brunch, as he continues to heal from spinal surgery!
Pisanie
Celebrate poetry! Tonight, 7pm, Women’s Wisdom Art poets
will read from
their new anthology, Lift It Tenderly, at
Parkway Theater, 5051 47th
Av., Sac. And check out this article
from Dana Gioia, State Poet Laureate of California and
former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts,
about NEA funding:
Photos in this column can be enlarged by clicking on them once,
then click on the X in the top right corner to come back
to Medusa.