* * *
—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Caschwa
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Caschwa
ALONE IN THE WOODS
Or maybe not. Oh where
shall we walk today, my dog and I?
I’ve been checking the internet
for forest and city news.
Mountain lion sightings—
home-security & game-trail cams:
Big Cut, Cedar Ravine, Greenstone,
Green Valley, Newtown, Forebay...
How refreshing is a walk alone
with my dog in the woods.
Just the two of us, and deer,
birds, squirrels; with luck, no lion.
Or maybe not. Oh where
shall we walk today, my dog and I?
I’ve been checking the internet
for forest and city news.
Mountain lion sightings—
home-security & game-trail cams:
Big Cut, Cedar Ravine, Greenstone,
Green Valley, Newtown, Forebay...
How refreshing is a walk alone
with my dog in the woods.
Just the two of us, and deer,
birds, squirrels; with luck, no lion.
GHOSTLY SKELETON
Queen Anne’s Lace still stands
in a dead-dry field, sovereign
in the march to fall.
MORNING ON THE PAVED TRAIL
She walks
like it hurts
I say “brava!”
subsolar
clinch-enrichment
That guy
arm-pumping
eyes on pavement
blind
optical trickery limits
bird carillons
I say “good morning!”
silence.
consecrate
or gravitate
don’t trip
She walks
like it hurts
I say “brava!”
subsolar
clinch-enrichment
That guy
arm-pumping
eyes on pavement
blind
optical trickery limits
bird carillons
I say “good morning!”
silence.
consecrate
or gravitate
don’t trip
A SHADY SPOT
Beside the gurgling creek’s a micro-park,
a place for moment’s rest off the main street—
one black travel pack, a pair of black boots,
blue sleeping bag (occupied) in an arc
of comfort in September noonday heat—
if he’s not supposed to, who gives two hoots?
__________________
FUTURES
Is there a stockbroker for
seed pods? We must have a fortune
in them here, offspring of weeds.
They’re everywhere.
They know no limits, no maximum.
The stickery ones especially keep multiplying.
Just look across the field,
all the little parachutes, the hang gliders
on the wind that carries some away
and brings us more, that gives them wings.
IN THE WOODS ALONE
without my dog. Is this the nature area
I’ve known for years, and often get lost in?
a maze of trails, some with signs at junctions
but no arrows pointing which way
to where or what? At trailhead, a new post,
glass-encased flyer on mountain lions.
Down the trail between fields of blackberry
bramble. What species of aster is this,
taller than my head? My plant-app won’t say.
And this leafy tree? not a clue. Here’s
pine I don’t recognize? the app tells me
Pinus (pine)—big help! And here, what kind
of plant is this? app tells me it’s a sapsucker—
bird!? My dog might be a better guide.
A vulture flies high and silent overhead.
I’ve reached the creek. I’d best just
keep my bearings and enjoy the moment
among willow, tule, bramble, and all the un-
nameables. Is that the magic of the woods?
Prayer Flag
Today’s LittleNip:
NATURE WALK
—Taylor Graham
unknowns before us
on trail leading who knows where—
leaves fall from the twig
_____________________
Otis and Taylor Graham are out in the woods again today, making the most of the autumn weather and braving the ghosts of lace and leaves and whatever adventures they can find, and we thank them for reporting back to us in fine poetry and photos. Forms TG has sent us include two Haiga (“Nature Walk”; “Ghostly Skeleton”); a Word-Can Poem (“Futures”); a Just 15s (“Alone in the Woods”); a Rengay with a random-words partner (“Morning on the Paved Trail”); and an Italian Sestet (“A Shady Spot”). The Italian Sestet was one of our Triple-F Challenges last week, and Tuesday’s Seed of the Week was “Alone in the Woods”.
TG makes a note that the prayer flag is from local artist Andie Thrams's ForestSong project—this one was from the Somerset event September 22; the final event will be Sept. 29 at Camp Lotus (including poetry writing with Moira Magneson). El Dorado County’s ForestSong is an art project by Andie Thrams which centers on painting Forest Prayer Flags to deepen appreciation of and connection to forests, address environmental loss, and celebrate biophilia. Info: https://www.andiethrams.com/forestsong-events-and-more/. Open mic 3:15-3:45pm!
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 (that's next weeek!). 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: In addition to ForestSong this Sunday, 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!
TG makes a note that the prayer flag is from local artist Andie Thrams's ForestSong project—this one was from the Somerset event September 22; the final event will be Sept. 29 at Camp Lotus (including poetry writing with Moira Magneson). El Dorado County’s ForestSong is an art project by Andie Thrams which centers on painting Forest Prayer Flags to deepen appreciation of and connection to forests, address environmental loss, and celebrate biophilia. Info: https://www.andiethrams.com/forestsong-events-and-more/. Open mic 3:15-3:45pm!
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 (that's next weeek!). 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: In addition to ForestSong this Sunday, 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!
It’s time for more contributions from Form Fiddlers, in addition to those sent to us by Taylor Graham! Each Friday, there will be poems posted here from our readers using forms—either ones which were sent to Medusa during the previous week, or whatever else floats through the Kitchen and the perpetually stoned mind of Medusa. If these instructions are vague, it's because they're meant to be. Just fiddle around with some challenges— Whaddaya got to lose… ? If you send ‘em, I’ll post ‘em! (See Medusa’s Form Finder at the end of this post for resources and for links to poetry terms used in today’s post.)
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!
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 Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, and Stephen Kingsnorth:
CORNER SHOP
—Lynn White, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
The Gould’s had the corner shop
opposite the church.
You could buy anything there,
at a price.
Row upon row of tinned goods,
sliced ham and spam
at double the price.
You could buy anything there
any time,
even on Sundays,
especially on Sundays,
when the queue snaked outside.
It was a gold mine, everyone said so.
They sold everything there
at double the price
always
without a smile.
* * *
SOME THINGS CAN’T BE FIXED
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
She thought she could wind him
around her ring finger,
turn him into the prince of her dreams,
remake him from a manly man
into a simpering shadow.
He opened up his simple heart
to let her have her way.
Inside she found his valves were full
of chewing tobacco, motor oil,
and ten-year-old cans of beans.
No need to wreck her manicure
to clean up such a mess.
While she drove off, he popped
a beer and turned to watch
the playoffs on TV.
TINS CAN?
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
The window dresser’s rôle is shelved,
for who’s attracted by the brand
(save holder of some shares, I’m bound)—
all gold, bold blue, full coloured hues,
though green’s ironic, just fake news.
A garage lot, though bikes the plot,
a recipe for dirt bike gas—
or this the cover to the guide,
the key to making engine run
on two stroke fuel, without the knock.
It’s gas and oil in ratio
that’s poured into container, sealed,
then shaken with all energy,
both ‘violently’, with ‘vigour’ too,
before its destined gas tank home.
Now burning rubber’s not my thing—
nor threadbare tread, exhausted clouds,
the playground of sand devils’ whirl
through gritted teeth, a dusting down,
adrenalin enough and more.
Some pedal work without the gas—
I’d guard against rear geyser mud;
had ‘Three in One’, a trinity,
(though perplexed what, why made it so)
to oil the chain—saw hanging loose.
Recall behind the saddle, bag.
my thin tin tiny puncture kit.
Now when do tins become a can—
perhaps when they are able to,
with prospects of retailing charm?
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
The window dresser’s rôle is shelved,
for who’s attracted by the brand
(save holder of some shares, I’m bound)—
all gold, bold blue, full coloured hues,
though green’s ironic, just fake news.
A garage lot, though bikes the plot,
a recipe for dirt bike gas—
or this the cover to the guide,
the key to making engine run
on two stroke fuel, without the knock.
It’s gas and oil in ratio
that’s poured into container, sealed,
then shaken with all energy,
both ‘violently’, with ‘vigour’ too,
before its destined gas tank home.
Now burning rubber’s not my thing—
nor threadbare tread, exhausted clouds,
the playground of sand devils’ whirl
through gritted teeth, a dusting down,
adrenalin enough and more.
Some pedal work without the gas—
I’d guard against rear geyser mud;
had ‘Three in One’, a trinity,
(though perplexed what, why made it so)
to oil the chain—saw hanging loose.
Recall behind the saddle, bag.
my thin tin tiny puncture kit.
Now when do tins become a can—
perhaps when they are able to,
with prospects of retailing charm?
* * *
Caschwa (Carl Schwartz) has been playing with alliteration; he calls this “Alliteration Obliteration”:
GARBAGE TIME
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
the politician who has no real plans
for the future will state a platitude
with an attitude, no gratitude
lots of suggestive gestures, backed
by a bought out crowd of brain dead
scarecrows wearing propaganda t-shirts,
hats, and carrying or ferrying large print
signs bearing small minded thinking
yes abortion will kill a fetus, can’t let
that beat us, why must we also off the
mother and her doctors, leaving alive
no proctors to show us the way?
just how, in what strange, deranged new
order is it acceptable to prevent an abortion,
but accept the contortion of enabling hot
heads with guns to invade our schools and
kill masses of people?
Ahh, the golden avenue of a revenue stream,
beaming brightly as consumers stifle their
honey and shell out money to buy big guy
rifles and ammo just to show us how many
people they can kill, to set a new record
shoot, kill, tabulate, celebrate, congregate on
the steps of Congress to confess you’ve had
enough government stuff, but if a woman wants
to terminate a pregnancy because she has had
enough, the wrong answer gong sounds to let us
know she must show us a live birth before long
and so we save the fetus, and it has big problems
like the mother knew it would, but our brains are
wood and fail to process such information in a
nation that just doesn’t care: it only stays well
if it pays well
* * *
And now a Sonnet from Carl:
SONNET FOR TAILGATE TROMBONE
—Caschwa
the trombone slide is hurtful when it hits
another person sitting in the way
so to avoid all sorts of gripes and fits
we face the rear to lift our horns and play
we feel the beat because we cannot see
the ups and downs of our conductor’s wand
just guided by the drummer’s melody
like even ripples forming on a pond
the road ahead presents a deadly turn
we’ve been forewarned to hold on to our seats
the hard way is the lesson here to learn
just don’t lose sight of any drummer’s beats
and so we bring our slides back to their start
and disembark the tiny apple cart
* * *
Here is an Ekphrastic Haiku Sonnet from Melissa Lemay,
based on this woodcut:
based on this woodcut:
Evening Rain, Shinobazu Pond, 1938
—Woodblock Print by Shiro Kasamatsu (1898-1991)
EVENING RAIN
—Melissa Lemay, Lancaster, PA
The sky, a blank white
page covered in thoughts of rain—
it traipses down like
static on a
television set, blowing
this way and that.
I hide my face in
its gentle caresses,
wondering if its
reminiscences
play hide and seek, looking for
me through the broadcast.
Fractured memory lives
inside every droplet.
—Melissa Lemay, Lancaster, PA
The sky, a blank white
page covered in thoughts of rain—
it traipses down like
static on a
television set, blowing
this way and that.
I hide my face in
its gentle caresses,
wondering if its
reminiscences
play hide and seek, looking for
me through the broadcast.
Fractured memory lives
inside every droplet.
(prev. pub. in MasticadoresUSA, September 2024)
* * *
And here is an Ars Poetica from Stephen Kingsnorth ("an offering, Calliope..."):
Calliope
—Marcello Bacciarelli
—Marcello Bacciarelli
RHYME AND REASON
—Stephen Kingsnorth
A kingdom in a priceless pearl,
potential in a mustard seed,
infinity for poetry,
a time and space continuum.
By numbers, painting, not my style,
nor black outline to emphasise;
the portrait not a photograph,
unless the mood is captured, still.
A billion texts do not suffice,
poor studios, walls, galleries,
so brochure for the oeuvre range,
used tickets, book stacks, theatres.
More learned, seek answers, than propose,
react, respond to questions posed,
ekphrastic images for work
to delve into the artists’ lives
with gift and curse of mindfulness,
recalling all that passed this way.
My life or ours, for all are mine—
collective book of hours our prayer,
an offering, Calliope,
where sparks ignite flames, fire of words.
So look but see, hear, listen too,
find what is there, discover more.
____________________
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!
•••Insane Cinquain: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/insane-cinquain
•••AND/OR how about a Haikuette? Can you write without verbs? This one looks tricky:
•••Haikuette: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/haikuette
•••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 “Nosy Neighbors”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Alliteration: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alliteration
•••Ars Poetica: www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/ars-poetica
•••Cinquain, Insane: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/insane-cinquain
•••Ekphrastic Poem: notesofoak.com/discover-literature/ekphrastic-poetry
•••Haiga: Haiku accompanied by a picture
•••Haikuette: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/haikuette
•••Haiku Sonnet (four Haiku followed by two lines of seven syllables each): www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/haiku-sonnet-poetic-form
•••Italian Sestet: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/italian-sestet
•••Just 15s (devised by Sarah Harding): poem or stanza of 15 syllables
•••Rengay: https://haikupedia.org/article-haikupedia/rengay
•••Sonnet Forms: https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-sonnet-poem-form AND/OR poets.org/glossary/sonnet
•••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
•••Italian Sestet: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/italian-sestet
•••Just 15s (devised by Sarah Harding): poem or stanza of 15 syllables
•••Rengay: https://haikupedia.org/article-haikupedia/rengay
•••Sonnet Forms: https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-sonnet-poem-form AND/OR poets.org/glossary/sonnet
•••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
Bangkok Museum
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, Stockton, CA
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, Stockton, CA
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!
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!
