—Poetry and Artwork by
Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozabal,
West Covina CA
ALL THE ALLERGIES
I have all the allergies.
Almonds will cause certain death.
The medicine you prescribe will kill me.
The dusty streets are assassins.
Sesame seeds will stop my heart.
Everything is contaminated.
Poison is scattered in every place.
Have you fumigated the grass?
Tell my mother I am ready to go home.
A daughter needs her mother.
Aluminum makes me gag.
Rusty nails will be the end of me.
I am afraid of wooden crosses.
I am allergic to all ice creams.
How can you say I am healthy?
I cannot even hold down a glass of water.
The poison levels are too high.
If I step outside, the heat will dissolve me.
___________________
AROUND AND AROUND
Around and around we go,
some ramble, some run,
and some walk real slow.
There are many ways to go,
up or down the road,
and sometimes falling.
The constant obstacles will
come and go. You just
take it day by day.
You go into your future
as the roads close. Wait
for them to open.
Hear the sounds of birds and cars,
and hum along as your
ear grows a callus.
I have all the allergies.
Almonds will cause certain death.
The medicine you prescribe will kill me.
The dusty streets are assassins.
Sesame seeds will stop my heart.
Everything is contaminated.
Poison is scattered in every place.
Have you fumigated the grass?
Tell my mother I am ready to go home.
A daughter needs her mother.
Aluminum makes me gag.
Rusty nails will be the end of me.
I am afraid of wooden crosses.
I am allergic to all ice creams.
How can you say I am healthy?
I cannot even hold down a glass of water.
The poison levels are too high.
If I step outside, the heat will dissolve me.
___________________
AROUND AND AROUND
Around and around we go,
some ramble, some run,
and some walk real slow.
There are many ways to go,
up or down the road,
and sometimes falling.
The constant obstacles will
come and go. You just
take it day by day.
You go into your future
as the roads close. Wait
for them to open.
Hear the sounds of birds and cars,
and hum along as your
ear grows a callus.
HAZE OVER EVERYTHING
Haze over
everything
I see.
It is not
purple
like Jimi
Hendrix
sings.
I feel the sun
still breaking
through all
the haze.
Without
sunscreen
your face
will turn red.
Haze over
mountains
that are
usually brown
and green.
I still hear
the birds
sing.
In a few hours
the haze
will be
a memory.
It was just
yesterday
when the sun
made a meal
of me.
______________________
THE OTHER SIDE (The Last of the Dodo Birds)
Walking out of the bush
was the last of the dodo birds.
Its gait was unsteady
as it maneuvered across
the road to get to the other side.
The poor bird could not fly
and if you could call that walking,
one would think it had one
too many drinks.
As it made its way back to
the bush, I felt sadness for
the last of the dodo birds.
I followed it to make sure
it was safe and to make sure
I saw what I saw. I had one
too many drinks I must confess.
How I made it across the street
and back again to the other side
I cannot recall.
Haze over
everything
I see.
It is not
purple
like Jimi
Hendrix
sings.
I feel the sun
still breaking
through all
the haze.
Without
sunscreen
your face
will turn red.
Haze over
mountains
that are
usually brown
and green.
I still hear
the birds
sing.
In a few hours
the haze
will be
a memory.
It was just
yesterday
when the sun
made a meal
of me.
______________________
THE OTHER SIDE (The Last of the Dodo Birds)
Walking out of the bush
was the last of the dodo birds.
Its gait was unsteady
as it maneuvered across
the road to get to the other side.
The poor bird could not fly
and if you could call that walking,
one would think it had one
too many drinks.
As it made its way back to
the bush, I felt sadness for
the last of the dodo birds.
I followed it to make sure
it was safe and to make sure
I saw what I saw. I had one
too many drinks I must confess.
How I made it across the street
and back again to the other side
I cannot recall.
ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Humbled by the Spring rain,
playing with the radio stations.
None of the songs move me
as much as the clouds in the sky.
Some day we will meet again.
You are in my head but I am
not in yours. Always on my mind,
you have been away for too long.
____________________________
GO THE DISTANCE
Distance affects us all.
All momentum seems to shift.
The danger of loss looms.
Space becomes a constraint.
Weariness fills the heart.
Never doubt yourself.
Love remains within your grasp.
Try to refrain from hopelessness.
Go the distance inside your heart.
True love is patience.
It finds a nest inside your heart.
Keep it on the table.
Rest your weary heart.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
LOST MY MIND
Humbled by the Spring rain,
playing with the radio stations.
None of the songs move me
as much as the clouds in the sky.
Some day we will meet again.
You are in my head but I am
not in yours. Always on my mind,
you have been away for too long.
____________________________
GO THE DISTANCE
Distance affects us all.
All momentum seems to shift.
The danger of loss looms.
Space becomes a constraint.
Weariness fills the heart.
Never doubt yourself.
Love remains within your grasp.
Try to refrain from hopelessness.
Go the distance inside your heart.
True love is patience.
It finds a nest inside your heart.
Keep it on the table.
Rest your weary heart.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
LOST MY MIND
—Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozabal
I lost my keys
and I lost my mind.
I had to walk
home talking to myself.
A two-hour stroll
under the spell of
a wicked sun
in the hot summertime.
I got home and
found my keys in my
pocket.
____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Luis Berriozabal for this morning’s fine poetry!
I lost my keys
and I lost my mind.
I had to walk
home talking to myself.
A two-hour stroll
under the spell of
a wicked sun
in the hot summertime.
I got home and
found my keys in my
pocket.
____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Luis Berriozabal for this morning’s fine poetry!
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy of
Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
Joe Nolan, Stockton, 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.
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!
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.
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!
