Caution Curves
—Poetry and Visuals by Smith (Steven B. Smith),
Cleveland, OH
Tried to be nice
told mosquito
leave me alone I'll leave you alone
but it bit me
so squished it with a clap
now both our bloods all over both
and nary a lesson learned
told mosquito
leave me alone I'll leave you alone
but it bit me
so squished it with a clap
now both our bloods all over both
and nary a lesson learned
Foundation
Seems like life
is a moving target
and I'm the bullseye
Going through the bushes
through the bushes behind the trees
the trees beneath the leaves
Pieces of meat
in the middle of the road
welcome to the suture
Big mess upstairs
but that's above my grade
I do crumbs below
Day's dusk
how much damage
then to now?
How Much
Sitting silent
in dark, rocking
beneath rainpoundroof
Millions of years
from dinosaurs to gasoline
then two centuries to extinction
I try to outwait pain
eventually most leaves
and I remain
Yesterdaze
HALFWAY THRU 2022
Rolled a joint for the journey
then left it on the table
see free stone future
Rusty words
hold me together
as I work these trap lines
Spend much of my light
in the dark
The rich rule
by tongue, gun, neglect
regret
Yet here I am driving through Ohio
taking my weed tax dollars
to Michigan
Going for the going
not the getting there
We appear to be pods
packed in lies
the rich eat like flies
Toke of whacky tobacky smoke
add caffeine
voila! brain woke
Does sadness sorrow?
does sorrow get sad?
Peaceful outside
turmoil within
what a waste
Madness
and its sacred lies
of success
In this feudal world
I feed my feral
There's should
there's is
there's seldom both
I add stone
to my body river
and join flow
What does lilac?
Truth
Conspiracy
The clock bongs fade
the sirens continue
the circle eats itself
4Her
CONVERSATION WITH WIFE 55
"I shouldn't have toked. I'm incapacitated."
Isn't that part of a circuit?
You know, incapacitors and futile-to-resistors?
"You're strange."
Well, most folk go to the mountains
to search for the Yeti.
I'm more into The Valley of the Yoni.
"You should write that down."
You know, I was going to be a pop singer
but I got myself vasectimized.
"So what, you became a soda singer instead?"
Royalty
TUNE UP
Gal you been runnin' uneven
need to work your wobble wheel
I say you been runnin' uneven
need to smooth that wavy wheel
give it a real good greasin'
then see how she feels.
Let's clean your big head gasket
do the spit and shine
clean your old head gasket
while we do the spit and shine
no use taking to the casket
what we can share here like wine.
Come on gal, let's raise your hood
start my fine tune dance
need to race your motor good
make it sputter utter chance
gonna chase the rising blood
when we turn up these amps.
You got that rough round red wagon
burning rubber straight from hell
I mean baby your little red wagon
razes rudder rather well
you're my fiery fed dragon
and I'm deep in your wishing well.
Most folk moanin' about something
moanin' morning, noon, and night
groanin' after some hankering
for a tone that just ain't right
so they go and lose their anchoring
slip slide outa sight.
Come on gal, let's raise your hood
start my fine tune dance
need to race your motor good
make it utter chance
gonna chase the rising blood
when we turn up these amps.
Well we gotta beep them chimes
do the sacred shake and shudder
I tell you it ain't no crime
to roll the rocking rather
time after time after time after time
till we go and come together.
So Lady let's fine-tune this mean machine
check it all out for clues
see how your equipment leans
make sure there’s nothing loose
lick your connections clean
jump start your vital juice.
(music by Peter Ball, 1949-2015,
word/voice by me, 2015, 4:45)
We Perish
The hungry dead and dying
not nice
but that's life
always has
still is
time to change the chime
Zygote
Today’s LittleNip:
Holes to be filled
holes to be dug
all life long
—Smith
___________________
Here’s Steven Smith again, digging holes and filling ‘em up Smith-style, and our thanks for that! Smith is a fixture around here (almost seven years), and we rely on him to jump-start our vital juices each month. More luck to him on his search for the Valley of the Yoni…
Don’t forget readings in our area tonight: Paco Marquez at Solomon’s, Matt Mitchell and Mo Stoykoff in Davis, and Ike Torres at Luna’s. And today is the deadline for the Voices of Lincoln Contest, too. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about these and other future poetry events in the NorCal area.
___________________
—Medusa
—Photo by Smith
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.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
in the top right corner to come back to Medusa.
Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
photos and artwork to
kathykieth@hotmail.com. We post
work from all over the world—including
that which was previously published—
and collaborations are welcome.
Just remember:
the snakes of Medusa are always hungry—
for poetry, of course!
"my fiery fed dragon..."