—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham, Placerville, CA
—And scroll down for Form Fiddlers’ Friday!
THE BOY WHO LOVES BLUE
hunts sapphire dragonflies along the creek
and searches for the turtle blue as sea.
He knows a string of stories, azure beads
be-speckled with the dust of every land;
so many fables, all of them quite true
in a young boy’s mind, vibrant as a week
of Saturdays. Holes in pockets, he reads
and memorizes, tries to understand
the lessons taught at school. But every text
denies that there’s a lamb with cobalt eyes
who dares to walk among the wildest beasts.
Yet this boy holds blue heaven in his hand,
adventuring the way that larkspur leads
and loving sky-blue wind upon his cheek.
hunts sapphire dragonflies along the creek
and searches for the turtle blue as sea.
He knows a string of stories, azure beads
be-speckled with the dust of every land;
so many fables, all of them quite true
in a young boy’s mind, vibrant as a week
of Saturdays. Holes in pockets, he reads
and memorizes, tries to understand
the lessons taught at school. But every text
denies that there’s a lamb with cobalt eyes
who dares to walk among the wildest beasts.
Yet this boy holds blue heaven in his hand,
adventuring the way that larkspur leads
and loving sky-blue wind upon his cheek.
LOVERS IN ECLIPSE
When day went dark as night
it took our breath away
like love, the pulse at bay.
We stood in awe.
Eclipse. Realm of science
and myth and history,
poem and mystery.
We were the myth.
And when the Moon passed on
and Sun again shone bright—
relief? regret? Our sight
was each to each.
And subtly we are changed
though we can’t say just why.
Did you feel we could fly
in flame-crowned dark?
When day went dark as night
it took our breath away
like love, the pulse at bay.
We stood in awe.
Eclipse. Realm of science
and myth and history,
poem and mystery.
We were the myth.
And when the Moon passed on
and Sun again shone bright—
relief? regret? Our sight
was each to each.
And subtly we are changed
though we can’t say just why.
Did you feel we could fly
in flame-crowned dark?
DOUBLE MASKING
Of all these covered faces, gauge the eyes—
the worry-clouded; not quite crazy-bored;
and those preoccupied with countless why?s
as if unanswered questions massed a hoard
of gold. And that one gazing with surprise
at unknowns looming if one pulls the cord.
We never thought the masquerade could last
beyond a midnight ball already past.
LATCHES IN LOVE
Housecat Latches is in love with the flitter of bird, skitter-dance for leavings on our icy deck—Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow— for seed kicked from the hanging feeder by Oak Titmouse, House Finch and, look! a woodpecker toenail-gripping the swinging feeder’s rim. Latches is in love, chitter-shiver of delight, unrequited love—sliding-glass door pulled tight between. In between, she sharpens her cupid-hunter claws and I consult my bird guide. What kind of woodpecker, ladder-back, could it be Nuttall’s? And now a Spotted Towhee, my favorite, and White-breasted Nuthatch, another fave. Latches and I in love with the image of bird we can’t achieve, its secrets—
life on frosty limbs,
getting along on frozen
ground—its flight, its song.
Housecat Latches is in love with the flitter of bird, skitter-dance for leavings on our icy deck—Dark-eyed Junco, White-crowned Sparrow— for seed kicked from the hanging feeder by Oak Titmouse, House Finch and, look! a woodpecker toenail-gripping the swinging feeder’s rim. Latches is in love, chitter-shiver of delight, unrequited love—sliding-glass door pulled tight between. In between, she sharpens her cupid-hunter claws and I consult my bird guide. What kind of woodpecker, ladder-back, could it be Nuttall’s? And now a Spotted Towhee, my favorite, and White-breasted Nuthatch, another fave. Latches and I in love with the image of bird we can’t achieve, its secrets—
life on frosty limbs,
getting along on frozen
ground—its flight, its song.
FEBRUARY APPARITION
Sun strikes new winter grass, a jubilation
on earth, first day warm enough to walk
the hill in shirt-sleeves,
and I sense a presence—
young dog leaping a joy-dance, grabbing
a storm-fall branch lance-like, tatter
of lichen swinging from its tip—a banner.
Young dog stretching out in a long
bounding stride as if for take-off into sky
at long-last blue.
This is how I remember,
a shining day short of spring,
season of promises; a dog long gone
still joy-dancing, stretching to reach me
through the filament of time.
Sun strikes new winter grass, a jubilation
on earth, first day warm enough to walk
the hill in shirt-sleeves,
and I sense a presence—
young dog leaping a joy-dance, grabbing
a storm-fall branch lance-like, tatter
of lichen swinging from its tip—a banner.
Young dog stretching out in a long
bounding stride as if for take-off into sky
at long-last blue.
This is how I remember,
a shining day short of spring,
season of promises; a dog long gone
still joy-dancing, stretching to reach me
through the filament of time.
2020, NO ROBINS
But this chill morn, past
dawn, a flurry of robins
for berries among
the thorn, berries that haven’t
plumped yet for lack of
rain. No robins last year, its
calendar torn. Birds
this dim morning sensing storm,
gorging on seed but
leaving the corn. Robins in
the field, and storming
the firethorn for its berries.
This gray dawn you’d call forlorn.
Red-breasts, red berries this morn.
But this chill morn, past
dawn, a flurry of robins
for berries among
the thorn, berries that haven’t
plumped yet for lack of
rain. No robins last year, its
calendar torn. Birds
this dim morning sensing storm,
gorging on seed but
leaving the corn. Robins in
the field, and storming
the firethorn for its berries.
This gray dawn you’d call forlorn.
Red-breasts, red berries this morn.
Today’s LittleNip:
RYŪKA
—Taylor Graham
A woman in dishwater gray
on the overpass between storms
as sun broke through, touching her hair,
her dress, releasing its rainbows.
____________________
Good morning, and many thanks to Taylor Graham for lovely photos and poems, including some forms to keep us on our toes! We’re still hung over from St. Valentine’s Day, and love poems remind us to be kind to each other and try to bring some peace to our little corners of the world.
And now it’s time for. . .
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
RYŪKA
—Taylor Graham
A woman in dishwater gray
on the overpass between storms
as sun broke through, touching her hair,
her dress, releasing its rainbows.
____________________
Good morning, and many thanks to Taylor Graham for lovely photos and poems, including some forms to keep us on our toes! We’re still hung over from St. Valentine’s Day, and love poems remind us to be kind to each other and try to bring some peace to our little corners of the world.
And now it’s time for. . .
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
Taylor’s forms today (see above) include a Bref Double (“The Boy Who Loves Blue”); an Abhanga (“Lovers in Eclipse”); an Ottava Rima (“Double Masking”); a Ryūka (“Ryūka”); a Choka (“2020, No Robins”); and a Haibun (“Latches in Love”).
Joyce Odam has sent us a Cinquain today, a form which was “invented” by Adelaide Crapsey. For more about that, see www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey/. And thank you, Joyce!
CINQUAIN FOR SAD LOVE SONGS
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
And love
is what we want
to know before we know
too much—and even then, we want
to love.
CINQUAIN FOR SAD LOVE SONGS
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
And love
is what we want
to know before we know
too much—and even then, we want
to love.
Adelaide Crapsey, 1878-1914
Claire Baker has sent us a Rubaiyat Chain, saying that it’s “after Omar Khayyam’s Quatrains. I thought it might work to string them together”:
YOSEMITE VALLEY RUBAIYATS
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
When sunrise brightens every snowy tree
and déjà vu adds ancient history,
we photograph a log’s design in frost,
envision our departure distantly.
We’re angels swishing arms in powdered snow,
creating wings in chiseled cameo.
Let’s stay forever, wrapped against the cold
within the Valley’s ivory gleam and glow…
On summer nights we watched the fire fall
in embers stark against a granite wall.
Still young and fit to climb each highest peak
one day we stood on Half Dome, proud and tall.
Snowflakes fleck our lashes, whiten hair.
May love like tree rings mark the year with care,
Back home we’d pity maples stripped of leaves,
But snow-heaped branches here are hardly bare.
(prev. pub. in Blue Unicorn, Fall 2020)
Here are two Lunes from Carol Louise Moon this week:
TWO LUNES
—Carol Louise Moon, Placerville, CA
White Birds
icy ocean bath
Arctic Terns—
ten ice cubes bobbing
Musical
loud trumpeting call
Whooping Cranes
savannah concerts
(prev. pub. in Poets’ Forum Magazine, 1996)
White Birds
icy ocean bath
Arctic Terns—
ten ice cubes bobbing
Musical
loud trumpeting call
Whooping Cranes
savannah concerts
(prev. pub. in Poets’ Forum Magazine, 1996)
Here’s Carl Schwartz (Caschwa)’s buffet this week, starting with a Dansa:
REMOTE OUT OF CONTROL
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
we hid it far too well
completely out of sight
our senses then took flight
with no locator bell
we hid it far too well
neat sofa turned to blight
our nerves then got real tight
mere whisper became yell
we hid it far too well
we’ll never get this right
it’s sapping all our might
a storm we cannot quell
we hid it far too well
REMOTE OUT OF CONTROL
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
we hid it far too well
completely out of sight
our senses then took flight
with no locator bell
we hid it far too well
neat sofa turned to blight
our nerves then got real tight
mere whisper became yell
we hid it far too well
we’ll never get this right
it’s sapping all our might
a storm we cannot quell
we hid it far too well
Next, he brings us a bouquet of Bokettos:
PERSONIFIED
—Caschwa
old view: the clothes make the man
but now days, everybody
takes selfies focused on face
the clothes don’t show
expressions rule all
emotional state of mind
hate, anger, disgust, frenzy
get a grip
second impeachment trial
did top guy reach the bottom?
it looked like a prison riot
just a little
will set it off big
emotional state of mind
hate, anger, disgust, frenzy
get a grip
well-dressed lawyers trade praises,
barbs, slick tricks, insults, until
they pause, only to yield time
since they really
have no more to add
emotional state of mind
hate, anger, disgust, frenzy
get a grip
Civil War comes back anew
Reconstruction left its mark
the band aids have fallen off
same problem now
we didn’t fix it
emotional state of mind
hate, anger, disgust, frenzy
get a grip
It’s almost time for the Trilliums to bloom; here are some Golden ones from Carl:
OPAQUE (Golden Trillium Triads)
—Caschwa
Whistle
trained ears are ready
for the cue to pounce and prey
they are off the leash
Gambit
fingers do not touch
or move the King or the Queen
rather, it’s the pawns
Smug
same person who closed
the best pathway, now complains
we should have used it
OPAQUE (Golden Trillium Triads)
—Caschwa
Whistle
trained ears are ready
for the cue to pounce and prey
they are off the leash
Gambit
fingers do not touch
or move the King or the Queen
rather, it’s the pawns
Smug
same person who closed
the best pathway, now complains
we should have used it
Golden Trilliums
Carl has written us a note about the following poem: “This Abhanga poem is about an eatery in downtown Los Angeles (right across the street from Union Station) called Philippe’s. When they were courting, my dad used to take my mom there for French Dip sandwiches, which then cost 10 cents each. Today they go for $9.25.”
LIMITS
—Caschwa
family favorite
Los Angeles diner
best French dip, no finer
everyone pleased
beware their horseradish!
hotter than most would dare
burns tongues and cheeks with flair
I say no thanks
some people just love it
use gobs and gobs no sweat
and when it’s gone they get
up and grab more
to keep my mouth intact
I choose much milder stuff
no dragon, I, with puff
of burning fire
Carl’s final poem today is an Acrostic, the answer to which is “they do arduous chores in the arctic circle”. See if you can figure out how he got that:
LIFE IS TOUGH
—Caschwa
they don’t care about library
due dates to return books,
are not particularly worried what
Jewish laws pertain to the cooking
chores at hand, they just relax
in little groups that meet at
the temple, sit beside the Torah
ark, and discuss what makes them
tick, while social distancing in a
circle
__________________
Many thanks to our SnakePals for their brave fiddling! Would you like to be a SnakePal? All you have to do is send poetry—forms or not—and/or photos and artwork to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post work from all over the world, including that which was previously published. Just remember: the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!
__________________
FIDDLERS’ CHALLENGE!
See what you can make of this week’s poetry form, and send it to kathykieth@hotmail.com! (No deadline.) This week's challenge:
Amanda’s Pinch: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/amandas-pinch
__________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry forms mentioned today:
•••Abhanga: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/abhanga
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••Amanda’s Pinch: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/amandas-pinch
•••Boketto (“Listen to the Light”):
poeticbloomings2.wordpress.com2016/05/11/inform-poets-boketto
•••Bref Double: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/bref-double-poetic-form
•••Choka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka OR poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka
•••Cinquain: poets.org/glossary/cinquain OR www.poewar.com/poetry-in-forms-series-cinquain
•••Dansa: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/dansa-poetic-forms
•••Golden Trillium Triads: 3 stanzas of 3 lines each, 5-7-5; each could stand on its own as a short poem. Each has subtitle that refers to a different aspect of subject chosen, and has brief image suggested by title. Poem is unified by one-word titles.
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••Lune: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-lune-poetry#what-is-lune-poetry OR
www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poets/poetic-form-lune
•••Ottava Rima: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/ottava-rima-poetic-form
•••Quatrain: www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-quatrain-in-poetry-quatrain-definition-with-examples#quiz-0
•••Rubáiyát: www.baymoon.com/~ariadne/form/rubaiyat.htm
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
_____________________
—Medusa
LIFE IS TOUGH
—Caschwa
they don’t care about library
due dates to return books,
are not particularly worried what
Jewish laws pertain to the cooking
chores at hand, they just relax
in little groups that meet at
the temple, sit beside the Torah
ark, and discuss what makes them
tick, while social distancing in a
circle
__________________
Many thanks to our SnakePals for their brave fiddling! Would you like to be a SnakePal? All you have to do is send poetry—forms or not—and/or photos and artwork to kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post work from all over the world, including that which was previously published. Just remember: the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!
__________________
FIDDLERS’ CHALLENGE!
See what you can make of this week’s poetry form, and send it to kathykieth@hotmail.com! (No deadline.) This week's challenge:
Amanda’s Pinch: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/amandas-pinch
__________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry forms mentioned today:
•••Abhanga: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/abhanga
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••Amanda’s Pinch: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/amandas-pinch
•••Boketto (“Listen to the Light”):
poeticbloomings2.wordpress.com2016/05/11/inform-poets-boketto
•••Bref Double: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/bref-double-poetic-form
•••Choka: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka OR poetscollective.org/poetryforms/choka
•••Cinquain: poets.org/glossary/cinquain OR www.poewar.com/poetry-in-forms-series-cinquain
•••Dansa: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/dansa-poetic-forms
•••Golden Trillium Triads: 3 stanzas of 3 lines each, 5-7-5; each could stand on its own as a short poem. Each has subtitle that refers to a different aspect of subject chosen, and has brief image suggested by title. Poem is unified by one-word titles.
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••Lune: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-lune-poetry#what-is-lune-poetry OR
www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides/poets/poetic-form-lune
•••Ottava Rima: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/ottava-rima-poetic-form
•••Quatrain: www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-quatrain-in-poetry-quatrain-definition-with-examples#quiz-0
•••Rubáiyát: www.baymoon.com/~ariadne/form/rubaiyat.htm
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
_____________________
—Medusa
Snowing now in Saudi?? Well,
it’s a topsy-turvy world these days…
All the more to write about!
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy
it’s a topsy-turvy world these days…
All the more to write about!
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy
of Joseph Nolan, Stockton, CA
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.
