Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down to
Form Fiddlers’ Friday, with poetry by
Joe Nolan, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
Lynn White, Caschwa, Joyce Odam,
and Victor Kennedy
OVER A LONG DISTANCE
Telemann’s wind and strings make
historic background music
as I read this morning’s news
on my laptop. No television in the house.
Across a continent, Neptune’s
tuned his fork for telekinetic chords.
Here, we pray for rain.
No teleporting in this scenario,
we’re at the mercy of where we are.
Telemann’s wind and strings make
historic background music
as I read this morning’s news
on my laptop. No television in the house.
Across a continent, Neptune’s
tuned his fork for telekinetic chords.
Here, we pray for rain.
No teleporting in this scenario,
we’re at the mercy of where we are.
HUSKY BRAND FOR MY 43.5% SIBERIAN
New knee-pads for walking my husky
when the trail’s getting dusky
and the woods call wild
nature’s child.
STASHES
Oak leaves fallen on the trail,
my dog is vigilant for squirrels
in autumn stash mode.
I puzzle over a cache
not hidden in underbrush—
a raw potato, a slab of melon....
Who left this green bicycle
lying just off the trail,
missing its back wheel?
Here I find unopened
two sacks of organic bread
looking good enough to eat.
Why all this leaving
of perfectly good food
among the fallen leaves?
The woods are quiet
this October morning,
leaves falling without a sound.
Oak leaves fallen on the trail,
my dog is vigilant for squirrels
in autumn stash mode.
I puzzle over a cache
not hidden in underbrush—
a raw potato, a slab of melon....
Who left this green bicycle
lying just off the trail,
missing its back wheel?
Here I find unopened
two sacks of organic bread
looking good enough to eat.
Why all this leaving
of perfectly good food
among the fallen leaves?
The woods are quiet
this October morning,
leaves falling without a sound.
TRAIL WALK
Dog alerts on a squirrel
I hold tight lest he learn to fly.
BY WRIT OF TALON
Brazen the high hawk
screaming this is mine, all mine
over oak woodland.
WHAT NEWS?
Like a telegram unexpected,
brief, brusque, a stiff wind off the ridge.
We’d stopped by a sort of chimney,
a tall pine sawed off partway up—why?
by whom? Sun was striking its east face,
convection lifting and scattering scents
like steam through the canyon.
Was it time to withdraw to a more
sheltered place? But you raised your
canteen like a flagon
and declared a toast to the morning,
its magical weather change.
Like a telegram unexpected,
brief, brusque, a stiff wind off the ridge.
We’d stopped by a sort of chimney,
a tall pine sawed off partway up—why?
by whom? Sun was striking its east face,
convection lifting and scattering scents
like steam through the canyon.
Was it time to withdraw to a more
sheltered place? But you raised your
canteen like a flagon
and declared a toast to the morning,
its magical weather change.
Today’s LittleNip:
ELEGY FOR A SCHOOL MURAL
—Taylor Graham
Our history on a
wall torn down for progress—
tilt-slab monochrome.
__________________
More wonderful poetry and photos from Taylor Graham today, as she explores the autumn foothills with her trusty pal, Otis, and we thank her for all of it. Forms she has sent this week include a Triversen (“Stashes”); a Word-Can Poem (“What News?”); a Haiku (“By Writ of Talon”)’ a Prefix Variations (“Over a Long Distance”); a Zip (“Trail Walk”); an Odd Step Down (“Husky Brand for My 43.5% Siberian”); and a Senryu (“Elegy for a School Mural”). The Zip and the Odd Step Down (devised by TG) were last week’s Triple-F Challenges. The “Prefix Variations" were from an online prompt to use a word beginning with "tele”. And our past Tuesday’s Seeds of the Week have been The Imperative to Stash ("Stashes") and Brazen (“By Writ of Talon”).
In El Dorado County poetry this week, Poetry In Motion read-around meets in Placerville on Monday morning, 10:30am. 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 Joe Nolan, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth, and Lynn White:
HORSE STANDING IN WATER
—Joe Nolan, Stockton, CA
This ain’t Earth and
I ain’t no horse.
That’s no moon behind me.
If this is reality,
You’re feeding on dreams.
The big question is,
“Why am I standing in water?”
If you don’t know
You can just let it go
Until you wake up
In the morning.
* * *
I’M A WINNER
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
I’m the one you’ve always wanted.
I can make your life a thrill.
You’ve never had a dame like me.
Inhale the sweetness of a winner.
Don’t waste money on the horses.
Waste your bucks on little bitty love-you me.
* * *
SEA OF TRANQUILLITY?
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
One word in common is that mare,
both sea and horse in common clause
those lunar plains misnamed when seen
while beast of either gender here—
and further factor, seahorse formed.
Such words concrete, not fanciful?
More quicksand through family tree—
see terms change throughout history.
But stallion or mare again,
what does the tide, ride lunar pull?
So what mood drawn from image set,
the cold dead satellite of earth
grown larger, optical effect,
with gentler brine, washed fetlock, hoof,
not Hippocamp, Poseidon’s rein?
Both black and word smith guests in play,
air, water, earth and fire inlaid,
while elemental force engaged
with cannon, withers, gaskin, croup,
parts stifle, barrel, jockey place.
Here is the light from upper left,
cause burnished coating, chestnut waves,
bright burning on horizon site,
neath Equuleus in the sky,
Sea of Tranquillity at bay.
* * *
ABLAZE
—Lynn White, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
The horizon is blazing like a sunset
and the sea is no place for a horse.
But there’s no land left for a horse
and the earth is sinking now
following the sunken sun.
Soon even the sea will burn,
even the horse will burn.
Soon everything will burn.
The end.
* * *
Joyce Odam has sent us one of her Abracadabras, a form devised by Joyce, c. 2000 (eleven lines, eleven syllables, single stanza; rhymed: a b c a x a x a b c a):
MIDNIGHT’S OLD CONDITION
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento, CA
Dare we trust conditions of this masquerade?
Eyes of warning watch us in our dreamlike dance
shadow-hidden with their masks removed they
stare
as if we were not figments—as if not made
of our illusions—as if their eyes could guess
beyond our air of mystery—as if they’d
reached the end of midnight while we still refuse
to go back to our other selves—too afraid—
too changed by costume’s guise, wanting the
romance,
loving the pretense, the brazen way we dare
test rules Forbidden-Love has never obeyed.
(prev. pub. in Poets’ Forum Magazine, c. 2000;
also Medusa’s Kitchen, 10/18/16)
* * *
Here is a first-letter Acrostic from Carl Schwartz (Caschwa):
OLD SHOES
—Caschwa
Thoughts
And
Prayers
Don’t
Ask
Nobody
Can
Explain
* * *
Victor Kennedy read a story on BBC News on October 11 (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5e9d94dxjo) that inspired this poem as an Ekphrastic response. (I like “guessin’/lesson”.)
(Click to enlarge)
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy
of Victor Kennedy
Tyger hiding in the shrubs,
In the backyard of the pub;
Waiting for that serving wench
Who likes to tease you through the fence.
What is happening in her brain
To mock you in your captive pain?
What kind of naughty hand or eye,
Would tease thy fearful symmetry?
On what dare would she aspire?
What the hand, would play with fire?
I don’t know, but I’m guessin’
You plan on teaching her a lesson.
—Victor Kennedy, Maribor, Slovenia
____________________
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!
____________________
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!
Taylor Graham wrote a Prefix Variations poem today (see above); I stumbled across something different, the Prefix Poem form, in the Poetry Pop Poetry Blog: https://poetrypop.com/2022/02/13/prefix-poem-dis-dandelion-wishes/. Give it a try (the example makes it clearer than the actual description):
•••Prefix Poem: https://poetrypop.com/2022/02/13/prefix-poem-dis-dandelion-wishes
•••AND/OR try one of Joyce’s Abracadabras:
•••Abracadabra (devised by Joyce Odam): eleven lines, eleven syllables, single stanza; rhymed: a b c a x a x a b c a
•••AND/OR give the Ovi a shot:
•••Ovi: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/ovi
•••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 “It’s That Time Again”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Abracadabra (devised by Joyce Odam): eleven lines, eleven syllables, single stanza; rhymed: a b c a x a x a b c a
•••Acrostic Poem types: https://studybay.com/blog/how-to-write-an-acrostic-poem
•••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
•••Odd Step Down (devised by Taylor Graham): four lines, syllable count 9-7-5-3, rhyme abab
•••Ovi: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/ovi
•••Prefix Poem: https://poetrypop.com/2022/02/13/prefix-poem-dis-dandelion-wishes
•••Senryu: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-senryu-poems#quiz-0
•••Triversen: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/triversen-poetic-form
•••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
•••Zip: http://popularpoetryforms.blogspot.com/2014/01/zip.html
___________________
—Medusa
•••Prefix Poem: https://poetrypop.com/2022/02/13/prefix-poem-dis-dandelion-wishes
•••AND/OR try one of Joyce’s Abracadabras:
•••Abracadabra (devised by Joyce Odam): eleven lines, eleven syllables, single stanza; rhymed: a b c a x a x a b c a
•••AND/OR give the Ovi a shot:
•••Ovi: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/ovi
•••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 “It’s That Time Again”.
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Abracadabra (devised by Joyce Odam): eleven lines, eleven syllables, single stanza; rhymed: a b c a x a x a b c a
•••Acrostic Poem types: https://studybay.com/blog/how-to-write-an-acrostic-poem
•••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
•••Odd Step Down (devised by Taylor Graham): four lines, syllable count 9-7-5-3, rhyme abab
•••Ovi: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/ovi
•••Prefix Poem: https://poetrypop.com/2022/02/13/prefix-poem-dis-dandelion-wishes
•••Senryu: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-senryu-poems#quiz-0
•••Triversen: www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/triversen-poetic-form
•••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
•••Zip: http://popularpoetryforms.blogspot.com/2014/01/zip.html
___________________
—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
Medusa
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Public Domain Photo Courtesy of
Medusa
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!
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!
