—Public Domain Photos Courtesy of Medusa
CALIFORNIA BUTTERFLY
It flutters up and down,
around and around
the closest eucalyptus tree
like a guardian of those slender
gray-green leaves.
Spurred on by thirst,
flying lower, it seeks a chalice
of milkweed, abandoned long
ago in my roughly-tended garden.
Now it glistens: that I could grow
for it and its kin fresh milkweed,
nourish it in a planter
on my lanai deck, watching
from living room as the beauties
delve into the sour nectar.
An elder, no pets to care for,
this California coastal yellow,
orange and black-marked beauty
is mine, and its mother tree,
all bonded charismatically.
It flutters up and down,
around and around
the closest eucalyptus tree
like a guardian of those slender
gray-green leaves.
Spurred on by thirst,
flying lower, it seeks a chalice
of milkweed, abandoned long
ago in my roughly-tended garden.
Now it glistens: that I could grow
for it and its kin fresh milkweed,
nourish it in a planter
on my lanai deck, watching
from living room as the beauties
delve into the sour nectar.
An elder, no pets to care for,
this California coastal yellow,
orange and black-marked beauty
is mine, and its mother tree,
all bonded charismatically.
OUT OF THE BLUE
We remember when
songbirds kept
circling our doubts.
We might have caged
them for clarity.
Instead, we let
the flock circle,
as we listened
intently to their song.
(Printed in Brevities in
slightly different version)
OUI! OUI!
If a
statue can breathe
as Rilke hinted, then
surely that sculpture is Rodin’s
The Kiss
WHAT I MEANT…
to email you
must have clicked out
all wrong, a script you read
as dismissive,
not the light little song
I so intended.
Meanwhile, let’s keep
breathing until the stars
settle back into place.
(From Poetalk, Editor John Rowe; prev. pub. in
a different form on Medusa’s Kitchen, 9/1/24)
WOMEN ON THE HIGH WIRE
abortions criminalized,
another day that will live in infamy
Most men respect a woman’s body and her life.
Yet thousands are raped, impregnated by
fathers, stepfathers, brothers, even droll,
joke-telling uncles and the nice boy
next door. A sonogram reads:
a maimed baby will live quite
helplessly, likely die before
age three; add a woman
with six children living
in hunger, in poverty.
Now see with me a miles-long line of beleaguered
women, having to balance a heavy pole and
inch across a chasm, only fragile nets to
catch them, should they fall.
In seeking balance, the pole often tips
wildly up/down/up; often nearly
slips from grip. But pregnant
brave women honor
their own bodies,
own consciences,
moving ahead
into lifelong
decisions.
These American women, with freedom
and justice for all, now nationally accused
law-breakers, their own uteruses no longer their
own
personal
property?!
(First printed in Benicia Herald)
PRAYER FOR RECOVERY . . .
after reading Tao Yuan Ming, 3rd century AD
If searching for a lost ring at cliff edge
and you lose your footing,
may you fall toward the shine—
now a kind of halo
over one’s
purest essence.
Beyond DNA,
may you live mightily,
often laughing at yourself
so loudly that gods and angels cover
their ears and won’t let you pass until
your name pulsates among the forgiving stars.
_____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
REALLY?!
—Claire J. Baker
Just as I was trying
to sort through my worst
shadows, how they
originated & when & why,
& might I ease them
to disappear, a host
on KQED intones:
Embrace Your Shadows.
_____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Claire Baker for today’s fine poetry!
after reading Tao Yuan Ming, 3rd century AD
If searching for a lost ring at cliff edge
and you lose your footing,
may you fall toward the shine—
now a kind of halo
over one’s
purest essence.
Beyond DNA,
may you live mightily,
often laughing at yourself
so loudly that gods and angels cover
their ears and won’t let you pass until
your name pulsates among the forgiving stars.
_____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
REALLY?!
—Claire J. Baker
Just as I was trying
to sort through my worst
shadows, how they
originated & when & why,
& might I ease them
to disappear, a host
on KQED intones:
Embrace Your Shadows.
_____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to Claire Baker for today’s fine poetry!
A reminder that
Sacramento Poetry Center Gallery
will hold a reception today, 4pm,
for its latest exhibit.
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!
Sacramento Poetry Center Gallery
will hold a reception today, 4pm,
for its latest exhibit.
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!
