—Poetry and Photos by Taylor Graham,
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddler’s Friday, with poetry by
Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Caschwa
Placerville, CA
—And then scroll down for
Form Fiddler’s Friday, with poetry by
Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, Stephen Kingsnorth,
and Caschwa
OCTOBER
blizzard of
falling leaves
flee the wind
dim morning
clouds bundling
a cold sun
wind bears news
this known world
blown away
blizzard of
falling leaves
flee the wind
dim morning
clouds bundling
a cold sun
wind bears news
this known world
blown away
GHOST OF WAKAMATSU
Her ghost by daylight shadows panes and sills
so subtly that you’d never see. And yet
you feel her presence in the house and hills,
transplanted exile who could not forget,
for homesickness, her language with its net
of courtesy across the sea—so far
away and irretrievable, a star
that could not guide her home. Her breath stirs lace
of curtains at a window, door ajar.
Her hand so light of touch. Her unseen face.
Her ghost by daylight shadows panes and sills
so subtly that you’d never see. And yet
you feel her presence in the house and hills,
transplanted exile who could not forget,
for homesickness, her language with its net
of courtesy across the sea—so far
away and irretrievable, a star
that could not guide her home. Her breath stirs lace
of curtains at a window, door ajar.
Her hand so light of touch. Her unseen face.
RORSCHACH TEST
aspen carvings
It’s a lizard
but what about these wings?
This might be a bird on its nest.
And on this tree, I’d say it’s a bear—
or bighorn sheep—do bighorn live here?
Now this for sure is a thunderbird.
Is it even a carving, or nature’s own work?
Is this a wolf or a coyote?
Or a dog—those sheepherders
had a dog to run a thousand sheep
while they carved their art into aspen bark.
How’d you like to spend all summer
here in vast Sierra wilderness
with just your dog, a band of sheep,
maybe horse or pack mule for company
and wild critters on every side
to inspire your art?
aspen carvings
It’s a lizard
but what about these wings?
This might be a bird on its nest.
And on this tree, I’d say it’s a bear—
or bighorn sheep—do bighorn live here?
Now this for sure is a thunderbird.
Is it even a carving, or nature’s own work?
Is this a wolf or a coyote?
Or a dog—those sheepherders
had a dog to run a thousand sheep
while they carved their art into aspen bark.
How’d you like to spend all summer
here in vast Sierra wilderness
with just your dog, a band of sheep,
maybe horse or pack mule for company
and wild critters on every side
to inspire your art?
FISHFLY
They say it’s threatened,
what I found dead—
amazing
wide-winged
bug
bug
wide-winged,
amazing
what I found dead—
they say it’s threatened.
They say it’s threatened,
what I found dead—
amazing
wide-winged
bug
bug
wide-winged,
amazing
what I found dead—
they say it’s threatened.
A TRAIL’S TEMPTATIONS
August is like crepitus—stepping on
dead stubble—except for blackberries.
That month is gone. September too,
when a few ripe fingerfuls
found my mouth. Now, even here,
where natural water lies so near beneath
the summer dust, keeping the berries
sweet and plump just weeks ago,
now blackberries hang in untouched
bunches shriveled, wizened. I pluck this
and that one thru prickles of bramble.
A flick of sweet to the tongue,
a mouthful of seedy chaff.
And at trail’s end, at the horse place
in a paddock nearest the wild vines,
a stallion—graceful white
as a sheik’s steed, soft gray muzzle,
blackberry eyes. He moves to meet me
at the fence, fruitless bramble
between us. I reach but cannot touch.
August is like crepitus—stepping on
dead stubble—except for blackberries.
That month is gone. September too,
when a few ripe fingerfuls
found my mouth. Now, even here,
where natural water lies so near beneath
the summer dust, keeping the berries
sweet and plump just weeks ago,
now blackberries hang in untouched
bunches shriveled, wizened. I pluck this
and that one thru prickles of bramble.
A flick of sweet to the tongue,
a mouthful of seedy chaff.
And at trail’s end, at the horse place
in a paddock nearest the wild vines,
a stallion—graceful white
as a sheik’s steed, soft gray muzzle,
blackberry eyes. He moves to meet me
at the fence, fruitless bramble
between us. I reach but cannot touch.
RECYCLING MATH
What’s the equivalency between 3 used
AAA batteries & 4 empty
beer cans, all picked up in a shifting maze
of trails where used to be homeless camp?
___________________
Today’s LittleNip:
EDGE OF BUSINESS PARK
—Taylor Graham
The sign says beware of Rattlesnakes, but
all we find is, alas, a dead King Snake—
a friend.
___________________
As always, our thanks to Taylor Graham and her dog-pals, Otis and Shelby, for today’s fine poetry and photos. TG writes that she and the dogs “drove up to Hope Valley last Monday for aspen carvings. I expect more poems & pix are coming from that.” For more about the high country Basque carvings and their sheep, go to https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/aspen/carvings.shtml/.
Forms TG used this week include a Dizain (“Ghost of Wakamatsu”); a TriCube (“October”); a Dixdeux (“Edge of Business Park”); a List Poem (“Rorschach Test”); a Blank Verse Quatrain that is also a Response to our Tuesday Seed of the Week, Empty Beer Cans (“Recycling Math”); and an Egg Timer (“Fishfly”). The Egg Timer and the Dixdeux were two of last week’s Triple-F Challenges.
In El Dorado County poetry this week, Poetic License meets in Placerville on Monday, 10:30am. And for info about EDC’s regular workshops, scroll down to Medusa’s Kitchen’s http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/wtf.html/. For more news about such events and 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
Poets who sent responses to last week’s Ekphrastic photo/artwork were Lynn White, Nolcha Fox, and Stephen Kingsnorth:
GETTING LUCKY
—Lynn White, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
Once they brought you luck,
especially if persuaded
to cross your path.
Now their luck has turned
and they’ve become familiar
as the witches’ little helper,
cursed as the devil’s disciple.
But still they sit,
still as night
glossy coat
shining black,
eyes gleaming
like silver stars
purring.
* * *
CAT ON THE HUNT
—Nolcha Fox, Buffalo, WY
I hear the scraping of her nails
upon our metal roof.
I don’t know how she climbs so high,
or where she calls her home.
I think that she is waiting for
the rats to nibble on the moon.
If I try to rescue her,
She’ll melt into the night.
Maybe she’s just telling me
it’s time to go to bed.
• • •
INSCRUTABLE
—Stephen Kingsnorth, Coedpoeth, Wrexham, Wales
A Persian cat? Night on the tiles,
with turrets, decorated roof,
metallic gleam for real or dream,
but why hide symbols on the ridge,
such decoration out of sight,
more hieroglyphs, Rosetta Stone?
Inferred disguise of cat burglar?
How many lives, without some pause,
familiar, but witch in mind?
See flourishes round crescent, haunch—
out on a limb, cats don’t space haunt—
for kit at one with moon about.
So are its thoughts ethereal,
lune nonsense heard in nursery,
of cows deemed jumping over moon,
while dish, with spoon, were runaways?
But placid cat no puss in boots,
and I fear rhymes of no import.
A scimitar of blade-like light,
as if a flag flies in the night,
but field of red has taken black,
the sunset turning into dark.
Does feline think aligned with stars,
a chorus line on limelight stage?
So here’s a mix of Middle East,
to Ottomans, their histories,
defining Asia, Europe’s line,
a scene from western ignorance,
as if those ancient empires void,
along with those, jungle consumed.
A hot tin roof this cat not on,
but cool cat, as ancestor gods,
awaiting prey, muezzin’s call,
unless serenity abates,
and instinct takes Turkish delight—
but where are we, this moggie plot?
* * *
A Haiku from Caschwa (Carl Schwartz):
I AM THE ONE BEING TESTED
—Caschwa, Sacramento, CA
Had two dogs, and taught
them both tricks, but neither one
could unlock a safe
* * *
And an Ekphrastic poem by Stephen Kingsnorth:
THROUGH LOOKING GLASS
—Stephen Kingsnorth
Here’s pane-full insights, outside in,
boundary-bursting breaking through,
edge-walking on the lip of words.
A teeter, totter, waver swing,
the toddle wobble, quiver quake,
reel weave careen sway as fore-seen.
’Tis scenic mind-map, mindful been,
a quaver maybe, not galumph,
as clomp towards the trompe l’oeil.
Yet delicately waddle on
with glyphs a-plenty, blended inks,
to spin the spangled, treasured sap.
See window onto where folk been
as listen, draw, conclusions sought;
their images must be proclaimed.
Though mizzle, drizzle, falling drain,
precipitating what moods reign,
it’s brainpower whirls us into safe.
Though edgy, striding into strange
where strangers met are walking on
to find the rainbow, golden end.
An alchemy etched on our screen,
as letting spreads our sprinkled dream,
and what deemed secret soon revealed.
__________________
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!
See what you can make of these challenges, and send your results to kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.) These darker nights, we need a Lanturne:
•••Lanturne: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/lanturne.html
•••AND/OR another short one, the Septolet:
•••Septolet: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/septolet.html
•••AND/OR: leave us hanging with the Question Poem:
•••Question Poem: penandthepad.com/write-question-poem-6933078.html
•••See also the bottom of this post for another challenge, this one an Ekphrastic one.
•••And don’t forget each Tuesday Seed of the Week! This week it’s “The Owl Who Waits”
____________________
MEDUSA’S FORM FINDER: Links to poetry terms mentioned today:
•••Blank Verse: literarydevices.net/blank-verse AND/OR www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-the-difference-between-blank-verse-and-free-verse#quiz-0
•••Dixdeux: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/dixdeux
•••Dizain: https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/dizain-poetic-form
•••Egg Timer: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/egg-beater
•••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
•••Lanturne: http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/lanturne.html
•••List Poem: clpe.org.uk/poetryline/poeticforms/list-poem
•••Quatrain: www.masterclass.com/articles/poetry-101-what-is-a-quatrain-in-poetry-quatrain-definition-with-examples
•••Question Poem: penandthepad.com/write-question-poem-6933078.html
•••Response Poem: creativetalentsunleashed.com/2015/11/18/writing-tip-response-poems
•••Septolet: www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/septolet.html
•••TriCube (devised by Phillip Larrea): Each stanza is three lines, three syllables per line, any subject
•••Tuesday Seed of the Week: a prompt listed in Medusa’s Kitchen every Tuesday; poems may be any shape or size, form or no form. No deadlines; past ones are listed at http://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/p/calliopes-closet.html/. Send results to kathykieth#hotmail.com/.
__________________
—Medusa
Today's Ekphrastic Challenge!
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Artwork Courtesy of Public Domain
Make what you can of today's
picture, and send your poetic results to
kathykieth@hotmail.com/. (No deadline.)
* * *
—Artwork Courtesy of Public Domain
A reminder that
the release of Six Ft. Swells’
new anthology happens
tonight in Grass Valley, 5:30pm.
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.
Poets’ bios appear on their first MK visit.
To find previous posts, type the name
of the poet (or poem) into the little
beige box at the top left-hand side
of this column. See also
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom
of the blue column on the right
side of this column to find
any date you want.
Miss a post?
You can find our most recent ones by
scrolling down under this daily one.
Or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column.
(Please excuse typos in older posts!
Blogspot has been through a lot of
incarnations in 20 years!)
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!
the release of Six Ft. Swells’
new anthology happens
tonight in Grass Valley, 5:30pm.
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.
Poets’ bios appear on their first MK visit.
To find previous posts, type the name
of the poet (or poem) into the little
beige box at the top left-hand side
of this column. See also
Medusa’s Rapsheet at the bottom
of the blue column on the right
side of this column to find
any date you want.
Miss a post?
You can find our most recent ones by
scrolling down under this daily one.
Or there's an "Older Posts" button
at the bottom of this column.
(Please excuse typos in older posts!
Blogspot has been through a lot of
incarnations in 20 years!)
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!
Harvest Time!