Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with Poetry by
Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
Claire J. Baker, and Caschwa
WHAT THE RAVEN SEES
People walking dogs, walking in pairs
engrossed in conversation, solo runners, solo
walkers entertained with earbuds,
young man on low-rider trike, small boy
on kid’s bike monitored by dad. All of them
traveling the paved two-lane trail
between freeway & backyard fences.
Who might step off the trail? climb a rough
path up cutbank, then happen on a maze
of hidden ways through thicket,
to see what Raven sees:
heaps of tarps and castoff clothes left
from summer camps; one fresh and tidy
stash under a tucked-in bedspread.
Raven won’t divulge who comes and goes
unnoticed, sheltering in wild.
People walking dogs, walking in pairs
engrossed in conversation, solo runners, solo
walkers entertained with earbuds,
young man on low-rider trike, small boy
on kid’s bike monitored by dad. All of them
traveling the paved two-lane trail
between freeway & backyard fences.
Who might step off the trail? climb a rough
path up cutbank, then happen on a maze
of hidden ways through thicket,
to see what Raven sees:
heaps of tarps and castoff clothes left
from summer camps; one fresh and tidy
stash under a tucked-in bedspread.
Raven won’t divulge who comes and goes
unnoticed, sheltering in wild.
DOWN THE AGES
Drop into this canyon, its river
a gift—fluvial landscape ever changing
as water nibbles and polishes rock,
flowing with its next-of-kin, the wind.
When you reach the bottom
get off your horse, slip from the stirrup,
kneel at shoreline in a depression
of wet sand weathered and eroded by
thousands and millions of years.
Look around you, at canyon walls,
at rocks in the river—let natural wonders
hit you like the kick of chipotle
to the tongue. Let the grace of wind-
and water-made ruins wash over you.
CORVID’S VIEW
From its perch on Community Health Center,
Raven lifts off flying south in a lull of
atmospheric river. From above, Raven
sees human vehicles pausing for coffee
on their way to a human day. Gray and flat
as pavement the morning is, despite the cheer
in a drive-thru menu’s voice at McD’s, as
a woman urges her little boy to run
faster to outpace the drizzle that hints at
the next wave of rain. A garbage truck full of
human things passes. A man kisses a new
wiper blade, hoping that helps him install it.
A young woman’s rainhat is flattened cardboard
boxes. Someone’s trying to shake waterlogged
cigarette butts from a Pepsi can. All this
Raven sees from river-sky flowing like Time
above us, leaving temporary puddles.
COUNTRY ROAD, RAIN
He walks
clutching his bed-
roll tight against his chest.
Where did he sleep last night?
Where will he sleep
tonight?
SPRING FEVER?
Two teen-
age fawns dashing
down the swale, up again....
What’s up?
CHANGEABLE SKY
Raven sailing the changeable sky, tell me,
will it rain? I’d like to ask you what you see
from so high beyond No Trespassing signs posted
on trees, where other trees are lopped, chopped
down, the whole hillside cleared in the name
of public safety, that rugged hillside where
every step could be a slip.
Above the clearing, what do you see beyond
piled-up slash, and trash from homeless camps
cleaned up for now?
That old concrete ruin—was it a bunker?—
with unhoused camps around it now? Is it a hub?
for whom or what? So many questions of a hill
once free to roam. And you, Raven, perched
now on a high bare limb, repeating your throaty
call—love song for a mate, a summons
to Raven council, or a warning for us all?
__________________
Today’s LittleNip:
EPITAPH FOR A SQUIRREL
Who Died of a Torn-off Leg
—Taylor Graham
Flying through air from tree to tree,
who needs legs? its body now
returned to earth with only three—
but in spirit flying tree to tree, free.
__________________
Every morning, Taylor Graham walks with her dog, Loki, through the foothills, and she writes, “I’m getting tired of walking in the rain. But the corvids are still flying and sitting in trees and reciting their poems, so I shouldn't complain.” Our recent Seed of the Week was “What the Raven Sees”, and we’re grateful to TG for her fine poems on the subject. Forms she has used this week include a Word-Can Poem that is also a Contemporary Sonnet (“Down the Ages”); some Normative Syllabics (“Corvid's View”); an Epitaph (“Epitaph for a Squirrel”); a Badger's Hexastitch (“Country Road, Rain”); and an Aquarian (“Spring Fever?”). The Epitaph, Aquarian, and Badger’s Hexastitch were last week Triple-F Challenges.
This week in El Dorado County, Poetic License read-around meets at the Placerville Sr. Center on Monday morning, and the Poets and Writers Workshop meets at Cameron Park Library on Thursday at 5:30pm. For news about El Dorado County poetry—past (photos!) and future—see Taylor Graham’s Western Slope El Dorado on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry or see Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. (Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!) And of course you can always click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html) for details about future poetry happenings in the NorCal area.
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY
There’s also a 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!
* * *
Last Week’s Ekphrastic Photo
This week we received responses to last week’s Ekphrastic photo from Nolcha Fox and Stephen Kingsnorth:
LION AT THE GATE
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
A lion guards the gate to dreams.
He greets me every night.
His paws are rooted on each side
to let me know he’ll never leave.
His stained-glass eyes
let in the light so I can find my way
‘tween everyday and anything.
could happen if I want.
I wish I didn’t have to leave,
but he insists I go.
He needs some time to clean the mess
I make of fantasies.
He promises I can return
when daylight turns to dark.
* * *
NORTH FACING
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
Saint Edward’s Church, Stow-on-the-Wold,
not otherworldly, title-sense,
but Britain’s Cotswolds parish bounds—
north graveyard yews intrude the porch.
The toxin, taxine is derived
from berries where the buried lie,
now passed effect of poison drips,
as guarded Greenman, lore believed.
How come dead leaves by evergreen,
the recent past mixed ancient roots—
though parted, see the route revealed,
path, northern, cleared of detritus,
where real, myth, fantasy seem mixed?
Tolkien, a fervent Catholic,
resistant to the V2 mass,
so not seduced by Anglicans,
though truly Inkling, Lamb and Flag,
friend CS Lewis, apostate.
But of The Hobbit I know nought,
save Tolkien’s learning, English Lit,
of Anglo-Saxon, Beowulf,
the Nordic ways, Lord of The Rings,
‘high fantasy’—he father of.
That Tolkien nexus yet unfound
except north-facing, Hobbit House,
where real, myth, fantasy seem mixed?
* * *
Like Taylor Graham, Claire Baker is also thinking of ravens and the SOW, and she has sent us a raven Cinquain:
RAVEN AS POE-M
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
Ravens
reap kudos for
lustrous formal jackets,
for answering poet Poe so
promptly.
* * *
Here is a Monorhyme from Caschwa (Carl Schwartz)—he says this is one of the many metaphors that can be drawn from a recent Tuesday Seed of the Week, Brutal Weather. He also says it’s written from the dual point of view of both the worker and the customer:
—Claire J. Baker, Pinole, CA
Ravens
reap kudos for
lustrous formal jackets,
for answering poet Poe so
promptly.
* * *
Here is a Monorhyme from Caschwa (Carl Schwartz)—he says this is one of the many metaphors that can be drawn from a recent Tuesday Seed of the Week, Brutal Weather. He also says it’s written from the dual point of view of both the worker and the customer:
DANG TIPPING CHART
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
work all livelong day
got stack of bills to pay
heavy opinions to weigh
they won’t let me say
must be expert, not lay
far above the fray
if there’s any delay
no tips in the tray
* * *
Carl also sent a First-Word Acrostic on the Brutal Weather theme:
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
work all livelong day
got stack of bills to pay
heavy opinions to weigh
they won’t let me say
must be expert, not lay
far above the fray
if there’s any delay
no tips in the tray
* * *
Carl also sent a First-Word Acrostic on the Brutal Weather theme:
AN ANTI-ANOREXIC METRIC
—Caschwa
When makeshift tents adorn
The roadside, we view this as a
Measure of the inability
Of low income people to get
A job that would afford them
Good pay and benefits, maybe an
Economy bus pass, so just what
Is stopping them from
Having a higher level of income,
A more gainful employment future?
Longer hours aren’t the solution, nor will
Stronger, more arduous effort serve to
Stretch the budget to keep up with that
Limousine
* * *
And here is Carl’s Haiku chain, also about brutal weather (poor LitleSnake!):
—Caschwa
When makeshift tents adorn
The roadside, we view this as a
Measure of the inability
Of low income people to get
A job that would afford them
Good pay and benefits, maybe an
Economy bus pass, so just what
Is stopping them from
Having a higher level of income,
A more gainful employment future?
Longer hours aren’t the solution, nor will
Stronger, more arduous effort serve to
Stretch the budget to keep up with that
Limousine
* * *
And here is Carl’s Haiku chain, also about brutal weather (poor LitleSnake!):
CANT WIN
—Caschwa
if someone claims that
it was sure raining like Hell
that means they’ve been there
maybe visited
on multiple occasions
a sure fire expert
sorta’ kinda’ want
to keep my distance from them
deep state weather nuts
* * *
And an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth:
OF REPORT
—Stephen Kingsnorth
But why should I take umbrage so
at others’ verse, for what is worse
that I should shy from others’ words,
though bleakly smile and hold my tongue?
Is it for poor discipline?
That disca, everything for Welsh,
in land of Bards and dragon’s breath,
eisteddfod festival of arts.
But who am I to voice rebuke,
the could-do-better school report
that they have livestreamed terms about,
when I seek compact, every counts.
It is that countdown, justify,
excise unless essential tool,
for words not costume jewellery,
but stones with facets given light.
Or is it count-up, beat of words,
the drummer free, extemporise
because there’s pattern laid behind,
of flight I’m sure before the soar.
I need to feel it’s in control,
thus purposeful, intentional,
whatever way that is expressed,
a melody created well.
I like the tricks of poets’ trade—
though ‘like’ is heart-ticked media,
or filler, inarticulate—
but simile as parallel,
or metaphor, enjambement flow,
the one word liner, emphasis,
but let disjointed be the rôle,
and not just listings in a pile.
Here writes an old hand, set in style
who favours rhymes that hide themselves,
and finds the Haiku sum of all
but yet excluding focussed hue.
My best verse written, others’ judge
discards these promptings, guide above,
so I’ll turn umbrage to a bridge,
and my brief, scan, into a span.
___________________
Many thanks to today’s writers for their lively contributions! Wouldn’t you like to join them? 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 challenges, and send your results to kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.) Why not bust our brains on the Balassi Stanza?
•••Balassi Stanza: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/balassi-stanza
•••AND/OR how about a less brain-busting Ballade Stanza? We’ve done the Ballade and the Ballade Supreme, so we can’t leave out the poor Ballade Stanza. Besides, I like its alternative name, the Monk’s Tale Stanza:
•••Ballade Stanza: http://popularpoetryforms.blogspot.com/2014/01/ballade-stanza.htm
•••AND/OR, in honor of Valentine's Day, write a Sonnet. Any-which-kind—
•••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
•••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 “Loves of My Life”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••Aquarian: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/aquarian
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Badger’s Hexastitch: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/badgers-hexastitch
•••Balassi Stanza: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/balassi-stanza
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “Loves of My Life”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Acrostic: literarydevices.net/acrostic
•••Aquarian: poetscollective.org/poetryforms/aquarian
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Badger’s Hexastitch: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/badgers-hexastitch
•••Balassi Stanza: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/balassi-stanza
•••Balassi Stanza: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/balassi-stanza
•••Contemporary Sonnet: https://voca.arizona.edu/staff-picks/contemporary-sonnets
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Epitaph: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epitaph
•••Haiku: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Monorhyme: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/monorhyme.html
•••Normative Syllabics: hellopoetry.com/collection/108/normative-syllabic-free-verse AND/OR lewisturco.typepad.com/poetics/normative-syllabic-verse
•••Word-Can Poem: putting random words on slips of paper into a can, then drawing out a few and making a poem out of them
___________________
—Medusa
•••Contemporary Sonnet: https://voca.arizona.edu/staff-picks/contemporary-sonnets
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Epitaph: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epitaph
•••Haiku: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Monorhyme: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/monorhyme.html
•••Normative Syllabics: hellopoetry.com/collection/108/normative-syllabic-free-verse AND/OR lewisturco.typepad.com/poetics/normative-syllabic-verse
•••Word-Can Poem: putting random words on slips of paper into a can, then drawing out a few and making a poem out of them
___________________
—Medusa
Today's Ekphrastic Challenge!
Make what you can of today's
photo, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo
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.
Make what you can of today's
photo, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo
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.
