—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham,
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to Form Fiddlers’ Friday
with poetry by Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Claire J. Baker
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to Form Fiddlers’ Friday
with poetry by Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Claire J. Baker
SQUIRREL
for L & S
You emailed me your grief
over your friend Mickey, squirrel
visiting your window looking meaningfully
at you, no matter how your partner
mocked you loved Mickey child of the
wild speaking to you through squirrel eyes
until you found him lying supine
under the window, tiny paws folded
on his chest, eyes forever shut
and you were rainy as the day crying your
eyes blind for just a squirrel a life gone
to a living world where it becomes
in a different form.
for L & S
You emailed me your grief
over your friend Mickey, squirrel
visiting your window looking meaningfully
at you, no matter how your partner
mocked you loved Mickey child of the
wild speaking to you through squirrel eyes
until you found him lying supine
under the window, tiny paws folded
on his chest, eyes forever shut
and you were rainy as the day crying your
eyes blind for just a squirrel a life gone
to a living world where it becomes
in a different form.
JUST SQUIRRELY
We used to have Gray Squirrels here, neighborly chittering morning gossip. Then Red Squirrels showed up. Nice to see a new species. Now it’s only Reds raising their tail-flags on the railing, ambling across the grass, claiming our oak-world. Grays are gone, I miss them. Isn’t our land big enough for all? What happened to bio-diversity, the interesting mix of life? What if everyone looked and acted like each other?
In shades of oak woods
where did the Gray Squirrels go
from their once homeland?
We used to have Gray Squirrels here, neighborly chittering morning gossip. Then Red Squirrels showed up. Nice to see a new species. Now it’s only Reds raising their tail-flags on the railing, ambling across the grass, claiming our oak-world. Grays are gone, I miss them. Isn’t our land big enough for all? What happened to bio-diversity, the interesting mix of life? What if everyone looked and acted like each other?
In shades of oak woods
where did the Gray Squirrels go
from their once homeland?
APRIL PLANTING QUESTIONS
Have I become incapable of gardens?
Do I hold a grudge against ground squirrels
who devour my crops like famished engines?
Who’s the foreigner, who’s indigenous?
Enough social commentary, a form
of self-indictment. See these raised-box lanes
where rank weeds have license to populate,
and the wages of stoop labor is backache,
where plans for harvest are cart before horse.
Summer hardpan bakes as in an oven—
and yet, today there’s rumor on the air
to upset my “no garden, not this year!”
LIFE FORCE
after a painting by Ann Privateer
Doctor tells me
to walk 30 minutes a day for my bones
that will never be strong
as stone of the mountain but I climb
how high in thirty minutes
every day
along the way
watching grasses climb for spring
a nameless bush bursting
with bloom
over these foothills
I long for mountains melting with snow
the lily pushing its bud
out of scree
its blood-spot petals
becoming cloud white wings.
after a painting by Ann Privateer
Doctor tells me
to walk 30 minutes a day for my bones
that will never be strong
as stone of the mountain but I climb
how high in thirty minutes
every day
along the way
watching grasses climb for spring
a nameless bush bursting
with bloom
over these foothills
I long for mountains melting with snow
the lily pushing its bud
out of scree
its blood-spot petals
becoming cloud white wings.
WINDY FIELD
Road
thru field
soon to be
subdivision—
fiddleneck, storks-bill,
dandelion, thistle
and wild oat pushing up thru
cracks in pavement—it’s April and
wild mustard’s lush, wild radish lavish,
wild green’s not voting for development.
Road
thru field
soon to be
subdivision—
fiddleneck, storks-bill,
dandelion, thistle
and wild oat pushing up thru
cracks in pavement—it’s April and
wild mustard’s lush, wild radish lavish,
wild green’s not voting for development.
COLORS OF THE LISTENING AIR
These colors we never dreamed,
like what my old iPad lens fantasized
of water struck by Sierra summer
sunlight—a tub of water mimicking
a pool in the river, its mid-current
boulder catching washdown sand
and gravel that might hold gold—
just a gold-panning exhibition
at the Fairgrounds—fluid magic
of light on water made visible to my
eye by some high-tech glitch or truth,
colors that disappeared without
the camera lens; a mystery to me
but known to the seeing, listening air.
These colors we never dreamed,
like what my old iPad lens fantasized
of water struck by Sierra summer
sunlight—a tub of water mimicking
a pool in the river, its mid-current
boulder catching washdown sand
and gravel that might hold gold—
just a gold-panning exhibition
at the Fairgrounds—fluid magic
of light on water made visible to my
eye by some high-tech glitch or truth,
colors that disappeared without
the camera lens; a mystery to me
but known to the seeing, listening air.
Today’s LittleNip:
MASCOT
—Taylor Graham
Big nosy like a comic dog
with quizzical mouth half-smile—
pegs sticking out of head &
shoulders for hanging caps & keys
& talk about bad hairdays
comb’d straight up, pine-sap glued
w/ a horn sticking out on top
as crowning glory—
at 1st glance I thought
“frazzled tree dwarf”
but now I’m not so sure.
_____________________
Taylor Graham has sent us some Squirrelly poems today in a nod to our recent Tuesday Seed of the Week of the same name, and we thank her for those and for her other musings about Spring up here in the Sierra foothills. Forms she has used include three One-Sentence Poems (“Squirrel”; “Colors of the Listening Air”; “Mascot”); a Haibun (“Just Squirrelly”); a Sonnet (“April Planting Questions”); an Ekphrastic poem (“Life Force”, based on Ann Privateer’s painting in Medusa’s Kitchen, Apr. 10); and an Etheree (“Windy Field”). The One-Sentence poem was one of last week’s Triple-F Challenges, and it may sound easy, but get a load of how long TG managed to stretch hers out!
It’s not too late to sign up for the Capturing Wakamatsu poetry walk and workshop with Taylor Graham and Katy Brown this coming Sunday morning, 10am-12pm, at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville. Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about this and other poetry events coming up this weekend in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
And for more info about El Dorado County poetry events, past and future, go to Western Slope El Dorado poetry on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/ or see El Dorado County Poet Laureate Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
MASCOT
—Taylor Graham
Big nosy like a comic dog
with quizzical mouth half-smile—
pegs sticking out of head &
shoulders for hanging caps & keys
& talk about bad hairdays
comb’d straight up, pine-sap glued
w/ a horn sticking out on top
as crowning glory—
at 1st glance I thought
“frazzled tree dwarf”
but now I’m not so sure.
_____________________
Taylor Graham has sent us some Squirrelly poems today in a nod to our recent Tuesday Seed of the Week of the same name, and we thank her for those and for her other musings about Spring up here in the Sierra foothills. Forms she has used include three One-Sentence Poems (“Squirrel”; “Colors of the Listening Air”; “Mascot”); a Haibun (“Just Squirrelly”); a Sonnet (“April Planting Questions”); an Ekphrastic poem (“Life Force”, based on Ann Privateer’s painting in Medusa’s Kitchen, Apr. 10); and an Etheree (“Windy Field”). The One-Sentence poem was one of last week’s Triple-F Challenges, and it may sound easy, but get a load of how long TG managed to stretch hers out!
It’s not too late to sign up for the Capturing Wakamatsu poetry walk and workshop with Taylor Graham and Katy Brown this coming Sunday morning, 10am-12pm, at Wakamatsu Farm in Placerville. Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about this and other poetry events coming up this weekend in the NorCal area—and keep an eye on this link and on the Kitchen for happenings that might pop up during the week.
And for more info about El Dorado County poetry events, past and future, go to Western Slope El Dorado poetry on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/ or see El Dorado County Poet Laureate Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!
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 challenges— Whaddaya got to lose… ? If you send ‘em, I’ll post ‘em! (See Medusa’s Form Finder at the end of this post for resources and for links to poetry terms used in today’s post.)
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!
We had responses to last week’s Ekphrastic photo from Stephen Kingsnorth and Nolcha Fox:
DREAM TEAM
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
I-Spy reading, bright torchlight,
between the covers, duvet dive,
sheets of white for robing wight,
promoted from The Famous Five.
Undercover, out of sight,
I am now bonded so I thrive—
cloak and dagger, spread of night,
my future lies with MI5.
Candlepower an unwise scheme,
steep learning curve, agency sweep,
part of team, licensed to dream,
without the need of counting sheep.
Words turn over, constant stream
of consciousness fading to sleep,
though through my mares, cannot scream,
in too deep, paperback creep.
* * *
BED BUG
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
I had to call in sick today.
I said I had the flu
or some exotic bug.
My words were lies, I'm sad to say,
I spent the day
reading books in bed.
* * *
Here are two Cinquains from Claire Baker:
THE ROOM
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
for John Rowe
When a
door is a jar
then its desk where we write,
learn who we are, is a bough of
peaches.
* * *
BABES IN WOMB
—Claire J. Baker
Roe v. Wade
Somehow
babes in the womb
sense mom’s adoration?
Or, fiendish fortune rules out mom’s
keeping?
* * *
Nolcha dove into some forms this week, including the Abecedarian:
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
for John Rowe
When a
door is a jar
then its desk where we write,
learn who we are, is a bough of
peaches.
* * *
BABES IN WOMB
—Claire J. Baker
Roe v. Wade
Somehow
babes in the womb
sense mom’s adoration?
Or, fiendish fortune rules out mom’s
keeping?
* * *
Nolcha dove into some forms this week, including the Abecedarian:
RAIN DANCE
—Nolcha Fox
A girl dances in the rain,
beautiful in her
concentration,
doing the Dougie,
elevating each
foot with
grace, then dropping
her heels in a puddle.
***
As well as a Septolet:
—Nolcha Fox
A girl dances in the rain,
beautiful in her
concentration,
doing the Dougie,
elevating each
foot with
grace, then dropping
her heels in a puddle.
***
As well as a Septolet:
TOUGH DECISION
—Nolcha Fox
One
more cup
of coffee
and I’ll be fine.
Or should I
have two
more?
* * *
And here is an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth about sculpting a poem, and the drive to keep doing so:
—Nolcha Fox
One
more cup
of coffee
and I’ll be fine.
Or should I
have two
more?
* * *
And here is an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth about sculpting a poem, and the drive to keep doing so:
ENGAGE, EVADE
—Stephen Kingsnorth
How do you harness spit of sparks,
contain and formulate a text,
eruption showers, as lava flows,
and mould before it’s pumice, stone?
Seen verse or heard, does sulphur pulse,
pelt energy of riot stars
yet captivate, transfix our sense
of play or wonder, nod consent?
Iambic breathing, heart content,
glow red then dark of throbbing coals,
that rhythmic pump, the proof of life,
transplant, a theatre of risk?
So why, tense mood, raise calamus,
when calumny, more false pretence?
My sight has scene, my pupils learn,
deep wells, black holes, fear may be lost,
what ear has caught, my mind entrapped,
the curse as pace, gasp grasping, words,
head voice insistent, crow, rehearse,
as told, I even dream in verse.
I long for those distracted days—
kingfisher flash, no halcyon raft,
beauty, wagtail, no sprung pied craft—
when bird could flit, or bloom absorb,
without turn poem on the wing
or metric measure offering.
____________________
—Stephen Kingsnorth
How do you harness spit of sparks,
contain and formulate a text,
eruption showers, as lava flows,
and mould before it’s pumice, stone?
Seen verse or heard, does sulphur pulse,
pelt energy of riot stars
yet captivate, transfix our sense
of play or wonder, nod consent?
Iambic breathing, heart content,
glow red then dark of throbbing coals,
that rhythmic pump, the proof of life,
transplant, a theatre of risk?
So why, tense mood, raise calamus,
when calumny, more false pretence?
My sight has scene, my pupils learn,
deep wells, black holes, fear may be lost,
what ear has caught, my mind entrapped,
the curse as pace, gasp grasping, words,
head voice insistent, crow, rehearse,
as told, I even dream in verse.
I long for those distracted days—
kingfisher flash, no halcyon raft,
beauty, wagtail, no sprung pied craft—
when bird could flit, or bloom absorb,
without turn poem on the wing
or metric measure offering.
____________________
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!
See what you can make of these challenge, and send it/them to kathykieth@hotmail.com! (No deadline.)
•••Retourne: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/retourne
•••AND/OR the Quadrilew, which isn’t as complicated as it looks:
•••Quadrilew: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/quadrilew.html
•••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 “Chip Off the Old Block".
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Abecedarian: poets.org/glossary/abecedarian
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••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.
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Etheree: www.thepoetsgarret.com/2008Challenge/form22.html
•••Haibun: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/haibun-poems-poetic-form
•••One-Sentence Poems: http://www.onesentencepoems.com/osp
•••Quadrilew: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/quadrilew.html
•••Retourne: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/retourne
•••Septolet: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/septolet.html
•••Sonnet Forms: https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-sonnet-poem-form AND/OR poets.org/glossary/sonnet AND/OR blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-sonnet-poem-form
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
Make what you can of today's
photo, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Illustration Courtesy of Public Domain
For upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
in the links at the top of this page.
For more about National Poetry Month,
including ways to celebrate, see
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.
And sign up for Poem-a-Day at
https://poets.org/poem-a-day/, plus
read about Poem in Your Pocket Day
(this year, April 27) at
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day/.
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.
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
in the links at the top of this page.
For more about National Poetry Month,
including ways to celebrate, see
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month.
And sign up for Poem-a-Day at
https://poets.org/poem-a-day/, plus
read about Poem in Your Pocket Day
(this year, April 27) at
https://poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day/.
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.
