—Anonymous Photos
OLIGARCHY SOUP
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Old family recipe
Developed in a secret place
No one allowed to take notes
Death to traitors
Pour it into a crock pot
Like jigsaw puzzle pieces
Until a picture takes shape
Yes, the one on the box
Advertise with superlatives
Lather with praise
Surround with unparalleled beauty
Brag about ratings
Conduct market survey using people
Who don’t read and write much
But will show up to comment
If they are angry enough
Make them very, very angry
Like junk yard dogs
Don’t feed them enough
No friendly gestures
Simmer over rising
Levels of discontent
Season with Russian hacking
Serve too hot to handle
___________________
COMMON SEPTPERMISSIONS
—Caschwa
(British accent optional)
When using an out building
One is in the distinguished company
Of creatures with advanced degrees
In making wild animal sounds
There are no formal auditions
To join this magnificent chorus
One must only divest of culture and
Wash clean of all technology
Burst the door wide open
Take a rhinoceros deep breath
And launch into a grotesque
Unwritten aria of groans
Behold the tormented expressions
Of small critters slithering around
Oblivious to the sudden arrival
Of Paparazzi near and far
Don’t even bother
Looking for toilet tissue
Step out and find a bush
Well, well, a bigger bush
Now the door is closed
Displaying a message in red
You’ve been outed!
Where’s that bush again?
COMPOSITION
—JD DeHart, Chattanooga, TN
My hands, my feet
instruments of art for shaping
for touching world
These are the tools
that bind to mind
extended finger.
_________________
THUNDERSTORMS
—JD DeHart
The dog is afraid,
people run indoors,
but I embrace
the thunderstorm, how
it clears the air, sends
bending straws of rain
to slurp up impurities,
washing away into gutters
the accumulation
of the last many weeks.
_________________
MARATHON
—JD DeHart
No, thank you,
I will walk quickly.
Or else take my time.
A sprinter goes by,
then an entire herd.
What are they proving,
what do they see when
they arrive?
Headed to the restaurant,
I should think about exercise
instead of fried strips.
I'll think about it more
in my lazy amble.
OMENS
—JD DeHart
I'm looking for meaning
in an invisible web.
I'm trying to suss out,
make sense, as if all is
metaphor.
Maybe, maybe not.
The moving leaf
may be a sign or simply
some stray wind,
reminding me of my hope
for a grand plan.
________________
SAVAGE
—JD DeHart
A fur face glances
at me. But there is kindness
there.
Personhood, not just crude
artwork from Mother Nature.
A growl becomes
a compliment. I mutter
a polite reply.
_________________
The Littlest of Nips:
CAPSIZE
—Caschwa
It begins with a stormy C
But does not quite end
When it reaches Z
_________________
Our thanks to Carl Schwartz and JD DeHart for poetry from two different states on this Monday morning! Poetry readings in our area begin tonight at Sac. Poetry Center, 7:30pm, with Joey Garcia and Alice Anderson plus open mic. Thursday at noon, Third Thursday at the Central Library takes place, and then Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe, with features and open mic, begins in Sac. at 8pm.
On Saturday, 4-6pm, The Wine Smith on Main Street in Placerville will host an open mic for poets and musicians. And on Sunday, you have your choice of hearing Jennifer O’Neill Pickering at 3 pm at the Lincoln Library in Lincoln, or Nancy Aidé González and Lara Gularte at Love Birds Coffee and Tea Co. in Placerville, 1-3pm. Scroll down to the blue column (under the green column at the right) for info about these and other upcoming poetry events in our area—and note that more may be added at the last minute.
—Medusa
Sometimes it's hard to get a leg up on Mondays...
but at least we have poetry to celebrate!
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.
then click on the X in the top right corner to come back
to Medusa.
