—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham,
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to
Form Fiddlers’ Friday!
DARK GUEST
Through the schoolyard walked a big black bear.
Children gawked through classroom windows—rare
and wondrous vision. What child could dare
meet the mythic creature open-air?
But young imaginings breach the wall,
living brave in hearts that witnessed there.
Through the schoolyard walked a big black bear.
Children gawked through classroom windows—rare
and wondrous vision. What child could dare
meet the mythic creature open-air?
But young imaginings breach the wall,
living brave in hearts that witnessed there.
SOMETIMES
It takes courage to slip to edge
of bed, let your feet touch the floor,
stand up on shaky legs and walk
out the door, down the steps
into morning moving on with
its life, carrying you along
without explaining where or why—
you, in well-worn old shoes.
It takes courage to slip to edge
of bed, let your feet touch the floor,
stand up on shaky legs and walk
out the door, down the steps
into morning moving on with
its life, carrying you along
without explaining where or why—
you, in well-worn old shoes.
THERE’S A WORD FOR IT
Courage of this root
to find its way over or
under or through rock—
and the old man stubborning
his memory for a word.
Courage of this root
to find its way over or
under or through rock—
and the old man stubborning
his memory for a word.
BEYOND THE MAP
After “Next Right Step”
(Digital Mixed Media by Meagan Jensen)
Fragment of topo map splattered with first-snow
flakes (what sourdoughs called termination dust)
on the windshield. A place-name dots the red
line of interstate over Sierra—
not so far from an old-time gold town perched
over the North Fork. Remember that road?
Winding one-lane, no guardrail, cliffside down
to rapids. Once we drove that road and hiked
a trail: drop-dead view straight down to river—
a route less scary than the road. This art-
work in the gallery brings it all back.
A place that haunts memory, as it taunts
curiosity. What did we miss there?
I doubt we’ll ever drive that road again.
THOSE PHONE CALLS
a midnight callout
someone got lost
load dog, gear
drive thru dark
off the map
wade the creek
crawl thru thicket
walk boulder field
sleet turns snow
guide on stars
guide on buzzards
find or not
praise your dog
write the report
a midnight callout
someone got lost
load dog, gear
drive thru dark
off the map
wade the creek
crawl thru thicket
walk boulder field
sleet turns snow
guide on stars
guide on buzzards
find or not
praise your dog
write the report
PAINTED FOREST
After “Hiking Bliss”
(Watercolor by Karen Keys)
Is
he brave?
walking with
just a daypack
between bright and shade—
shadow that’s black as charred
pines
on each
side; walking
a trail carved long
ago into earth,
deserted now except
for
one small
boy with pack,
walking toward
a distant hill sun-
lit, with a pale green wash
of
living
foliage;
walking with faith
or confidence or
just yearning to find out.
Today’s LittleNip:
CRITICAL CROP
—Taylor Graham
From white fluff, pull each small black seed
for planting, to match the monarch’s need—
tedious chore, but our world longs for more
of those butterflies. We plant milkweed.
____________________
“Courage” was our recent Seed of the Week, and Taylor Graham has written about it today—especially the courage it takes to interface with this world, wild and otherwise. Forms she has used include the Welsh Hir A Thoddaid (“Dark Guest”); a Tanka (“There's a Word for It”); a poem that is both Ekphrastic and a Stepping Stones Chain (“Painted Forest”); a Ryūka Chain (“Sometimes”); some Ekphrastic Blank Verse (“Beyond the Map”); a Nolcha's Memoir, one of last week’s Triple-F Challenges (“Those Phone Calls”); and another Welsh form that was also a Triple-F Challenge last Friday, the Gwawdodyn (“Critical Crop”). TG’s two Ekphrastic poems are from the Roads Less Traveled exhibition at Art on the Divide in Georgetown, CA, which runs Fridays through Sundays through this Sunday, October 23. See www.facebook.com/ArtOntheDivide/.
Speaking of Placerville, this coming Mon. (10/24), 6:30-8pm: Colossus Press presents Colossus: Freedom virtual reading and open mic featuring Celia Lawren, Fe Bongolan, Zakiyyah G.E. Capehart, Elisa Salasin and (read by Lara Gularte) Nathan Blalock, Sean Neal, Albert Bell—the latter three poets being incarcerated participants in Lara's workshop at Mule Creek State Prison and contributors to the Colossus Freedom issue. Zoom at tinyurl.com/freedomopenmic1024, and bring your own poems about freedom to the open mic. Sign up at tinyurl.com/freedomopenmic1024.
For more info about El Dorado County poetry events, go to Western Slope El Dorado poetry on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/.
And now it’s time for . . .
Form Fiddlers' Friday!
There’s also a newly dusted-off page at the top of Medusa’s Kitchen called, “FORMS! OMG!!!” which expresses some of my (take ‘em or leave 'em) opinions about the use of forms in poetry writing, as well as listing some more resources to help you navigate through Form Quicksand. Got any more resources to add to our list? Send them to kathykieth@hotmail.com for the benefit of all man/woman/poetkind!
Last Week’s Ekphrastic Challenge
Here are the responses to last week’s Ekphrastic Challenge:
Modern-day Eve
is no temptress.
She markets in
sweats and flip-flops.
Her gray hair is showing
beneath the blond streaks,
she doesn’t know
whether to hide it.
No snake needs to tell her
to reach for the apples,
she knows they’re on sale this week.
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
* * *
TELLING TALES
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth,
Wrexham, Wales
What gravity this bowl presents,
but did flesh fall or were they placed?
A pipsqueak, orchard range, at core,
in conference the pair, perhaps,
comparing unlike, as it’s said.
By nature grown or scion cropped,
a cultivar, St Crispin’s way,
stock Jonathan, staged Woodstock yields,
from empire known by Granny Smith,
or bowl of juicy opal fruits?
When pared, its skin as curling snake,
lore, legend, myth rolled into one
cameo of ambrosia,
from cordon, fan, espalier,
a headpiece, if Swiss folktale Tell.
Of the eye, or from teacher’s pet,
see gold, red, green or blushing face,
as honeycrisp or stewing taste,
a strudel, or with pork on plate,
how apples tempt, raise Adam’s grace?
But why the table, blue, distressed,
except to complement the hue
and cry, that ancient breeds are doomed
to die, with no obituary?
And that’s a course which gets the pip.
* * *
BASIC ECONOMICS
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
a doctor a day keeps the apple away
when medical bills dictate all of your shoulds
impecunious, empty pockets, can’t pay
the rising cost of these perishable goods
you have your own land, you can grow your own tree
reap and keep the harvest, live life well, sip cream
but that fate eludes any sure guarantee
poor and homeless is no American dream
* * *
Caschwa (Carl Schwartz) sent a response that is in the form of a Double Stepping Stones:
SO MUCH COURAGE
—Caschwa
those
who know
me quite well
will embrace the
stark image of my
unbridled readiness
atop a trusty steed, while
bearing a shield that is really
thick
manly
durable
has a handle
is dishwasher safe
microwavable, too
holds 12 ounces of coffee
* * *
Carl also sent a response to the Triple-F Challenge, Memoir:
—Caschwa
those
who know
me quite well
will embrace the
stark image of my
unbridled readiness
atop a trusty steed, while
bearing a shield that is really
thick
manly
durable
has a handle
is dishwasher safe
microwavable, too
holds 12 ounces of coffee
* * *
Carl also sent a response to the Triple-F Challenge, Memoir:
MAD BIKE
—Caschwa
Overland Hill
decades ago in my home town
there was a roadway, Overland
Avenue, that presented a very,
very, steep incline…or if looking
down from the top, one could not
actually see the bottom
I pedaled my 45-pound Schwinn
Varsity 10-speed bicycle along
the teasingly flat portion of that
avenue and decided now was the
time to reach the top. low gear
was the only choice, of course,
but it got so rough I wanted to put
both feet on one pedal to convince
the bike to move forward
the effort left me beyond exhausted
and when I really did reach the top,
I had to pull over to let other traffic
pass by, and allow several minutes
just to catch my breath
I’ve since moved away, and in the
meantime, I think they may have
leveled that troublesome incline
somewhat
Marina del Rey
years before the arrival of yachts
and tourists and all the facilities to
accommodate them, this property
had been a rice paddy or something
like that, and one of the first phases
of the new development was a paved
road along the perimeter.
so some friends from the high school
band and me rented motor scooters
and set out to explore the new “marina”.
we would later return as visitors, workers,
paying customers, etc.
Culver City to San Fernando Valley
same Schwinn, found a route that was
much more level to avoid Overland Hill…
worked my way up to Beverly Glen Blvd.,
heading north through part of Los Angeles
then winding through Beverly Hills till it
crossed Mulholland Drive in the Santa
Monica Mountains
lots of awesome aromatic trees, but on
one occasion there was snarly competition,
a dead snake lay torn apart in the roadway
making me gag as I pedaled by
continued on Beverly Glen to Ventura Blvd.
and worked my way over to visit a friend who
had moved to Sherman Oaks
Concerned Bicycle Riders
for the Environment
attended UCLA and would commute on my
bike each day, stopping for breakfast at a
Norms on Pico, 3 miles from home. a young
waitress named “Jane” who gathered her
blonde hair with a red ribbon would put in
my usual steak-&-egg order as I was
locking up my bike outside. now this
was more than 50 years ago, when
that meal cost 99 cents.
there was a group of us bicycle riders on
campus who wished to advocate for using
bicycles as a regular means of transportation;
I had the untitled, generic role as legal
coordinator, and would contact different venues
where we wished to gather and make sure we
had all the necessary permits, etc. Beverly Hills,
for example, looked like they had decided to
make everything and anything a violation.
we called ourselves Concerned Bicycle Riders
for the Environment, and had wooden plaques
made up to display on our bikes; later, we had
to stop using the initials (CBRE) after receiving
written complaint from a real estate company
that was already using them. I still have mine
somewhere in storage.
* * *
Here is Carl’s Gwawdodyn, another of the Triple-F Challenges:
GUESS WHAT I’M THINKING
—Caschwa
you’re dead wrong. I’m not thinking at all
logged off, on sleep mode, not taking call
virtual network zone, just dial tone
like Mexico will pay for the wall
* * *
Claire J. Baker has sent a hopeful Cinquain (2,4,6,8,2) about courage:
—Caschwa
Overland Hill
decades ago in my home town
there was a roadway, Overland
Avenue, that presented a very,
very, steep incline…or if looking
down from the top, one could not
actually see the bottom
I pedaled my 45-pound Schwinn
Varsity 10-speed bicycle along
the teasingly flat portion of that
avenue and decided now was the
time to reach the top. low gear
was the only choice, of course,
but it got so rough I wanted to put
both feet on one pedal to convince
the bike to move forward
the effort left me beyond exhausted
and when I really did reach the top,
I had to pull over to let other traffic
pass by, and allow several minutes
just to catch my breath
I’ve since moved away, and in the
meantime, I think they may have
leveled that troublesome incline
somewhat
Marina del Rey
years before the arrival of yachts
and tourists and all the facilities to
accommodate them, this property
had been a rice paddy or something
like that, and one of the first phases
of the new development was a paved
road along the perimeter.
so some friends from the high school
band and me rented motor scooters
and set out to explore the new “marina”.
we would later return as visitors, workers,
paying customers, etc.
Culver City to San Fernando Valley
same Schwinn, found a route that was
much more level to avoid Overland Hill…
worked my way up to Beverly Glen Blvd.,
heading north through part of Los Angeles
then winding through Beverly Hills till it
crossed Mulholland Drive in the Santa
Monica Mountains
lots of awesome aromatic trees, but on
one occasion there was snarly competition,
a dead snake lay torn apart in the roadway
making me gag as I pedaled by
continued on Beverly Glen to Ventura Blvd.
and worked my way over to visit a friend who
had moved to Sherman Oaks
Concerned Bicycle Riders
for the Environment
attended UCLA and would commute on my
bike each day, stopping for breakfast at a
Norms on Pico, 3 miles from home. a young
waitress named “Jane” who gathered her
blonde hair with a red ribbon would put in
my usual steak-&-egg order as I was
locking up my bike outside. now this
was more than 50 years ago, when
that meal cost 99 cents.
there was a group of us bicycle riders on
campus who wished to advocate for using
bicycles as a regular means of transportation;
I had the untitled, generic role as legal
coordinator, and would contact different venues
where we wished to gather and make sure we
had all the necessary permits, etc. Beverly Hills,
for example, looked like they had decided to
make everything and anything a violation.
we called ourselves Concerned Bicycle Riders
for the Environment, and had wooden plaques
made up to display on our bikes; later, we had
to stop using the initials (CBRE) after receiving
written complaint from a real estate company
that was already using them. I still have mine
somewhere in storage.
* * *
Here is Carl’s Gwawdodyn, another of the Triple-F Challenges:
GUESS WHAT I’M THINKING
—Caschwa
you’re dead wrong. I’m not thinking at all
logged off, on sleep mode, not taking call
virtual network zone, just dial tone
like Mexico will pay for the wall
* * *
Claire J. Baker has sent a hopeful Cinquain (2,4,6,8,2) about courage:
ECHO
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
Hearing
some saving words
from an immortal pawn,
we stitch ourselves together and
hang on.
* * *
And Joyce Odam has sent a beautiful Shakespearean Sonnet; she’s also writing about courage:
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
Hearing
some saving words
from an immortal pawn,
we stitch ourselves together and
hang on.
* * *
And Joyce Odam has sent a beautiful Shakespearean Sonnet; she’s also writing about courage:
WIDOWS’ SONNET
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
Our husbands die. Oh, girls, our husbands die.
And we are widows. People say we’re strong.
They say we’re brave. They note we do not cry.
They whisper that it hasn’t been that long.
They praise us with a pity touched with dread
that in our place they might not do as well;
and death becomes another broken thread
that ravels what we do and do not tell.
Oh, girls, our husbands die, and here we are.
Whatever marriage is—and what it’s not—
ordains us to a sisterhood—why mar
old imperfections with a lesser thought.
Our bond is what becomes a simple fact—
love makes its choice—and let it go at that.
* * *
Shifting gears, Joe Nolan has been playing with sound again. His “ack” repetition reminds us of the sound of a train, yes? Onomatopoeia!
REDUX
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
Text back.
Half-track.
Some lack.
Gone slack.
Legal separation.
Egregious inflammation.
Slack, back, lack—
Gone off the track,
Never coming back.
Re-rack.
Re-track.
Every other someone,
Another to attract.
* * *
And Stephen Kingsnorth has written an Ars Poetica about when a poem is finished—or not…
WORK IN PROGRESS
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Lay down the brush, the toughest time,
the fear, improvement still be made.
Cease taking rental, sell the house,
wear the jewel or take the purse.
If semi-colon takes my hour,
and suited rhythm key for door,
sense Biblical, the subject known—
or narrative is just retold.
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
Text back.
Half-track.
Some lack.
Gone slack.
Legal separation.
Egregious inflammation.
Slack, back, lack—
Gone off the track,
Never coming back.
Re-rack.
Re-track.
Every other someone,
Another to attract.
* * *
And Stephen Kingsnorth has written an Ars Poetica about when a poem is finished—or not…
WORK IN PROGRESS
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Lay down the brush, the toughest time,
the fear, improvement still be made.
Cease taking rental, sell the house,
wear the jewel or take the purse.
If semi-colon takes my hour,
and suited rhythm key for door,
sense Biblical, the subject known—
or narrative is just retold.
We close with his question mark. Are we ever truly finished? When is it time to wave the white flag?
___________________
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 CHALLENGES!
___________________
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 CHALLENGES!
•••Sonnet, Shakespearian: www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-shakespearean-sonnet-learn-about-shakespearean-sonnets-with-examples
Remember Poe’s “The Bells” [poets.org/poem/bells]? Try a poem that is full of repetitious sound that reminds you of its subject:
•••Onomatopoeia: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/onomatopoeia
And/or tackle another Welsh form—and be careful of this one’s tricky formula:
•••Cyrch a Chwta: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/cyrch-chwta-poetic-form
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic Photo.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “Lost in the Woods”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Blank Verse: literarydevices.net/blank-verse AND/OR www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-the-difference-between-blank-verse-and-free-verse#quiz-0
•••Cinquain: poets.org/glossary/cinquain AND/OR www.poewar.com/poetry-in-forms-series-cinquain./ See www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adelaide-crapsey for info about its inventor, Adelaide Crapsey.
•••Cyrch a Chwta: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/cyrch-chwta-poetic-form
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Gwawdodyn: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/wd-poetic-form-challenge-gwawdodyn
•••Hir a Thoddaid: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/hir-thoddaid-poetic-form
•••Memoir: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memoir
•••Nolcha’s Memoir (Nolcha Fox): spans ten years, each line three words
•••Onomatopoeia: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/onomatopoeia
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••Sonnet, Shakespearian: www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-shakespearean-sonnet-learn-about-shakespearean-sonnets-with-examples
•••Stepping Stones (Claire J. Baker): Syllables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
For more about meter, see:
•••www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-iambic-pentameter-definition-literature •••www.pandorapost.com/2021/05/examples-of-iambic-pentameter-tetrameter-and-trimeter-in-poetry.html
•••nosweatshakespeare.com/sonnets/iambic-pentameter
•••www.thoughtco.com/introducing-iambic-pentameter-2985082
•••www.nfi.edu/iambic-pentameter
____________________
—Medusa
Today's Ekphrastic Challenge!
See what you can make of the above
photo, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
***
—Photo Courtesy of Katy Brown, Davis, CA
For upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
in the links at the top of this page.
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.
See what you can make of the above
photo, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
***
—Photo Courtesy of Katy Brown, Davis, CA
For upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
in the links at the top of this page.
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.
