—Photo by Ann Privateer, Davis, CA
BURN
—Ann Privateer, Davis, CA
Writing with charcoal
in a field once on fire
fields that burn to burn
until they stopped
and described contours
that softly rolled
into sensations
of grass under foot
transfixing the land
with a flicker
of incense
in a field gone fallow.
_________________
SONGS
—Ann Privateer
sing good-bye
to summer
to an eclipsing
moon
and moths
in tomato fields.
sing hello
to the Valley's
grand fermentation.
_________________
SEEDS
—Ann Privateer
saturate earth
shoulder
another drought
before rain
can crumple dust
before crinoline clouds
can free fall
into fields that burn
to burn.
—Photo by Ann Privateer
ANCIENT HISTORY (1960)
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Terrible accident!
Someone call for help
Hurry!!
Dial 911
(No, wait,
That option didn’t start till late 1967)
Just push the “O” button
(Wait again,
Touch tone not yet introduced, either)
Put your finger in the last hole
On the rotary dial and promptly
Turn the dial clockwise all the way around
Take a deep breath and
Wait, wait, wait
For the dial to return at its own measured pace
Victim losing blood
Breathing may have stopped
People are crying
Finally, a ring!
Human voice answers
Now what was I going to say?
—Photo by Caschwa
DISAPPEARING ACT
—Caschwa
Stepping stones
Placed with the
Best of intentions
Pleasant appearance
A welcome mat
Through wet lawn
Now overgrown
Like the vast sea
Splashing the deck
Turning garden forks
Into tuning forks
Finé
—Photo by Caschwa
TRY IT
—Caschwa
Our son, an organic farmer
Visited and planted
Several varieties of tomatoes
In our back yard garden
Some we recognized
Early Girl, Beefsteak, Grape
And others left us guessing
What should they look like
When they are ready to harvest?
Maybe stereotypically red,
Or some other color and pattern
From another solar system
And then the heat wave bought us
Certain other concerns to compete with
The ever present caveat: don’t overwater
So we shut our eyes and went by texture
—Photo by Caschwa
KRAEFTANELLE
—Caschwa
So much advertising
Happy Labor Day!
Pay, pay, pay
Expensive mood swing
I checked my accounting
And the ledger that day
No way, no way, no way
Could I buy those nice things
New kitchen, new car
Luxury cruise
The finest booze
Too few coins in my jar
Debts have not diminished
Have-to’s far from finished
The next day is august for the Ished
Sing
Pray
Sing
Charging
Labor Day
shopping
Swing
Play
Swing
Keep moving
Please stay
Keep moving
Sting
Spray
Sting
Falling
Aweigh
Still falling
Still falling
—Photo by Ann Privateer
SIX CLEVELAND HAIKU
—Michael Ceraolo, S. Euclid, OH
Cleveland Haiku #342
Waiting for the bus in the rain—
a thousand cars drive by me,
oblivious
* * *
Cleveland Haiku #344
Bus ride—
some punks spot a bicycle,
then plot an impromptu robbery
* * *
Cleveland Haiku #345
Gray sky—
rain fades
into the gray Great Lake
* * *
Cleveland Haiku #348
In the apartment row houses
tattered and torn screens
keep some of the weather out
* * *
Cleveland Haiku #359
History forgotten---
no one dancing
at the abandoned dance hall
* * *
Cleveland Haiku #360
History forgotten—
antique fire station
not treated as an antique
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.
—Henry Rollins
____________________
Many thanks to our colorful medley of chefs in today’s Kitchen, including Carl Schwartz’s “Kraeftanelle”, devised, we assume, from the Kraeft Sonnet and the Villanelle. Very kraefty of you, Carl!
Poetry readings in our area begin tonight at Sac. Poetry Center with three readers plus open mic: Richard Robbins, Albert Garcia, Thomas Mitchell, 8pm. On Thursday you have your choice of two open mics: Winters Out Loud in Winters, 7-8:30pm, or Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe in Sacramento, 8pm.
On Friday, The Other Voice in Davis presents Barbara West and Nick LeForce plus open mic, 7:30pm, at the Unitarian Universalist Church. On Saturday, Poetry in Placerville (changed from Sunday) presents John Bell, Diane Funston plus open mic, 1-3pm at Love Birds Coffee and Tea Co. on Broadway in Placerville. Host Lara Gularte says: 'After the reading, come to the Oktoberfest on Main St. from 3-8pm. Beer, weiner dog races, pretzels, polka and more! Make it a day!'
Then on Saturday night, Luna’s Cafe presents musician Victor Krummenacher with poet Cynthia Linville, as well as poets frank andrick and Rachel Leibrock. 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.
Rhona Bhopla writes that she will be hosting the Fifth Annual Sacramento Voices Book Release at Sac. Poetry Center on Sept. 30. Books can be pre-ordered for a special price (free shipping!)—including a special price for the hard cover/case bound edition—from Cold River Press at www.coldriverpress.org/. While you’re on the site, check out the vast panoply of area poets who are represented in this issue!
In need of a workshop? Check out Medusa’s “More Food for the Brain” section of the green column to the right of this for some workshops in our area which meet on a regular schedule.
—Medusa
Celebrate poetry, and poetry readings!
This photo is from last
Monday’s Sac. Poetry Center
presentation, “The Working Class Heroes”:
Chris Mackey,
Vicky Stoffer, Jennifer O’Neill Pickering, Matt Valine,
and Tim Machargue. (Thanks to Michelle Kunert for this
photo, and check
out Medusa’s Facebook page for photos
by Michelle Kunert and Cynthia
Linville of
Labor Day Weekend’s Chalk It Up.)
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.