Bees, Trees and Their Knees

—Anonymous Photos

DISCLOSED
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA

A cluster of hats
is like a nest of eggs
waiting to be hatched
‘neath protective legs

angry, angry
bird, bird
sets free, sets free
forbidden word

the rise and fall
of the 3rd trombone
whose beck and call
was a muted moan

ace in your vest
ingot in your coffer
is that the very best
that you have to offer?

maybe it was I
hiding half-behind a tree
clicking pics of a goat’s eye
in anonymity

__________________

YES, THEY WENT THERE
—Caschwa

Sitting in a crowded hospital
waiting, waiting, waiting room
staring at a big screen displaying
calmly moving water gurgling
through brightly lit rock formations

expecting at any moment to see
Raquel Welch and her fantastic
crew pop out of the water and
proceed to the scientist’s head
to repair the damage to his brain

suddenly the scene changed to
show softly windblown leaves, not
grass from a well manicured lawn,
but frightening Honey I Shrunk the
Gardner rainforest giants

then my wife called out my name,
so I turned around to see her in a
pink transport chair, wheeled in by
a smiling medical support person
whose name I can’t pronounce

LUCIFER IN THE SKY WITH CUBIC ZIRCONIA

…said the girl with copyrighted eyes…

…like a tonsil scheduled for removal…

…this does nothing and ends where it should…

…the final stamp of disapproval…

…but at least the ice cream was good. 

—Caschwa

___________________

THAT EXPLAINS IT
—Caschwa

(Ekphrasic poem on the Seed of the Week, 

Medusa’s Kitchen, March 26, 2019)


I had always wondered why I had so
much trouble managing the strings on
venetian blinds, and now I know why I
was doomed from the beginning.

The slats do not, will not, and cannot
work together with unity of purpose
because each separate slat comes from
a different hat, whether a visor cap, or a
topper with a brim, or a beret with little
trim, or just a visor and its strap.

So now I let a drape cover the window
area, finally ending the continuous
stream of failed attempts to adjust the
different stripes on our federal flag,
following the example of the non-tactical
Navy blues, which replaced 13 separate
buttons in favor of one easy zipper.

CAUGHT
—Caschwa

I was sitting at a signaled intersection
patiently waiting for the light to change,
not too sure if I was going straight to Hell
or maybe make a hard right to Salvation

when everyone all around me blared their
horns, shouted curses, offered offensive
gestures, and finally the police came and
issued me a citation for obstructing traffic

this was my badge of honor for living
through it, my fencing scar, my bronco
busting hitch in my gittalong
I wear it proudly

__________________

ACCOMPLI
—Caschwa

A hillbilly knows the land
although never well enough
anxious heir can’t find his hand
ablaze with gold at the cuff
ageless birds abound and fly
armed with bones from dinosaurs
archangels pry open doors.

VALENTINE’S
—J.D. DeHart, Chattanooga, TN

Two trucks pass, honking
playfully on Valentine’s
Day.  Is this what love is
for giants, like two behemoths
passing in midnight water?

________________

STUTTER
—J.D. DeHart

I gave my name
into the metal box.  Sadly,
it could not be heard.
One day I will find more
than the first letter hiding
inside a microphone.

________________

GAVE A WORD
—J.D. DeHart

The writer broke a word
like bread to share.  One loaf
of lines fed thousands like
the age-old story.  Then he
rang the word like a bell
in the street for a century.

BLAME IT ON THE BEES
—Joseph Nolan, Stockton, CA

There are many things I should do,
But don’t,
Like practice my Spanish.

I don’t know why
I don’t,
But I don’t.

I guess I
Must like it this way,
Or maybe I’d say
I must be busy
And blame it on the bees.

_______________

SHAVING
—Joseph Nolan

Somehow, when I am done
My face has been re-won,
Smooth as a baby’s behind!
Without the slightest bristle
That might remind
I’m a full-grown man,
And not a child,
But only for awhile
Since whiskers always grow
Before you know.
And now, it’s to a park!
But I must be home
Before dark.

SORE THUMBS
—Joseph Nolan

Why do sore thumbs stick out?
Because if they involved themselves,
As they did before,
In all their normal chores
As they did before,
Before they became sore,
They’d be more and more sore,
More than ever before!

__________________

TREES DON’T BEND THEIR KNEES
—Joseph Nolan

My tree has gone haywire!
It’s growing in every direction.
I suppose I need to trim it,
But I don’t have the heart
To cut a single branch.

Maybe I think it’s lovely
The way trees
Don’t bend their knees. 

GRIEF
—Joseph Nolan

Grief is over-worn and frayed,
Like a threadbare towel,
Washed again and saved.

Meanwhile, dread dishonor,
Plagues not peaceful grave,
Which holds the old, internal,
Into life, eternal.

So, let dismal
Have its way:
Misery to living;
To dead,
It holds no sway!

___________________

Today’s LittleNip:

WRITE FOR YOURSELF
—J.D. DeHart

A wise teacher says, I write
like I want to read.  Don’t spend
your time crafting for others.
Language is your own warm bath.
Soak, wallow, wrinkle in its wave.

_________________

Good morning and thank you to our lively poets today! Hats are everywhere, our current Seed of the Week.

Any April Fool knows that April is National Poetry Month! Find out ways to celebrate, include Poem-a-Day, at www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/about-celebration/. Or get a cool poster (see below) at poets.myshopify.com/products/copy-of-national-poetry-month-poster-2018/. Copies are free if you don't need 'em tubed.

Poetry in our area begins at Sac. Poetry Center tonight with Word Wizards plus open mic, 7:30pm. Then on Tuesday, Poetry Off-the-Shelves meets in El Dorado Hills at the library on Silva Valley Parkway, 5pm. On Wednesday, Brad Buchanan will read at CSUS in the Library, 3pm.

SPC workshops this week include Tuesday Night Workshop for critiquing of poems at the Hart Center in Sacramento (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, 6pm, for the writing of poems.

Thursday, The Poets’ Quartet will read in Davis at John Natsoulas Gallery, 8pm (plus open mic). Also at 8pm, Poetry Unplugged will feature guest readers and open mic at Luna’s Cafe on 16th St. in Sacramento.
 

Then Saturday is the annual Sac. Poetry Center Conference at the Poetry Center from 9am-5pm. Be sure to register! 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.

Hats off to long-time Ginosko Editor Robert Cesarati in the Bay Area, who’s accepting short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, social justice, and literary insights for his semiannual, online litzine (with a print anthology published every two years). Check downloadable issues on the website for tone & style at GinoskoLiteraryJournal.com/. He's also looking for books, art, music, spoken word videos—the literary landscape to post on the website. Send submissions to ginosko.submittable.com/submit/. Why not take one of these many opportunities in our area to work on your poetry during this National Poetry Month, even do a little submitting? And remember—the Snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

—Medusa (Celebrate National Poetry Month!)

 2019 National Poetry Month Poster

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.