—Poetry and Visuals by Smith, Cleveland, OH
I push my rock up hill
watch as hill falls down
In empty want of will
I'm too stupid to go around
Dancing light distracts me
from my terror time
Shows a better be
a finer fine to find
I turn in search of lovely
leave lonely in the lurch
Seek some truths beyond me
weigh the man . . . and church
Both are judged and wanting
says the writing on the wall
Must be sort of daunting
God's middle finger and all
Rock and hill and finger
keep messing up the page
But as long as my luck lingers
I'll survive this culture cage
watch as hill falls down
In empty want of will
I'm too stupid to go around
Dancing light distracts me
from my terror time
Shows a better be
a finer fine to find
I turn in search of lovely
leave lonely in the lurch
Seek some truths beyond me
weigh the man . . . and church
Both are judged and wanting
says the writing on the wall
Must be sort of daunting
God's middle finger and all
Rock and hill and finger
keep messing up the page
But as long as my luck lingers
I'll survive this culture cage
Hang On
Sisyphus and I worship
at the cat box
we kneel
bow to clumped piss
and clayed shit
when done
we smooth the sand
with Zen
then
do it again
and again
and again
we are happy
we have a steady job
it reminds us of eternity
Run On
Drinking the talky coffee
in pre-dawn dark
by firelight
me jabbering away
ear-sore wife suffering
dog waiting impatiently at feet
for talk to end
morning walk's begin
me in caffeine-jacked now
and there ain't no not yet next
savoring the madness of moment
since minutes tend to the mundane
which is weird
since mundane ain't
simply can't be
in this miraculous whee of life
and lights
laughter
love
so leave me be
leave me
leave
be
and somehow pay the rent
(for you of the Capitalist bent)
Heart and Soul
Sometimes I wear two shoes to write a poem
sometimes none
sometimes one shoe socks two
sometimes one'll do
depends on doing
poem coming
don't know where or why
they light on I
but grateful
adds glitter to gloom
lightens doom
swoons moons
fuels fumes
Because the Night
I was beast man at my wedding
My first pun? Once a pun a time
I've got quite a few pieces
but missing some bits
Quantum creatures sneak my creases
eating what fits
Betting heart as feature
not fatal bug
Reality's creaky cum creature
one sum slog
Listening to bonging clock
grateful we agree
Inner silences in inner silence
carry the weight for me
Are figments baby figs?
Do they grow on trees like need on knees?
There is song in silence, song in noise
lesson in both
Steeple of day steeped in night
eat until eaten not very nice
We are mouth holding scream
Raise my face to sun
suck what source I can
closed lids peach red glow
and luminous yellows
knowing if I open them
I'll be damaged
flash to last year
staring at sun
eyes open
for four minutes
of total solar eclipse
it was alien
other
that burning thing up there
fuming fusion
everyday deadly
stare now eyes closed
letting the lid light warm
skin wrap my face
in shine
fine time
No
Old dog wants
but doesn't know what
so stands in existential angst
glancing at door
at kitchen
at me
I am an old man with an old dog
I don't know either
but doesn't know what
so stands in existential angst
glancing at door
at kitchen
at me
I am an old man with an old dog
I don't know either
Try Me
I may look empty
but fumes still fuel my quest
Seems like it's all Go Go Americana
these days down at the
All American Gas Station Beer Stops
I drank MD 20/20 once
and once was enough
but for pure power glory
a drug dealer in low-class high rise
who cut coke at my place
cuz wife didn't understand
once brought moonshine along
and WOW
stuff glowed all the way down
then smiled
Still smiling my 33 years sober
47 years later
Now follow full-spectrum flower
to ease hours
when wind on wrong side of strong
Going on a dope run
running with the wind
then after we're done
we'll do it again
There are silences in the silence
unsilences in the unsilences
lotus grows pure from muck
while I'm more dump truck
And yet
gotta believe good would in bad water
Tickle back of neck sweat
absentmindedly rubbed
killed bug
bug being bug
sweat being sweat
me being me
bug dead
My bad?
You've no idea
I was always outlaw
rogue
approaching scoundrel
wanting better
Push myself to edge with coffee
and stress of class less ness
you know what I mean
if not
you're part of the problem
and I've no solution
cuzs problem myself
Outside silence slows
to rush of wind and wheel
red thread of siren
Where's the punch line?
Bible Box
Today’s LittleNip:
Awful slippery slidery
this thing called truth
it finally settles
then WHAM
it's gone again
But thanks
for the blue skies
the green leaves
the wind
Pleasures treasures
—Smith
___________________
Smith (Steven B. Smith) reminds me that this post brings his visits to the Kitchen to nine years—and we’re all the better for his rockin’ wordplay (and truthplay!), dancing along with us for almost a decade now. (And thanks to D.R. Wagner, sadly now deceased, for, on a trip to Cleveland, giving Smith the tip that Medusa’s Kitchen might not be such a bad place to hang out.) Here’s our thanks to Steven B., looking forward to another nine and another nine and another…
___________________
—Medusa
I See You
—Visual by Smith
—Visual by Smith
A reminder that
Straight Out Scribes & Noa Sanaa
will read tonight in Sacramento.
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!
Straight Out Scribes & Noa Sanaa
will read tonight in Sacramento.
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!
and rocks~~and rolls~~