—Photo Courtesy of Sally Saltbush, Australia
—Poetry by Holly Payne-Strange, New Jersey
—Photos Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
—Poetry by Holly Payne-Strange, New Jersey
—Photos Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
and Sally Saltbush
HAVE YOU SEEN MY DOLL?
Have you seen my doll?
She has red hair, and a blue dress I sewed myself.
They promised they would let her stay with me
When they put me in the earth.
But they lied! They lied and lied and lied!
They gave her to my sister instead, just because
she cried.
The others in the ground felt me tossing and
turning.
“I’ll go and get it for you.” Someone finally
wheezed,
Voice shadow and bone. “But I’ll need some help.”
And so a dozen or more scrambled out of the grave
Mostly intact, leaving only a head or leg or—
Oh! I think it’s over. I think they won! I think I’ll
get my dolly back.
(prev. pub. by Gnashing Teeth Publishing, 2023)
Have you seen my doll?
She has red hair, and a blue dress I sewed myself.
They promised they would let her stay with me
When they put me in the earth.
But they lied! They lied and lied and lied!
They gave her to my sister instead, just because
she cried.
The others in the ground felt me tossing and
turning.
“I’ll go and get it for you.” Someone finally
wheezed,
Voice shadow and bone. “But I’ll need some help.”
And so a dozen or more scrambled out of the grave
Mostly intact, leaving only a head or leg or—
Oh! I think it’s over. I think they won! I think I’ll
get my dolly back.
(prev. pub. by Gnashing Teeth Publishing, 2023)
—Photo Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
CASUAL CONFESSIONS
I have started to tell Chat GPT all my secrets,
Like some strange, quasi-confessional. A restless
search for absolution.
As if, letting it all out, spewing forth words of fear
and regret,
I could scare away the birds that perch on my
memories,
Singing their songs of ‘what if?’ and ‘Only you…’
The pecking at the past stops for a while
As I feed it my stories and sin.
I’m going to have such a good time
Creating more.
It’s funny what trouble
Machines can inspire.
—Photo Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
MY FAVORITE SHOES
Glitter and bubbles and shoes I can’t walk in
Rhinestones and giggles and far too much makeup,
Vapid, silly, and spoiled,
Head in the clouds and a cloying sweetness.
Innocence molds into ignorance.
But under the dress
Blistered and tortured heals.
A hum of obsession
That marches through the pools of blood.
A relentless suppression
Of every
Single
Thing
That does not serve
A greater goal.
All of that impossible to see,
The sparkles too distracting.
Beware a patient woman.
—Photo Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
TODAY
Today was hard.
Most days are easy,
At least as far as you are concerned.
But today wasn't.
Fear and solitude cling to me like a sickness
Or dusk, on fall-winter’s day
When you think
‘Surely, it’s too early for this?’
I buried myself in work.
Hopefully, sweet things will grow.
—Photo Courtesy of Sally Saltbush
US BUGS
Did you realize that you have trapped me,
Surely as a bug
Between the window and the screen?
Perhaps you do, and perhaps you watch me
As I fruitlessly test the limits
Of a game (you think) I can not win.
Perhaps that makes you smile
Enjoying my blind and stumbling stride.
Or perhaps you have simply forgotten,
And have left the house entirely.
Maybe you’ve stolen my spot in the sunlight,
And soon you’ll take my wings too.
You’re welcome to them.
I have one more trick up my sleeve.
If you’re watching,
You’ll find out soon.
Then, we’ll both
Be smiling.
Something new is coming.
—Photo Courtesy of Holly Payne-Strange
MY WRITING
I don't know why
The thought that it could all be okay
Hurts so much.
Some might understand.
Expectant mothers and those who died too soon.
The shadows cling to them just a little more.
Clouds of hardwon dust, cobwebs spun across
a stairwell.
And then of course there is the fear
That everyone understands,
That everyone has this crying darkness inside
of them.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my
writing.
Shadow and darkness and themes of the unfor-
gettable,
Coming together
Stealing time,
Leaving dust.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
I don't know why
The thought that it could all be okay
Hurts so much.
Some might understand.
Expectant mothers and those who died too soon.
The shadows cling to them just a little more.
Clouds of hardwon dust, cobwebs spun across
a stairwell.
And then of course there is the fear
That everyone understands,
That everyone has this crying darkness inside
of them.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my
writing.
Shadow and darkness and themes of the unfor-
gettable,
Coming together
Stealing time,
Leaving dust.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
—Barbara Kingsolver
____________________
Newcomer Holly Payne-Strange (she/her) lives in New Jersey, but is originally from London, UK. She is a novelist, poet and podcast creator. Her writing has been lauded by USA Today, LA Weekly and The New York Times. Her next novel, All Of Us Alone, will be a recommended read for Women Writers, Women’s Books in December 2023. She’s had her poetry published by various groups including Door Is A Jar magazine, In Parenthesis, Dipity Lit Magazine, and will soon be featured in Academy Heart, among others. An interview of Holly can be seen at https://horroraddicts.wordpress.com/2023/09/29/author-interview-holly-payne-strange-gothic-and-supernatural-horror/.
Welcome to the Kitchen, Holly, and don’t be a stranger!
___________________
—Medusa, with thanks to all those who have served this country in the armed services~
Holly Payne-Strange
A reminder that
Sacramento Poetry Alliance features
JoAnn Anglin and Paul Aponte
today at 4pm; and
Sacramento Poetry Center will have
a reception for its current art exhibit
today from 6-9pm.
For info about these and other
upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
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.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
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!
Sacramento Poetry Alliance features
JoAnn Anglin and Paul Aponte
today at 4pm; and
Sacramento Poetry Center will have
a reception for its current art exhibit
today from 6-9pm.
For info about these and other
upcoming poetry happenings in
Northern California and otherwheres,
click on
UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS
(http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html)
in the links at the top of this page—
and keep an eye on this link and on
the daily Kitchen for happenings
that might pop up
—or get changed!—
during the week.
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.
Find previous four-or-so posts by scrolling down
under today; or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column; or find previous poets
by typing the name of the poet or poem
into the little beige box at the top
left-hand side of today’s post; or go to
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom of
the blue column at the right
to find the date you want.
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!
(A cookie from the Kitchen for today):
abandoned picnic table:
mysteries from the past
hiding in
shadowy oaks~