—Poetry by Marc Mannheimer, Cleveland, OH
—Public Domain Photos Courtesy of Medusa
café
the world is a café
people enter, people leave
more come in, on and on
the room empties as it fills
you have come
to sit and drink and chat
for a short period of time
when you go
some will weep
most will not know
or care
to be fair
it doesn't amount to much
beyond the love you give
that which you receive
don’t mean a thing
the world is a café
people enter, people leave
more come in, on and on
the room empties as it fills
you have come
to sit and drink and chat
for a short period of time
when you go
some will weep
most will not know
or care
to be fair
it doesn't amount to much
beyond the love you give
that which you receive
don’t mean a thing
when everything was beautiful
when everything was beautiful
the good and the bad
the sorrow and joy
the means and the end
enemy, friend
when it all was wonderful
you might ask—how?
I tell you it's possible
the time is now
the monkeys
spindly golden tamarin
mustached long-tail beauties
baby gorilla hiding
lemurs, insufferable cuties
searching cages gawking
we voyeur primate junkies
orangutans immoveable
nobody’s comic flunkies
still we pay our fifteen bucks
visit unwashed cousins, funky
everyone at the Cleveland Zoo
loves to see the monkeys
spindly golden tamarin
mustached long-tail beauties
baby gorilla hiding
lemurs, insufferable cuties
searching cages gawking
we voyeur primate junkies
orangutans immoveable
nobody’s comic flunkies
still we pay our fifteen bucks
visit unwashed cousins, funky
everyone at the Cleveland Zoo
loves to see the monkeys
poor sod
oh poor sod of a fly
dead on the window sill
I pick you up, disturb your slumber
incorrigible me, I go now to wash my hands
why? I will be dead one day, too
you lived your life, stamping in the dirtiest
places
yet I am full of the filth you have touched
"a bag of shit and piss”, a Hindu fakir used
to say
I share with you a wish
that your time in insect afterlife
be joyous, full of dust and mud and mucus
and crap
that you return soon, in your next rebirth
an improvement on the last
—a squirrel, a salmon, a blue-jay
but promise me, you will not come back as
one of us
such a mess, such awful wretched mistakes
we inflict on this sacred world
stumbled
part of the problem
is, I never grew down
grew up, of course
but never deep into dirt
fingers caressing worms
never had the chance to know what I learned
see what I yearned
cross bridges I burned
the sum total of worlds that turn
the endless river to the ocean
the seed of a world-configuring notion
pleads solemn for a place to take root
in my minuscule imagination
I have stumbled down the cavern to truth
opened my tiny heart to you
where the Bible leaves off
I find myself in a bind
the core of this spiral of mine
the Adam and Eve
the Judas and Job
the stranger you know
the devil you don't
the justice of Jesus
grandeur of God
both kindness and wicked
the strange and the odd
and who can stand righteous
and who may respond
we're lost in this world
I just want my Mom
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
further
—marc mannheimer
it takes so long
to get to that place
where there is so much
further to go
___________________
Marc Manneimer writes, “I am a mental health peer supporter, and advocate of mental wellness, creative arts, and meditation for sanity and other purposes.” Marc, another resident of Cleveland, and connoisseur of Steven Smith’s neighboring Zoo, appeared as a guest of Steven last January (https://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/01/sinsationally-sinful.html), and we’re pleased to present his fine poetry as a feature today. Don’t be a stranger, Marc!
___________________
—Medusa
___________________
Marc Manneimer writes, “I am a mental health peer supporter, and advocate of mental wellness, creative arts, and meditation for sanity and other purposes.” Marc, another resident of Cleveland, and connoisseur of Steven Smith’s neighboring Zoo, appeared as a guest of Steven last January (https://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/01/sinsationally-sinful.html), and we’re pleased to present his fine poetry as a feature today. Don’t be a stranger, Marc!
___________________
—Medusa
",,, the stranger you know
the devil you don't..."
the devil you don't..."
A reminder that MoSt Poetry
features Christian Lux, Kim McMillon
and Salvatore Solerno
in Turlock today, 2pm; and
Sacramento Poetry Alliance presents
Alice Templeton and Christina Lloyd
in Sacramento today, 4pm.
For info about these 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!
features Christian Lux, Kim McMillon
and Salvatore Solerno
in Turlock today, 2pm; and
Sacramento Poetry Alliance presents
Alice Templeton and Christina Lloyd
in Sacramento today, 4pm.
For info about these 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!
