Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Nolcha Fox, Joe Nolan, Stephen Kingsnorth,
Lynn White, and Caschwa
TOO HOT TO WALK?
The trail seems deserted today,
I have it all to myself.
Our summer’s blooming wildflowers
withered and died weeks ago.
Leaves of the woodland oak,
buckeye, and deerbrush—tattered and old.
But see the trees-of-heaven
vibrantly green backlit by sun.
They wave their shimmering fans
in slight breeze—dancing just for me?
The trail seems deserted today,
I have it all to myself.
Our summer’s blooming wildflowers
withered and died weeks ago.
Leaves of the woodland oak,
buckeye, and deerbrush—tattered and old.
But see the trees-of-heaven
vibrantly green backlit by sun.
They wave their shimmering fans
in slight breeze—dancing just for me?
APPROACHING EQUINOX
Fall doesn’t come gaudy here, more muted
like it’s not sure Summer is done with us
quite yet shriveling us like blackberries
on the vine. But chilly mornings’ counsel:
have gumption, patience, fortitude, and hope!
A Snapshot of Otis, Hot on the Trail
SNAPSHOT
On trail my dog stops, head-high focuses
I see only trees and brush—
as if there were nothing.
STUDIO POSES
I’m taking snapshots of photos on the wall,
an exhibition of turn-of-the-century
(early 1900s) studio portraits. Who are
these people? Can’t they smile long enough
for a good image? Someone paid to have
a portrait taken of a favorite dog, poised
(on “stay” command, I’d guess) sitting
on seat of a chair, front paws on chair-back.
Dog looks intent, expectant—for “free
dog!” or whatever command releases him.
I’ll bet the human sitters felt the same.
___________________
SPECTER SNAPSHOTS
The photos have faded with years,
daylight, travel, too many times looked-at,
handled, passed around. The negatives
lost in transit or discarded or lost somewhere
in boxes in attic, cellar, garage. That certain
picture you remember so well as a living
composition, and yet the details elude
you now. Does it matter?
The negative is gone. You keep the positive
in memory which, they say, changes
over time. Maybe the details transform
in retrospect, wishing, and nostalgia.
SURFING THE INTERNET, 5 A.M.
Mountain lion killed gutted deer in my tea
garden, it stuffed it into my boxwood bushes,
a lady posted on the puma sightings site.
I’d rather have a garden hermit forbidden
to speak or trim his fingernails, than a lion
adding wildland flavor to my rural home.
Mountain lion killed gutted deer in my tea
garden, it stuffed it into my boxwood bushes,
a lady posted on the puma sightings site.
I’d rather have a garden hermit forbidden
to speak or trim his fingernails, than a lion
adding wildland flavor to my rural home.
Is Latches the culprit??
WHO DID IT?
Yes, the laboratory results prove
my dog’s ancestry is mixed of highly
motivated working breeds. My cat
is pure enigmatic feline, adept
at opening drawers. So who stole
my BP cuff off the counter, detaching
the cuff from its plastic machine
which remains on the counter?
And why? Instinctively I would blame
the cat, but ultimately I found
the cuff—unchewed—in the dog’s
kennel-crate where he retreats
for private meditation.
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
MORNING LIFT
—Taylor Graham
Young woman on the trail, Starbucks
in one hand, smartphone in other,
earbuds making music, a nod
& big smile in passing.
___________________
Thanks to Taylor Graham for some snapshots of life in the foothills today, both poetic and photographic. (Our Seed of the Week was “Snapshots”.) Forms she has used include a Just 15s (“Too Hot to Walk?”); a Kimo (“Snapshot”): a Ryūka (“Morning Lift”); some Blank Verse (“Approaching Equinox”); and a Word-Can Poem (“Who Did It?”). Also scattered here are some poems in response to our SOW: Snapshots.
Writers whose mailing address is within El Dorado County are encouraged to submit to the new Slope and Basin literary journal before its Oct. 1 deadline. Info: https://artsandcultureeldorado.org/slope-and-basin/.
Coming up in El Dorado County in October (10/11-12) is Tahoe’s first-ever Tahoe Literary Festival, with workshops, panels, and key speakers in Tahoe City, CA—including an Ekphrastic workshop with Lara Gularte. $35 for the entire festival, or $15 to hear just the keynote speaker, Obi Kaufmann, on 10/11. Info: https://yourtahoeguide.com/2024/09/tahoe-literary-festival-workshops-panels-highlight-inaugural-festival/.
In El Dorado County Poetry this week: a note that tonight's Ekphrastic reading in Placerville has been cancelled. On Sunday, Lara will host a reading and open mic in Camino featuring Christ Olander and Barbara Young, 2pm. Then, next Thursday, Friends of the Cameron Park Library will host a reading and open mic featuring Jemi Reis McDonald and Karen Elizabeth Fleeman, 5:15pm. And El Dorado County’s regular workshops are listed on Medusa’s calendar if you scroll down on http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html).
For more news about EDC poetry—past (photos!) and future—see Taylor Graham’s Western Slope El Dorado Poetry on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElDoradoCountyPoetry or see Lara Gularte’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/382234029968077/. And you can always click on Medusa's UPCOMING NORCAL EVENTS (http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html). Poetry is Gold in El Dorado County!
And now it’s time for…
FORM FIDDLERS’ FRIDAY!
Check out our recently-refurbed 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 and other ways of poetry. 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
Last week’s photo brought response-poems from Nolcha Fox, Joe Nolan, and Stephen Kingsnorth:
THE DECEIVER
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
Lady Autumn is so lovely
in her crown of falling leaves.
She promises to wed us
in a gown of brilliant
reds and yellows.
Her kisses crackle
in the fireplace,
blowing chill, a pause
from summer.
She promises she’ll
stay forever, her
love is good as gold.
Look away, she’s
out the door
to marry winter snow.
* * *
ELVISH QUEEN
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
Mach-twelve—
Blessed is the curse
Of deviled elves.
Autumn colors
In the leaves
That adorn the hair
Of elvish queens.
Beauty, much to spare,
Classical and magical,
Hummingbirds dance
In the air.
Is there a cure
For broken hearts
Who have tasted beauty
Then fallen apart?
To long and lose
Is to abuse
The fire in the soul
That burns and burns
Forever and ever.
* * *
AUTUMN GIRL
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
Fey mellow Miss of fruitfulness
too fresh to greet pre-winter fall,
as if façade illusory.
Our autumn gold should be of old
in readiness to lay down life
for resurrect when earth rewarmed.
Yet sign, this witness, inner dread,
approaching season, All Souls, dead,
the hint of mourning, sullen shade?
That formal frieze, acanthus leaves
of former fashion, ceiling rose,
are now in swathes, informal swags.
Dress fabric mix, same curlicues,
a fusion of the top knot show,
romantic art, pre-Raphaelite?
But turn the leaf, more storyline,
slim strap, string beads of seeds believe,
small berries, buried garland crown.
The circle, cycle, framing face,
is scratchy swirl of down dry brown,
burnt umber lying as the ground.
’Tis wistful, seen the whirl ahead,
first stirrings of storm contemplate,
blood lips to zygomatic arch.
Yet falling does a rise comprise,
seeds stratified to germinate,
groan birth pangs grown with death entwined.
* * *
Also from Wales, Lynn White sent us an Ekphrastic response to our recent castle photo:
ONLY DREAM
—Lynn White, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
—Lynn White, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
If you dream hard enough
you’ll find castles in the air,
or secret cities
once in ruins
now recast
shimmering
under the waves,
lost oases hidden there
by harsh sunlight.
If you dreamer harder
you’ll rise above the waves of sand
which threaten to engulf you,
and float in the sunlight
to reach your castle
if you only dream harder.
* * *
And we close with an awful little Haiku-pun from Caschwa (Carl Schwartz). Tune in tomorrow for more from Caschwa:
END SUM
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
how much do you earn
being a teeter totter?
total sum of tips
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
how much do you earn
being a teeter totter?
total sum of tips
____________________
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!
____________________
TRIPLE-F CHALLENGES!
•••Imaginaerium: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/imaginaerium
•••AND/OR how about a few Italian Sestets?
•••Italian Sestet: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/italian-sestet
•••AND/OR a merry Markette:
•••Markette: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/markette
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic one.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday’s Seed of the Week! This week it’s “Alone in the Woods”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Blank Verse: literarydevices.net/blank-verse AND/OR www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-the-difference-between-blank-verse-and-free-verse#quiz-0
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Haiku: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/haiku-or-hokku AND/OR www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/haiku/haiku.html
•••Imaginaerium: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/imaginaerium
•••Italian Sestet: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/italian-sestet
•••Just 15s (devised by Sarah Harding): poem or stanza of 15 syllables
•••Kimo: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/kimo-poetic-form AND/OR poetscollective.org/poetryforms/kimo
•••Markette: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/markette
•••Ryūka: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryūka
•••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
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy of
Joe Nolan
Make what you "can" of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy of
Joe Nolan
A note that
tonight's Ekphrastic reading
in Placerville has been cancelled.
For info about 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!
tonight's Ekphrastic reading
in Placerville has been cancelled.
For info about 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!
