—Poetry by R. Gerry Fabian, Doylestown, PA
—Photos Courtesy of Public Domain
AWKWARD ANGLES
I am the victim
of awkward angles—
the slanted imperfect kiss,
the ambiguous word construction,
the poorly prolonged gaze,
the untimed slip of the tongue.
Mine is
a severed social geometry
where the most insignificant
calculation error has left me
grasping for graceful leftover
misplaced degrees.
I am the victim
of awkward angles—
the slanted imperfect kiss,
the ambiguous word construction,
the poorly prolonged gaze,
the untimed slip of the tongue.
Mine is
a severed social geometry
where the most insignificant
calculation error has left me
grasping for graceful leftover
misplaced degrees.
DREAM DRAGON DEMONS
It seems I am barely asleep
when they appear
swirling and flashing
scales scattering,
wet saliva splashing
circling above, then below
like a wooden roller coaster.
Their roar so very loud.
I am frozen.
They whizz by
and I fail to react.
Urging myself to wake up,
I snap upright in the bed
beads of hot perspiration
dripping down my face and neck.
I need you to hold me
but you’re not here
and haven’t been for some time.
It seems I am barely asleep
when they appear
swirling and flashing
scales scattering,
wet saliva splashing
circling above, then below
like a wooden roller coaster.
Their roar so very loud.
I am frozen.
They whizz by
and I fail to react.
Urging myself to wake up,
I snap upright in the bed
beads of hot perspiration
dripping down my face and neck.
I need you to hold me
but you’re not here
and haven’t been for some time.
BLACK ICE
Unconsciously,
You have become
the road I travel.
Your soothing voice
like slick asphalt
whisks me
in routine
calendar journeys.
It is our winter
and I have become
too familiar
to concern myself
with wet roads
and freezing temperatures.
Unconsciously,
You have become
the road I travel.
Your soothing voice
like slick asphalt
whisks me
in routine
calendar journeys.
It is our winter
and I have become
too familiar
to concern myself
with wet roads
and freezing temperatures.
CLOUD COVER
She spends a good part
of her life
chasing rainbows.
Friends caution her
there will be
no pot of gold
at the end.
She just smiles
and goes on her
Quixotic quest.
Her friends shake their heads
and go about their serious endeavors
until they grow tired,
cynical and old.
Then they caution
their offspring about her.
She spends a good part
of her life
chasing rainbows.
Friends caution her
there will be
no pot of gold
at the end.
She just smiles
and goes on her
Quixotic quest.
Her friends shake their heads
and go about their serious endeavors
until they grow tired,
cynical and old.
Then they caution
their offspring about her.
STOCKING THE LARDER FOR
THE BROKEN HEARTED
Of the three red wooden shelves,
the bottom one contains
vials of rose petals, lilac petals,
and essence of salt-infused tear drops.
The middle one contains bottles of oil pressed from
dandelions, lavender, patchouli, yarrow,
rosemary, orchid oil and small drops of blood
from a severe paper cut.
Finally, on top, to be used sparingly—
an ointment of diluted wolfsbane,
a powder of ginger, saffron, chamomile
and the ground stinger of a honey bee.
In a locked desk drawer
is kept the ultimate antidote:
an amber bottle with dropper
of liquid-crushed rose thorns,
jellyfish nematocysts
and gun powder.
The aortal cracks and crevices
often need multiple soothings
and there are so many of them.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
HAIKU TRANSLATED
—R. Gerry Fabian
Don’t ever expect
anymore
than this insignificant moment
has
to suggest, imply or offer.
If you
wait for it to happen
then
when it does mesh together
you’ll be on your way home
and
someone will tell you about it.
____________________
R. Gerry Fabian’s latest book, Wildflower Women, in which four of its poems originally appeared on Medusa’s Kitchen, is available at Apple Books (https://books.apple.com/us/book/wildflower-women/id6445520743). His web page is https://rgerryfabian.wordpress.com; other online contacts are at Twitter (@GerryFabian2); Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gery3397); Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerry-fabian-91353a131) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010099476497).
Tonight at 8pm in Sacramento, Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe takes place with featured readers plus open mic. Also tonight, the Copper Canyon 50th Anniversary Reading will be available online. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about these and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
Speaking of Pop-Ups, this Sunday at 4pm, Sierra Poetry Festival Pop-Ups will present a pop-up event, “Song of Poetry/Poetry of Song”, at Wild Eye Pub, 535 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA, featuring music and poetry with Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, JB Eckl, Golden Shoulders, Sands Hall, Maxima Kahn, Maggie McKaig, Alicia Vandevorst and Travis Davis. Doors open 3:30pm; $10 donation suggested. Info: https://www.sierrapoetryfestival.org/popup-poetry-events/.
______________________
—Medusa
THE BROKEN HEARTED
Of the three red wooden shelves,
the bottom one contains
vials of rose petals, lilac petals,
and essence of salt-infused tear drops.
The middle one contains bottles of oil pressed from
dandelions, lavender, patchouli, yarrow,
rosemary, orchid oil and small drops of blood
from a severe paper cut.
Finally, on top, to be used sparingly—
an ointment of diluted wolfsbane,
a powder of ginger, saffron, chamomile
and the ground stinger of a honey bee.
In a locked desk drawer
is kept the ultimate antidote:
an amber bottle with dropper
of liquid-crushed rose thorns,
jellyfish nematocysts
and gun powder.
The aortal cracks and crevices
often need multiple soothings
and there are so many of them.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
HAIKU TRANSLATED
—R. Gerry Fabian
Don’t ever expect
anymore
than this insignificant moment
has
to suggest, imply or offer.
If you
wait for it to happen
then
when it does mesh together
you’ll be on your way home
and
someone will tell you about it.
____________________
R. Gerry Fabian’s latest book, Wildflower Women, in which four of its poems originally appeared on Medusa’s Kitchen, is available at Apple Books (https://books.apple.com/us/book/wildflower-women/id6445520743). His web page is https://rgerryfabian.wordpress.com; other online contacts are at Twitter (@GerryFabian2); Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gery3397); Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerry-fabian-91353a131) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010099476497).
Tonight at 8pm in Sacramento, Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe takes place with featured readers plus open mic. Also tonight, the Copper Canyon 50th Anniversary Reading will be available online. Click UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS at the top of this column for details about these and other future poetry events in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
Speaking of Pop-Ups, this Sunday at 4pm, Sierra Poetry Festival Pop-Ups will present a pop-up event, “Song of Poetry/Poetry of Song”, at Wild Eye Pub, 535 Mill St., Grass Valley, CA, featuring music and poetry with Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, JB Eckl, Golden Shoulders, Sands Hall, Maxima Kahn, Maggie McKaig, Alicia Vandevorst and Travis Davis. Doors open 3:30pm; $10 donation suggested. Info: https://www.sierrapoetryfestival.org/popup-poetry-events/.
______________________
—Medusa
Photos in this column can be enlarged by
clicking on them once, then clicking on the x
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Would you like to be a SnakePal?
All you have to do is send poetry and/or
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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!
more than you can chew…