—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham,
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
Joyce Odam, and Claire J. Baker
(plus Lewis Carroll)
HOW TO FIND US
First off, don’t believe your GPS—
technology fails here.
Follow the greenstone
past monkeyflowers blooming
on cutbank not far
from where the black bear disappeared
into manzanita.
Our number’s posted in the pasture
if the neighbor’s horse
didn’t knock it down or wild oats
grow too tall.
We’re the green island.
Look for an array of old antennas
on the roof, skewed & toppled by storm
and the burden
of black phoebe’s song.
From the road you can’t see this
for the trees.
First off, don’t believe your GPS—
technology fails here.
Follow the greenstone
past monkeyflowers blooming
on cutbank not far
from where the black bear disappeared
into manzanita.
Our number’s posted in the pasture
if the neighbor’s horse
didn’t knock it down or wild oats
grow too tall.
We’re the green island.
Look for an array of old antennas
on the roof, skewed & toppled by storm
and the burden
of black phoebe’s song.
From the road you can’t see this
for the trees.
CARPE DIEM 429
Come with me, let’s walk the trail.
The flowers will be dying
as the morning tides away
with all the songbirds flying.
All their names you knew by heart,
the names we’re now forgetting.
Seize the day—it’s afternoon,
our sun already setting.
Come with me, let’s walk the trail.
The flowers will be dying
as the morning tides away
with all the songbirds flying.
All their names you knew by heart,
the names we’re now forgetting.
Seize the day—it’s afternoon,
our sun already setting.
NOTES ON THE TRAIL
Cattail and willow,
red-wings on air, each sweet song
a breath across silk.
Yearling colt grazes
dainty grass among flowers—
his peaceful shadow.
Does sun’s blossoming
make up for winter? swallow’s
on her nesting box.
My steps are counted
with my time, but I lose track—
morning gone in green.
If this isn’t paradise
I’ll just keep walking.
Cattail and willow,
red-wings on air, each sweet song
a breath across silk.
Yearling colt grazes
dainty grass among flowers—
his peaceful shadow.
Does sun’s blossoming
make up for winter? swallow’s
on her nesting box.
My steps are counted
with my time, but I lose track—
morning gone in green.
If this isn’t paradise
I’ll just keep walking.
QUIETLY ROOTED
After winter storms
one snag stands with bowed branches
leafing out for spring—
this old tree saying nothing,
sensing it will outlast us.
After winter storms
one snag stands with bowed branches
leafing out for spring—
this old tree saying nothing,
sensing it will outlast us.
FOREST COMFORT
So far from the city, healing on its own,
this forest place greening now
for April— “cruelest month,” the poet
wrote—and see that great tree
uprooted, new ferns gathered, soothing its bed.
So far from the city, healing on its own,
this forest place greening now
for April— “cruelest month,” the poet
wrote—and see that great tree
uprooted, new ferns gathered, soothing its bed.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
all flock together,
hardly give their wing-mates air
to breathe, much less fly.
Today’s LittleNip:
INDUSTRIAL PARK APRIL
—Taylor Graham
Even
here in midst of
pavement and steel,
south-wind blows wild and Flycatcher
sings free.
_______________________
Our thanks to Taylor Graham for today’s poems and pix, and once again, our condolences on the passing of her husband, Hatch Graham, last week. For TG’s comments about that, as well as poems and photos from the recent Wakamatsu Workshop she hosted with Katy Brown, go to Taylor Graham at https://www.facebook.com/taylor.graham.18062 and/or Western Slope El Dorado poetry on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/.
INDUSTRIAL PARK APRIL
—Taylor Graham
Even
here in midst of
pavement and steel,
south-wind blows wild and Flycatcher
sings free.
_______________________
Our thanks to Taylor Graham for today’s poems and pix, and once again, our condolences on the passing of her husband, Hatch Graham, last week. For TG’s comments about that, as well as poems and photos from the recent Wakamatsu Workshop she hosted with Katy Brown, go to Taylor Graham at https://www.facebook.com/taylor.graham.18062 and/or Western Slope El Dorado poetry on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry/.
And a reminder that Placerville’s second Monday read-around, Poetic License, takes place this coming Monday in the Placerville Sr. Center. Click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about this 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. Tonight, for example, we have Maria Gillan reading for el gigante on Zoom, and Love Jones III from T-Mo Entertainment in Sacramento.
Hatch's daughter, Heather Graham Lozano, also wrote a lovely tribute to her dad, including many photos, on Facebook. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/luckylo1953/. Today, by the way, is Hatch's 94th birthday.
Forms TG has sent us today include a Haiku Sonnet (“Notes on the Trail”) a Haiku / Medusa's Ekphrastic photo from last week [see blow for photo] (“Birds of a Feather”); a Tanka (“Quietly Rooted”); a Zip Ode (“Forest Comfort”); a Carpe Diem (“Carpe Diem 428”); and a Cinquain (“Industrial Park April”). The Zip Ode and the Carpe Diem were last week’s Triple-F Challenges.
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
Hatch's daughter, Heather Graham Lozano, also wrote a lovely tribute to her dad, including many photos, on Facebook. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/luckylo1953/. Today, by the way, is Hatch's 94th birthday.
Forms TG has sent us today include a Haiku Sonnet (“Notes on the Trail”) a Haiku / Medusa's Ekphrastic photo from last week [see blow for photo] (“Birds of a Feather”); a Tanka (“Quietly Rooted”); a Zip Ode (“Forest Comfort”); a Carpe Diem (“Carpe Diem 428”); and a Cinquain (“Industrial Park April”). The Zip Ode and the Carpe Diem were last week’s Triple-F Challenges.
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
* * *
Last Week’s Ekphrastic Photo
We had responses to last week’s Ekphrastic photo from Nolcha Fox and Stephen Kingsnorth, plus the one (above) by Taylor Graham:
FRIENDS
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
They sidle up to one another,
lean against each other for support.
Chests puffed and fluffed to show
disdain for any danger, peering
over every shoulder, certain
they are seen as bigger
when together than alone.
* * *
STING IN THE TALE
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
I thought it headdress, tribal art,
which learning more, it is in part,
for bird, so named for eating bee,
lives colonies, monogamy.
There is a craft, head over tail—
those beaks resembling sting entailed—
in grasping passing thorax flight
buzz beaten, pray, pre-venom bite.
They’ve made their stamp, philately,
that rainbow range (without said bee),
though do they know, like Brummel, Beau—
or ancient Sanskrit ‘Vishnu’s Bow’?
This species claims mythology—
as diet, hive, both bound to see—
as archer gods, back Virgil’s date,
scandalmongers re-incarnate.
* * *
The end words rhyme in each line of this poem of Stephen’s. Is that an official form that I’ve forgotten about?
OF PRIVILEGE
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Of privilege, I’m so aware,
one born and raised in loving care,
home, food, clothes, water, daily fare,
encouragement to learn through dare,
warm comfort when dream turns to mare,
or torments curse, but others share,
fee free degree, my tree, first heir;
not victim, prejudicial stare,
no burden laid too great to bear,
or hooded justice, worn, threadbare,
without a war to scar or scare,
and free to choose if faith and prayer,
indeed, in deed, to serve or err,
in wares to flair, hopefully fair,
where else to pair, allegiance swear,
in partnership, ungendered air.
So as, in short, life’s climbing stair.
* * *
Joyce Odam has sent us an Acrostic poem this week. Her Acrostic, Infuriated, is also a response to our recent Seed of the Week, Infuriated:
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Of privilege, I’m so aware,
one born and raised in loving care,
home, food, clothes, water, daily fare,
encouragement to learn through dare,
warm comfort when dream turns to mare,
or torments curse, but others share,
fee free degree, my tree, first heir;
not victim, prejudicial stare,
no burden laid too great to bear,
or hooded justice, worn, threadbare,
without a war to scar or scare,
and free to choose if faith and prayer,
indeed, in deed, to serve or err,
in wares to flair, hopefully fair,
where else to pair, allegiance swear,
in partnership, ungendered air.
So as, in short, life’s climbing stair.
* * *
Joyce Odam has sent us an Acrostic poem this week. Her Acrostic, Infuriated, is also a response to our recent Seed of the Week, Infuriated:
INSIDE THE GOOD MIND
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
Inside the good mind of good intention,
Not for the poor value of good faith nor
For the goodness to your own virtue nor
Under the good prophet of honor to itself
Resulting in a mouthful of swearing and
In a mouthfull of pleading and niceties
And spoken too soon for the old niceties,
Too quickly sputtered and spoken, and
Even too late for all that nicety, you must
Drop the money into the swearing-jar.
* * *
Sidebar: Here is an Acrostic by Lewis Carroll:
—Illustration by Kate Greenaway
ACROSTIC
—Lewis Carroll
—Lewis Carroll
Little maidens, when you look
On this little story-book,
Reading with attentive eye
Its enticing history,
Never think that hours of play
Are your only HOLIDAY,
And that in a HOUSE of joy
Lessons serve but to annoy:
If in any HOUSE you find
Children of a gentle mind,
Each the others pleasing ever–
Each the others vexing never–
Daily work and pastime daily
In their order taking gaily–
Then be very sure that they
Have a life of HOLIDAY.
* * *
Claire Baker has sent us a poem about rhubarb—definitely an unusual subject! (More about that later.) She started writing to our Tuesday Seed of the Week, Spring Cleaning, but then the rhubarb took over:
EVERY SPRING
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
Mother had my sister and me
eating rhubarb stalks—
a good spring tonic, she said.
In truth, folks, it’s slimy and tart
with a faint flowery fragrance
and a pinkish, reddish color.
To make it edible,
mom added tons of sugar,
the surrendering white grains
soaking up syrupy juices.
We kids wondered what rhubarb was—
we’d never seen any food like it,
we always ate it last, and never its leaves,
ate with suspicious grins of children
who are to nicely eat
what foods are placed before them:
later we learned rhubarb deep cleans.
* * *
And this Ars Poetica celebrates the joys of stumbling upon a scene that speaks for itself, no words required:
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy
of Stephen Kingnsnorth
of Stephen Kingnsnorth
STAND ALONE
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Sometimes I hear a stand-alone,
a tale that needs no commentary,
when neither rhyme nor feet required,
just easy read, receptive mind.
____________________
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!
•••Subject Obscura: writing a poem on a subject that is rarely explored in poetry
•••AND/OR tackle the Acrostic. I know we’ve done it before, but Joyce Odam has sent us such a lovely example (and Lewis)…
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••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 “Spring Cleaning”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Carpe Diem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/carpe-diem
•••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
•••Haiku: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Haiku Sonnet (four Haiku followed by two lines of seven syllables each): www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/haiku-sonnet-poetic-form
•••Subject Obscura: writing a poem on a subject that is rarely explored in poetry
•••Tanka: poets.org/glossary/tanka
•••Zip Ode: https://milkcartonpress.com/?p=347#:~:text=What%20follows%20is%20a%20brief%20overview%20of%20the,of%20words%20in%20each%20line%20of%20the%20poem AND/OR https://www.wlrn.org/write-an-ode-to-your-zip-code
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.)
* * *
—Photo 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.
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.
Click to enlarge, then find
the hidden LittleSnake