—Public Domain Photos Courtesy
of Nolcha Fox
JUST SO
I arrange my clothes
by color, then by
sleeve length.
Socks and bras
are color-coded, too.
You will find my dishes
stacked by size
and shape,
daily separate
from the good.
In the pantry,
cans are sorted
on the shelves
by type
and brand.
I may be
a chaos queen,
but my house
is always
orderly.
I arrange my clothes
by color, then by
sleeve length.
Socks and bras
are color-coded, too.
You will find my dishes
stacked by size
and shape,
daily separate
from the good.
In the pantry,
cans are sorted
on the shelves
by type
and brand.
I may be
a chaos queen,
but my house
is always
orderly.
DINNER FOR ONE
Scrambled eggs
with a sprinkling
of chicken livers.
She doesn’t care,
my dog eats alone.
***
Every breakfast
we eat together.
Lunch and dinner,
my husband and I
eat alone.
THE ROBE
Thunder threatens.
Even though I close the curtains,
little white dog trembles underneath my desk.
She makes a nest in my winter robe.
Perhaps Land’s End would like to know.
UP AND DOWN
Once was waves and boats,
then diving underwater
for a swim among the fish.
Air depleting, back to boat,
an up-and-down ride home.
Now I watch the flowers
sprout, the trees leaf out,
the bees and butterflies return.
Then the flowers wither,
leaves fall down.
Once was waves and boats,
then diving underwater
for a swim among the fish.
Air depleting, back to boat,
an up-and-down ride home.
Now I watch the flowers
sprout, the trees leaf out,
the bees and butterflies return.
Then the flowers wither,
leaves fall down.
NOT SO MUCH FUN
We didn’t worry about cancer when I was a child,
I frolicked in bathing suits each summer.
Now I’m all covered, no body parts showing,
in case I start glowing or growing something alien.
There’s no such thing as fun in the sun.
NOT LOST
We traveled through a strange town at sundown.
As we passed the same people
on the same corner for the third time,
our gas tank nearly empty, my husband said,
“Who needs maps? We’re not lost, we’re touring.”
I’M NOT CRAZY
I don’t care
if the car behind me
runs up my back fender.
If a cat is in the street
I stop.
FAST?
It may be fast food
until you want it delivered.
Then it’s much faster
to make it yourself
or just fast until tomorrow.
CHASING SLEEP
The dog chases
the shadow of my insomnia,
a squeaky toy she grabs
and shakes between her teeth
until morning.
SHELTER
A robin shelters in our sunroom
from the storm of windblown leaves.
Uncertain how to get back outside,
the robin eyes me, wondering
if I’ll help or bring more misery.
Today’s LittleNip:
SCARY
—Nolcha Fox
Every room
is scary
when it’s dark
and I can’t see
where I’m going.
__________________
Nolcha Fox has sent us Cinquains today—single, double, and a chain. These are traditional Cinquains, distinguished only by having five lines, no rhymes, no set lengths. There are other types—see https://www.litcharts.com/literary-devices-and-terms/cinquain, which delineates traditional ones from that developed by Adelaide Crapsey.
Thanks, Nolcha! These are might-ee fine!
NorCal poets will be saddened to learn of this week’s sudden passing of Maureen (Mo) Hurley, a poet, teacher, translator, and photographer who was a world traveler and active in Poets in the Schools. We will miss you, Mo!
___________________
—Medusa
Chasing sleep…
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy of Medusa
A reminder that there will be
a reading tonight, 6pm,
of Ekphrastic poems
generated by the 8/6 workshop
at Switchboard Gallery in
Placerville last Tuesday, Aug. 6.
For info about this and other
future 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?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
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 reading tonight, 6pm,
of Ekphrastic poems
generated by the 8/6 workshop
at Switchboard Gallery in
Placerville last Tuesday, Aug. 6.
For info about this and other
future 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?
Guidelines are at the top of this page
at the Placating the Gorgon link;
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!
