—Photos Courtesy of Public Domain
“THOSE SHOES!”
I bought “those shoes”
at Discount City for $8.99
even though they were a size too large.
Black, lace-up dress shoes
with tan leather soles
and black neoprene heels.
At first,
I always wore them
with extra-thick socks
until my feet finally
grew into them.
I wore them to my first job interview;
I was hired.
I wore them on our first date;
and on our wedding day.
I wore them on September 11, 2001;
for a meeting scheduled for 3:00pm
at the World Trade Center.
I was not wearing them
the night our daughter was conceived;
they were next to the bed
but I was wearing them
in the early morning hours
of her very difficult birth.
Seven years ago,
I had “those shoes” resoled
and the heels replaced.
It cost me $45.49.
Over the years,
I have polished, buffed and shined them
The leather is now glove-soft
and they still have their mirror shine.
This morning as I was putting
the Goodwill box
on the front porch,
I dropped it
and “those shoes”
tumbled out?
I bought “those shoes”
at Discount City for $8.99
even though they were a size too large.
Black, lace-up dress shoes
with tan leather soles
and black neoprene heels.
At first,
I always wore them
with extra-thick socks
until my feet finally
grew into them.
I wore them to my first job interview;
I was hired.
I wore them on our first date;
and on our wedding day.
I wore them on September 11, 2001;
for a meeting scheduled for 3:00pm
at the World Trade Center.
I was not wearing them
the night our daughter was conceived;
they were next to the bed
but I was wearing them
in the early morning hours
of her very difficult birth.
Seven years ago,
I had “those shoes” resoled
and the heels replaced.
It cost me $45.49.
Over the years,
I have polished, buffed and shined them
The leather is now glove-soft
and they still have their mirror shine.
This morning as I was putting
the Goodwill box
on the front porch,
I dropped it
and “those shoes”
tumbled out?
EXPLORING WILD STRAWBERRIES
ON YOUR CHEEK
It’s just before the birds sing early
and you are in deep sleep.
Your hair is corn silk sweet.
I brush it from your cheek.
Hundreds of strawberry dot freckles
scatter across your face.
If the wives’ tale is true
and each contains an adventure
This is going to be a wild romance.
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
There is a low pressure system
developing in the kitchen.
Sustained winds are organizing
and blowing across the dining room.
Heat and moisture remain constant.
The decision to seek shelter or ride it out
depends on whether the wind shear
tracks a specific destination
or just slowly dissipates.
AGAIN, YOU WILL NOT BE EXPECTING IT
It will come on a lazy summer day
around twilight when the sun gives in
While early insect mating calls replay,
it will stir from somewhere deep within.
It arrives after a harsh winter tide
when spring arrived too late to stay for long
and thoughts of gray cold have been placed aside,
there will be a gnawing of something wrong.
Lyrics from an old misplaced favorite tune
will take on a new meaning all their own
and sensations which were once deemed immune
will actively ignite a zenith zone.
It will strike more than changes can permit—
again, you will not be expecting it.
CLIMATE CHANGE
A freak November nor’easter
slams heavy wet snow
onto leafy branches.
They resist, then topple
all askew
taking wires with them
and plunging
the entire town
into the nineteenth century.
“…the clouds pass by…”
ILLOGICAL PHENOMENON
It is a pellucid moment.
The gods of devastation
lose their grisly grip
and slink off into the dark mist
like a stray dog tracking an alley cat.
Strangely, Dame Fortune
appears out of nowhere
for no apparent reason
and heavily intercedes.
Within minutes
the clouds pass by
and the moon smiles
like a fat man at the circus.
____________________
Today’s LittleNip:
Quiet minds can be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
____________________
—Medusa, with thanks to R. Gerry Fabian for today’s fine poetry!
A reminder that
MoSt Poetry Book Club
meets in Modesto today, 2pm;
Poetry at Albion Hall meets in
San Francisco today at 4pm; and
Sean Powers & Stucco Factory
is featured at Sac. Poetry Center
this afternoon, 5pm.
For more about these 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!
MoSt Poetry Book Club
meets in Modesto today, 2pm;
Poetry at Albion Hall meets in
San Francisco today at 4pm; and
Sean Powers & Stucco Factory
is featured at Sac. Poetry Center
this afternoon, 5pm.
For more about these 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!
