—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham, Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for Form Fiddlers’ Friday!
A LOCAL VIEW
The lovely firethorn that succumbed last year,
renouncing green leaves while the summer dozed,
we’ve cut—as all dead things must go. It’s clear,
as now the wide view to the east’s exposed
with all the neighbor’s junked cars interposed.
Those dead, too, should go. Far less lovely than
a perished firethorn is the work of man.
FAR FROM TOWN LIGHTS
A chill and moonless night
of radiant starlight—
deep black shadow crosses—
silent owl of losses.
GIFT OF NATURE
Dismayed at TV news, I walk outside
along the fence-line, quiet woodland
where the only coffin is a rotten log
rampant with Artists-bracket fungus—
stratified fans and wings of many colors.
What a beautiful job Nature makes
of blossom and decay. A gift renewed
each morning, it transports heart
and mind—till suddenly at my back
I hear a buzz and grind—always some
gas-powered impatience breaks my
revery, like a picture of Yosemite
labeled on its reverse Made in China,
and the price tag.
CONNECTIVITY
Gotta be patient
in this little foothills canyon
where WiFi bounces off a satellite
trying to find us on our hill of oaks
and uplift rock ages older than
the Internet. While Facebook fails
to upload my photos from last night’s
reading, I build a fire in the woodstove,
make breakfast, do laundry, write this
poem. Will I find my photos ready
to post when I’m done? Maybe
I’ll still have time enough for weed-
eating, mowing my land under a sun
of infinite patience clouded over
at times by unstable weather,
but still connected.
CATASTROPHE
The cat has caught himself in nylon
from bygone days, so long forgotten
in the rag bag on a laundry shelf.
Could he have been high on catnip, or
impatient for adventure, to drag
it out—still snagged on a nail—and climb
it like a rung-less ladder? We woke
to such a shocking scream in the dark,
cat dangling by the sharp of his claws
from a long-dead grandmother’s stocking.
TIME CHANGE
No matter how we change the clock,
the big hand and the little hand
we unlock to once again lock—
our ritual twice-yearly fuss—
the best of us must understand
it’s always Time that changes us.
Today’s LittleNip:
’64 VW
—Taylor Graham
her first car was a bug
training wheels
fly
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Many thanks to Taylor Graham for today’s poetry and photos, as she transports us to the foothills of the Sierra. And bless her heart for not succumbing to the temptation to put a hyphen in her poem about Latches: Cat-asthrophe. (As you can see, I have no such restraint.) Latches will be further featured in the Kitchen today; scroll down to see how.
Here are the forms TG sent us examples of this week: a Rhyme Royal (“A Local View”); a Word-Can Poem (“Gift of Nature”); a rhymed quatrain (“Far from Town Lights”); Normative Syllabics/Word-Can (“Catastrophe”); a rhymed 6-liner (“Time Change”)—sexain, sixain, sextain, sextet, sestet, hexastich?—any of these names may be used for 6-liners, rhymed or not; and last week’s Triple-F Challenge, the wee Tilus (“’64 VW”).
•••Tonight (Friday, 3/25), 7-8:30pm: Sac. City College’s el gigante presents a reading by their Creative Writing Faculty (Steve Cirrone, Jeff Knorr, Troy Myers, Danny Romero) plus open mic. Zoom at cccconfer.zoom.us/j/9348057923/. Host: Danny Romero.
And now it’s time for . . .
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
It’s time for more contributions from Form Fiddlers, in addition to those sent to us by Taylor Graham! Each Friday, there will be poems posted here from our readers using forms—either ones which were sent to Medusa during the previous week, or whatever else floats through the Kitchen and the perpetually stoned mind of Medusa. If these instructions are vague, it's because they're meant to be. Just fiddle around with some forms and get them posted in the Kitchen, by golly! (See Medusa’s Form Finder at the end of this post for resources and for links to poetry terms used today.) Sometimes ya just gotta rhyme. Joyce Odam has sent us a poem of rhyming Tercets, and thanks to her for that:
STARING AT TIME
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
fluttering down from the trees
the little souls of leaves
the life that death believes…
the splintering of bird-songs
the little rights and wrongs
the way it all belongs…
the mental vertigo
the things that stay and go
the tercets in a row…
the souls that wait in stones…
the music in the bones
the casual undertones…
the threes and twos and one
the endings late begun
the black glare in the sun…
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Last week’s Ekphrastic Challenge was this plucky little dandelion (courtesy of Joe Nolan), and both Stephen Kingsnorth and Claire Baker responded to it:
BLING
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales, UK
Against contracting mire of mud
admire the struggle—such the norm—
reaction to the breakthrough bloom
from cake of crazy paving cracks.
But seeds abound for luck as this,
fall, open opportunities,
to delve, find trigger, tapping route—
in hope of flight another year,
spring gene leap too, further afield.
So draw the moisture just below
and blaze above in fashion show,
spread solar panels, green of course,
to glow for hover from above.
Drawn by the sense of pheromones,
call carrier, high pollen count,
collect whatever male was left—
delivered, wild oats sown abroad—
the stigma now considered low.
This layer cake, clay dry to wet—
reminds of coffee, walnut flake—
has lost its status, centre stage,
to showy model, bold bling gold.
It’s found the means, its standout rôle,
to gather pupils, homework set,
biology, arithmetic—
though do bee eyes bear such a well,
or compound interest instead?
To cede grey wilderness to bright,
against the gloom, doom-ridden site,
through sight of mindful insight eye
is complement, how life’s to be.
I’m by herbaceous border now—
a privilege (though weeds grow too),
so cannot preach to those trapped, dire,
who face more hell than I will bear.
But still I trust that power of seed.
* * *
LIFESPAN
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
After seeing a yellow daisy
in a desert widely cracked,
yet someone was drawn
to take a photograph,
later this same day,
I read about & picture
the royal Romanovs
at their firing squad
execution, the young
Anastasia wearing
a gorgeous yellow dress.
Had she sewn jewels
into its cloth, as her mother
urged the four daughters
to ward off bullets?
Had Anastasia escaped?
___________________
Does this photo have you stumped? It was our Ekphrastic Challenge for week-before-last, and Claire Baker successfully responded to it:
AT EDGE OF UNKNOWN WOODS
—Claire J. Baker
A
patty
of
sun
center
of
stump
covering
ten
rings
&
more
to
count
while
inhaling
life.
____________________
Carl Schwartz (Caschwa) came up with a photo (below) last week and sent it to me, so I promptly posted it on Monday. Then he came up with a response to his own photo—self-ekphrasticizing, as it were:
GRACIOUS AMENITIES
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Modern fleet of cruise ships and riverboats, designed for
passenger comfort. Provides guests with a personal oasis as
well as a private view of the passing scenery. Every
stateroom is among the most spacious in the industry and
the perfect setting for a rewarding day’s activities.
_________________
Another challenge last week, the Triple-F, was the wee Tilus, so Caschwa sent us this one. The Tilus is so delicate—like a tiny piece of lace:
THE WHOLE SET
—Caschwa
encyclopedia
yesteryear
now
Caschwa also sent a Nonet:
THE “LIE”BRARY OF CONGRESS
pride is boosted by marking in ink
our taxes fund this endeavor
everything that’s fit to print
kept neat, tidy, ordered
eloquent language
boilerplate terms
colloquy
ideas
law
______________________
And finally, from Joe Nolan, another of his poems which follows no specific form. But, as I said above, sometimes ya just gotta rhyme…
HERE, TOGETHER
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
In our private,
Intimate space,
In our quiet,
Verdant place,
Opportunities
For grace.
Splendid vistas
We can see,
Surrounded
By natural beauty.
Eight-billion angels
Dance this pin.
Star-centered orbit,
Geo-centered spin.
Just you and me,
When we
Pull the curtains
For privacy—
Just you and me!
______________________
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!
______________________
TRIPLE-F 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:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
Here’s Billy Collins’ poem, “Introduction to Poetry”, to start off your weekend right: www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46712/introduction-to-poetry
And see the bottom of this post for another challenge—this one an Ekphrastic one!
______________________
RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:
•••www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-learn-about-poetry-different-types-of-poems-and-poetic-devices-with-examples#15-types-of-poetic-forms (Billy Collins’ quick definitions of basic poetry terms, as part of his Poetry 101 Master Class)
_______________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Hainka: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/hainka-haiku-tanka-new-genre-of-poetic-form
•••Nonet: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/nonet-poems-poetic-form
•••Normative Syllabics: hellopoetry.com/collection/108/normative-syllabic-free-verse AND/OR lewisturco.typepad.com/poetics/normative-syllabic-verse
•••Quatrain: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms?query=quatrain
•••Rhyme Royal: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/rhyme-royal-rime-royale
•••Tilus (tee-loo-uz): www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/tilus-poetic-forms
•••Word-Can Poem: putting random words on slips of paper into a can, then drawing out a few and making a poem out of them.
______________________
—Medusa
—Photo by Taylor Graham
* * *
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