—Photos by Susan Sigge, Martinez, CA
YES
—Nick LeForce,
Sacramento, CA
Of all the strange
and wonderful things,
of all the seas sailed
and mountains climbed,
of all the wishes
given to the wind
and the great distance
that love traveled
to find us while we
looked elsewhere,
all it really took was
for us to say “yes”
to open the door
to our wishful hearts.
In a nod and a wink,
a world cracks open
and, with a little faith
and a little courage,
we can step through
together.
Shall we?
—Nick LeForce,
Sacramento, CA
Of all the strange
and wonderful things,
of all the seas sailed
and mountains climbed,
of all the wishes
given to the wind
and the great distance
that love traveled
to find us while we
looked elsewhere,
all it really took was
for us to say “yes”
to open the door
to our wishful hearts.
In a nod and a wink,
a world cracks open
and, with a little faith
and a little courage,
we can step through
together.
Shall we?
____________________
MOONSHINE
—Nick LeForce
Can you feel
this yearning
stirring in the pot?
We are brewing
an elixir
that will light
a fire in us.
Let’s drink
the moonshine
we have distilled
out of ourselves
and let it course
through our veins
making us tipsy,
on the edge of falling,
our hearts
spilling out
into each other.
Can you feel
this yearning
stirring in the pot?
We are brewing
an elixir
that will light
a fire in us.
Let’s drink
the moonshine
we have distilled
out of ourselves
and let it course
through our veins
making us tipsy,
on the edge of falling,
our hearts
spilling out
into each other.
STARFISH
—Nick LeForce
I want a new body;
a new dream;
a do-over of the days
I didn’t know how
to love you;
my roaming eyes
were clocked by curls
and curves, while you
wandered over the desert
of my life, seeking
redemption.
Now that the bridge
we couldn’t cross together
has been torn down,
I can only go back
to the place we ended
and look out across
the lost sea, counting
on starfish to teach me
how the missing limb
fills itself in.
___________________
EMPTY AIRWAVES
—Nick LeForce
When the airwaves are silent
and the distance is great,
truth is on a timer.
There are only a few times you
can hit the reset before it burns.
I may excuse my wounded heart
or blame my pace on a limp,
but the door to heaven
does not open unbidden.
The truth is trapped in me,
in my silence, not in the empty
airwaves, while my heart’s affection,
held like a tight bud, hinges on
your sunlight for its flowering.
Will the unspoken then breathe
out of that fragrant blossoming
to bridge the gap? Could I
then lay my body across
the curve of the earth and
open myself up to you?
EVERYWHERE I GO
—Nick LeForce
Every where I go, my heart
is tethered to you.
Your flowering colors,
your native sky,
your flamingo elegance.
Even the sweltering heat
hugging my skin is
the nearness of you,
though I fear my clothes
drenched in sweat
will displease you.
I can think of a thousand
reasons you might turn away
but my heart remains yours.
I’ve already given
all my tomorrows
to the secret heaven
where you flourish.
TRAGEDY
—Ian Copestick, Stoke on Trent, England
My wife's mother, father and brother
All died quite suddenly, within 14 months
Of each other. Not one of them had
What could be called a long illness
Her father went first, of an aneurysm
One day he was fine, the next he was gone
Her mother fell over and broke her hip
That's all, but in hospital she got sepsis
And within a couple of weeks, died a
Horrible death. Her brother was
Diagnosed with cancer and that was it
Two weeks later he was dead.
It's awful that one family can have
So much bad luck. I don't know how
She can keep going, if it was me
I really think I would have killed myself
By now. So, over the last two years
She hasn't been easy to live with
I understand that, of course I do
But when she takes her frustrations
Out on me, it can be incredibly hard
To be the understanding, sympathetic
Guy that I try to be. Tomorrow her
Mother's ashes are to be interred
With her father's. A final goodbye
And then it's all over. The tensions
In our house are high. I try to be on
My best behaviour, really I try.
THREE PLEIADES
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
TIRADE
Toss clichés out of here now!
Throw aside convention and
terminate yesterday’s work.
Today begins new kinds of
thought, new lifelines to the whole
truth that had slipped down between
the stacks and hidden away.
****
SOS
She had danced all day among
stunning whirlpools of loose leaves,
stopping briefly to launch a
study of strange light patterns,
signals of distress from some
stranger caught snugly in a
storm drain deep below her cares.
****
ER
Excavating a splinter:
Easy as ABC, till
excessive plunges under
excruciatingly sore
epidermis raises pain,
exacerbates infection…
Emergency Room, big bill.
CONFORM SCHOOL
—Caschwa
My mother and my mother-in-law were both
left-handed and suffered verbal, physical,
and mental abuse for being so, administered
by teachers, classmates, and older siblings.
At high school, everyone had to smoke, or at
least fake it.
All students were given the same assignments.
Those who didn’t need any instruction or teacher
intervention at all to successfully complete the
assignments were awarded highly treasured
academic and sports scholarships. All the while,
unsung hero teachers worked very hard to help
students who struggled with the assignments, but
the administration only wanted to praise those
teachers whose class scores made the school
look good.
Let us praise the Lord
not the chairman of the board’s
umbilical corrd.
______________________
EMPTY TANK
—Caschwa
To a youthful motorist who possesses precious few
years of living, precious few driving miles, and a
precious few dollars for fuel, running on fumes may
suffice to stand in for the complacency of having a
full tank of gas
“It’s working now, it’s getting me there, this is nothing
I need to prioritize as some kind of emergency.”
Then the needle on the gas gauge sinks below the
“E” level, and the vehicle stops dead in its tracks.
“Damn gas gauge, anyhow!”
Climate change is one
more annoyingly correct
gauge we just ignore.
PRICE-TAG ON THE SKY
—Joseph Nolan, Stockton, CA
I hung a
Bright-blue
Price tag
On the sky,
Enticing
Passing
Motorists
To stop
And ask me,
“Why?”
Why, with
The world
Down below,
Already
Bought-out
And owned
By
War-winners,
Financial-sinners
And others
Who never
Touch the sky,
Why, now,
Hang a price-tag
On the sky?
__________________
THE LATEST ACTION MOVIE
—Joseph Nolan
Lots of guns.
Lots of bullets and shooting.
Bang, bang, bang!
Run, run, run!
There’s always a reason
To justify this insanity.
I wish I could remember
What the plot was,
But I really just remember
The guns.
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
GOLF-BALLS LIKE RAIN
—Joseph Nolan
I live aside
A golf-course
And complain,
About the
Golf-balls
Falling down
Like rain.
My friends
All ask me,
“Why don’t you move?”
I tell them
I’m trying
To find
My groove
Among
The divots
And idiots.
__________________
Good morning and good Monday, as we try to recover from losing an hour to Daylight Savings Time yesterday. And thanks to the fellas whose poems, and the gal whose photos, have started the week out for us in fine fashion, including Nick LeForce, who writes that these poems are from his fifth e-book of love poems, released for Valentine’s Day. Those who wish can download a free copy at www.nickleforce.com/heartbreak/.
Busy week! Poetry events in our area begin tonight at 7:30pm at the Sac. Poetry Center, with Don Schofield and Dennis Hock, plus open mic.
SPC workshops this week include Tuesday Night Workshop for critiquing of poems at the Hart Center (27th and J Sts.) on Tuesday, 7:30-9pm (call Danyen Powell at 530-681-0026 for info); and MarieWriters Generative Writing Workshop at SPC on Wednesday for writing poems, facilitated this week by Ann Michaels, 6-8pm.
Another workshop you might be interested in will take place at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville on a week from this Sunday, March 24 from 10am-12pm, led by Taylor Graham and Katy Brown. Explore the first Japanese colony farm in North America, then write a poem about it and take photos if you wish. More info and reg. at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/photos/a.1238391289535096/2818564331517776/?type=3&theater/.
Also coming up in Placerville: WakamatsuFest150, a four-day celebration in June with four days of poetry including, according to Taylor Graham, “a table within sight of a ‘reflective stage’ for quiet stuff like haiku. Hope to have 2 poets/2 hour-shifts to man the table, get the public involved in writing and performing poetry, writing short poems and ‘wishes’ to hang on the great blue oak ‘wishing tree’, etc. We need signups especially for Friday, June 7 and Sunday, June 9!” More info later on the exact location and how to sign up to help.
This week on Wednesday, March 13, Poetry Off-the-Shelves poetry read-around meets at the El Dorado County Library’s main branch, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville, 5-7pm. On Thursday, Mar. 14, Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe and Juice Bar in Sac., NSAA (Lawrence Dinkins) will read (plus open mic), 8pm.
Then on Friday at noon, join writers at Cafe Bernardo, 234 D St., Davis, for Lunch w/Writers, Poets, and Literature & Language Instructors from 11:45am-1:15pm. Then stay in Davis exploring all day, and later attend The Other Voice (Brad Buchanan and Stuart Canton plus open mic) at 7:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Patwin Rd.
On Sunday, also in Davis, the Davis Arts Center Poetry Series presents Mary Mackey plus open mic at 1919 F St., 2pm. Or head up the hill to Diamond Springs, just southeast of Placerville, for Poetry in the Sierra Foothills, 2pm, for eco-poetry with Scott Edward Anderson plus open mic (bring nature poetry, eco-poetry, etc.) at Caffe Santoro (caffesantoro.com/), 493 Pleasant Valley Rd., hosted by Lara Gularte. This is a new venue for an already-establishing reading series (Poetry in Placerville) which has a new name and location, so don’t be confused. Take Hwy 50 to Missouri Flat Rd. (just before Placerville), turn right and follow the road to the end, then turn left. Caffe Santoro (#493) is across from the fire station. More info at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/photos/rpp.1237910429583182/2802799406427602/?type=3&theater/.
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.
And check out Kevin Jones’ past-blast at www.facebook.com/100001558935984/videos/396944071138215/?story_fbid=2223853521009924&id=100001558935984/.
—Medusa (Celebrate poetry!)
—Joseph Nolan, Stockton, CA
I hung a
Bright-blue
Price tag
On the sky,
Enticing
Passing
Motorists
To stop
And ask me,
“Why?”
Why, with
The world
Down below,
Already
Bought-out
And owned
By
War-winners,
Financial-sinners
And others
Who never
Touch the sky,
Why, now,
Hang a price-tag
On the sky?
__________________
THE LATEST ACTION MOVIE
—Joseph Nolan
Lots of guns.
Lots of bullets and shooting.
Bang, bang, bang!
Run, run, run!
There’s always a reason
To justify this insanity.
I wish I could remember
What the plot was,
But I really just remember
The guns.
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
GOLF-BALLS LIKE RAIN
—Joseph Nolan
I live aside
A golf-course
And complain,
About the
Golf-balls
Falling down
Like rain.
My friends
All ask me,
“Why don’t you move?”
I tell them
I’m trying
To find
My groove
Among
The divots
And idiots.
__________________
Good morning and good Monday, as we try to recover from losing an hour to Daylight Savings Time yesterday. And thanks to the fellas whose poems, and the gal whose photos, have started the week out for us in fine fashion, including Nick LeForce, who writes that these poems are from his fifth e-book of love poems, released for Valentine’s Day. Those who wish can download a free copy at www.nickleforce.com/heartbreak/.
Busy week! Poetry events in our area begin tonight at 7:30pm at the Sac. Poetry Center, with Don Schofield and Dennis Hock, plus open mic.
SPC workshops this week include Tuesday Night Workshop for critiquing of poems at the Hart Center (27th and J Sts.) on Tuesday, 7:30-9pm (call Danyen Powell at 530-681-0026 for info); and MarieWriters Generative Writing Workshop at SPC on Wednesday for writing poems, facilitated this week by Ann Michaels, 6-8pm.
Another workshop you might be interested in will take place at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville on a week from this Sunday, March 24 from 10am-12pm, led by Taylor Graham and Katy Brown. Explore the first Japanese colony farm in North America, then write a poem about it and take photos if you wish. More info and reg. at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/photos/a.1238391289535096/2818564331517776/?type=3&theater/.
Also coming up in Placerville: WakamatsuFest150, a four-day celebration in June with four days of poetry including, according to Taylor Graham, “a table within sight of a ‘reflective stage’ for quiet stuff like haiku. Hope to have 2 poets/2 hour-shifts to man the table, get the public involved in writing and performing poetry, writing short poems and ‘wishes’ to hang on the great blue oak ‘wishing tree’, etc. We need signups especially for Friday, June 7 and Sunday, June 9!” More info later on the exact location and how to sign up to help.
This week on Wednesday, March 13, Poetry Off-the-Shelves poetry read-around meets at the El Dorado County Library’s main branch, 345 Fair Lane, Placerville, 5-7pm. On Thursday, Mar. 14, Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe and Juice Bar in Sac., NSAA (Lawrence Dinkins) will read (plus open mic), 8pm.
Then on Friday at noon, join writers at Cafe Bernardo, 234 D St., Davis, for Lunch w/Writers, Poets, and Literature & Language Instructors from 11:45am-1:15pm. Then stay in Davis exploring all day, and later attend The Other Voice (Brad Buchanan and Stuart Canton plus open mic) at 7:30pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Patwin Rd.
On Sunday, also in Davis, the Davis Arts Center Poetry Series presents Mary Mackey plus open mic at 1919 F St., 2pm. Or head up the hill to Diamond Springs, just southeast of Placerville, for Poetry in the Sierra Foothills, 2pm, for eco-poetry with Scott Edward Anderson plus open mic (bring nature poetry, eco-poetry, etc.) at Caffe Santoro (caffesantoro.com/), 493 Pleasant Valley Rd., hosted by Lara Gularte. This is a new venue for an already-establishing reading series (Poetry in Placerville) which has a new name and location, so don’t be confused. Take Hwy 50 to Missouri Flat Rd. (just before Placerville), turn right and follow the road to the end, then turn left. Caffe Santoro (#493) is across from the fire station. More info at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/photos/rpp.1237910429583182/2802799406427602/?type=3&theater/.
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.
And check out Kevin Jones’ past-blast at www.facebook.com/100001558935984/videos/396944071138215/?story_fbid=2223853521009924&id=100001558935984/.
—Medusa (Celebrate poetry!)
Spring, thy name is ladybug!
—Anonymous Photo
—Anonymous Photo
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.