Our Hearts' Lanterns

Firefly

HUDDLED BENEATH THE SKY
—Rumi

The sadness I have caused any face
by letting a stray word
strike it,

any pain
I have caused you,
what can I do to make us even?
Demand a hundredfold of me—I'll pay it.

During the day I hold my feet accountable
to watch out for wondrous insects and their dwellings.

Why would I want to bring horror
into their extraordinary
world?

Magnetic fields draw us to Light; they move our limbs and thoughts.
But it is still dark; if our hearts do not hold a lantern,
we will stumble over each other,

huddled beneath the sky
as we are.


(translated by Daniel Ladinsky)

__________________

—Medusa

The Scene Craves Rain

Rain
Photo by Katy Brown, Davis

MINING CLOUD
—Tom Goff, Carmichael

Folsom in rain has a Pennsylvania aspect:
the clouds thin and sunlight’s a patina
clinging sparse to mist as it drifts the hills.

The evergreens,
in tints as dull as they are cloud-crowned,

whisper coal, whisper black seams under
boulder and loam,
and the lift of drizzle to reveal anything
is a sudden

light lurch, a jolt forward

in the manskip carting that tiny miner heart,
as the eye recoils, pickaxe, anthracite glint.

The dammed lake a little Johnstown,
depleted, gorging on rainwater,

fast. Yet the scene craves
rain, more rain, and will get it.

Yellow? California? Daffodil?
Those never were, or
rather, might yet be, just one hemisphere

over, and the landscape, under
the pressure and heat of humankind,
weather, or fire, a chrysalis, a metamorphosis:

change of eye, hobbled tongue, stammers,
pulses, little shocks and quakes.

__________________

THE WINTER OF HER DISCONTENT
—Shawn Aveningo, Rescue

Yesterday's woman wore yellow.
Then vanished
under cloak of ebon sky.
Dawn pierced through clouds,
merely to reveal
shadows
now in command.
Salt stained cheeks,
porcelain shards at her feet.
Glimmer from a blade
reflects her visage
lost,
alone.
Today she's bathed in blue.

__________________

TAX-EXEMPT
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Oh for a Medusa’s head of serpents
with their so-many quick keen eyes,
nictating membranes to tick off each
exemption: heart’s-blood ink
to pen a priceless line; a year’s
wages for sun reflected on the sea;
paper with its tribal memory
of trees. What else? The daily cost
of breathing-in blue sky; each step
on Earth to keep a poet grounded
as she flies.

__________________

BOY WITH GREEN KITE
—Taylor Graham

That well-used path from school to home—
a shortcut that somehow leads him
into wildwood, its blizzard
of dogwood petals, the deep dark webs
of roots and mold; spring’s old doggerel
of birdsong, the same worn notes
repeated till they call to him alone—

draws him today farther, to a hilltop
with rainbows to be seen in any
weather, arcs to bind the terrible circles
of sun and stars. He’s read
such things in books that call for heroes
to go adventuring, and forget
the path back home.

__________________

BIRD OF PREY
—Taylor Graham

Just past sunup, the heron stands
with its thin, sharp hunger
in a winter field of thistle, waiting
for something—gopher? frog?—
to stir frost-brittle grass;
waiting to spear some fat,
hidden secret with a quick
twist of daylight

as at my window I stand
with sharpened pencil,
watching for something to stir
out of frozen ground
or empty
air; waiting to
punctuate it.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

PRAYER
—Galway Kinnell

Whatever happens. Whatever
what is is is what
I want. Only that. But that.

__________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.

And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.

Buttercup Dreams

CREEKSIDE LOVERS
—Mitz Sackman, Murphys

Love
Dancing
Yellow in
Buttercup dreams
Waving heads golden
Along the creekside banks
Bringing back my memories
Long ago hand-holding lovers
Sat watching wind blow through buttercup dreams
Tomorrow's truths yet to be seen ahead

__________________

This weekend in NorCal poetry:

•••Sat. (1/24), 8 PM: Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, presents Jack Hirschman, Sharon Doubiago, John Bennett and Jane Crown. $10 at the door; no open mic. Hosted by B.L. Kennedy.

•••Sat. (1/24) and every 4th Sat., 1-3 PM: The Poets' Circle meets at Tillie’s in Lodi. Info: 209-366-1546 (ask for Roger).

•••Sunday (1/25), 6 PM: Poems-For-All presents its annual Burns Night: Burns 250, this year, featuring Kevin Jones and presenting “Haggis: A Rebuttal” by Rachel and Richard Hansen. This year's featured reader, Kevin Jones (producer of Low-Rent Dojo, a recent littlesnake broadside for Rattlesnake Press), is a scholar and poet who has proven his mettle when it comes to getting tongue and tooth around the challenging dialect of Burns' poetry. You'll enjoy his reading of poems by the National Bard of Scotland.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Burns Night is traditionally an opportunity to heap praise upon the Scottish foodstuff, the Haggis. And Mr. Jones will, of course, read Burns' famous poem “To a Haggis”. In reply, Rachel and Richard Hansen will offer up their “Haggis: A Rebuttal”. Please join them for an evening of food, drink and poetry. There will be an open-mic, an opportunity to read poems that pay tribute to Burns or his native Scotland. Anyone who braves a go at reading a Burns poem earns themselves a dram! The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, between J and K Sts. Free! Info: 916-442-9295.

•••Sun. (1/25), 11 AM-1 PM: El Camino Poets invites any interested poets to attend its regular monthly workshop and tea at the Ethel Hart Sr. Center, 27th & J Sts., Sacramento. Please bring 8 copies of your poem for critique.

•••Mon. (1/26), 7:30 PM: Sacramento Poetry Center presents Flatman Crooked with Chris “Whitey” Erickson and Joe Wenderoth. HQ for the Arts, 1719 25th St., Sacramento. Open mic after. Flatman Crooked is a new literary anthology-cum-internet production company out of Sacramento whose first publication, First Winter, featured writers such as Ha Jin, a piece by Jorge Luis Borges translated from Spanish, James Bartels, Bessie Nadine Sweet, James Kaelan, Emma Straub, Thomas McCafferty, Crystal Anne Cheney, Chris Robinson, David Dumitru, and Jim O’Loughlin. Their growing web presence can be found at http://www.flatmancrooked.com/. Chris “Whitey” Erickson is an up-and-coming performance poet/fiction writer whose work tends to focus on the arcane speech and mannerisms of the rural American male whose lack of sophistication belies a certain quaintness. Those in attendance with hearing aids are advised to turn them down. Joe Wenderoth is a UC Davis professor who has published two books of poems from Wesleyan University Press: Disfortune (1995) and It is If I Speak (2000). Verse Press published the uncategorizable collection, Letters to Wendy’s (2000) and The Holy Spirit Of Life: Essays Written For John Ashcroft’s Secret Self (2005). Joe’s most recent book of poems is No Real Light (2007) from Wave Books. He is the creator of many short films and the pruveyor of many other kinds of performance.

Coming Up at SPC:

February 2: Miles Miniaci and Bo Lopez and Crawdad Nelson with music by Chéne Watson and Bob Wilson of Litany

__________________

AN INSURMOUNTABLE TRAVELER
—Donald R. Anderson, Stockton

An insurmountable traveler
on his way home in a rush.
Must hurry to do the yellow!
After dark, after the rain,
walking through residences near college.
A noise heard from a house.
Thought 'Hey it's only me!
Don't worry about me I'm just trying
to get home in a rush!'
Must hurry to do the yellow.
The noise again, like a scratch.
I look up, a white-bellied, grey-backed cat
on the roof, having a sneezing fit,
head turned my way.
I wish I had a camera... but I
must hurry to do the yellow!
Construction cones, some stacked.
Traffic several cars in a row,
all turning right in front of me at a gate.
They're having an event at the college.
I wave to them thinking,
'Don't mind me, I'm not here for the event.'
Must hurry to do the yellow!
Mud slick across the sidewalk pavement.
Steps hurry across cement.
Must hurry to do the yellow!
Light green, but red hand intent.
Signal will be my way, so cross
hoping it will not soon turn yellow.
Must hurry to do the yellow!
In the door, urgency suddenly a theatrical
impossible urgency, as if by location.
Must hurry to do the yellow!

__________________

GOLDEN DAYS COMING
—Mitz Sackman

Light
Yellow
Calls to me
Sunshine days come
More often this time
Brightening winter morns
Yellow lifts the gray mind mood
Opens heart hope bright with spring thoughts
Rain brings promise of vernal flowers
Daffodils brighten our mental horizons

__________________

YELLOW FLOWERS
—Donald R. Anderson and Marie J. Ross, Stockton

In a Victorian home that stood out like the sun amongst
red-brick antique architectures in a quiet neighborhood,
she keeps mostly to herself and her collection of saffron prints
and singing daffodil dolls, filling rooms where her daughter once was.

She used to shop for floral prints in the brightest yellows she could find,
make dresses and bonnets, or maybe an apron. Her daughter loved flowers,
yellow being her favorite color and she loved the shapely bonnet, especially
in the springtime, when the sun's yellow arms warm the garden.

The poppies resisted the frosts pretty well, and she filled her garden with
sunny daffodils, golden roses; in the cracks of the sidewalk yellow dandelions
peeped up and struggled to survive. An old oak gnarled its way upward in a
stretching, arm-like branch, yellow ribbon curling.

She had glass vases trimmed in golden roses with scalloped green vines down
the side, pottery in buttery yellow creams and pictures of flowers on all the walls,
especially in the dining room which was painted amber. Eating in this room made
her feel one with nature with all the calming colors.

On one wall was a painting of sunflowers, eight times life-size.
Everyone knew what to get her for special occasions, it would be yellow
flower prints. But all this served merely to hide the loneliness for that one
yellow bloom—her daughter.

__________________

Today's LittleNip(s):

SPRING SPIRIT
—Mitz Sackman

Golden girl dancing sunshine
Dreams call to the spring
Rain wakes yellow daffodils


WINTER MORN
—Mitz Sackman

Lamp lights gray morning yellow
Whispers days coming
Lit with hopes of springtime love

__________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.

And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.

Rock-n-Roll Devil Horns

Photo by Frank Dixon Graham, Sacramento

SWEET THING
—Todd Cirillo, Nevada City

There she is
in the middle of that
Van Morrison song,
riding that summer breeze,
driving my favorite back roads,
lying in the hammock
or opening that first cold beer.

With her being everywhere,
it’s no wonder
I never have her to myself.

___________________

Rattlechapper/littlesnake broadsider/prodigal pirate poet of Six Ft. Swells Press Todd Cirillo will be reading at Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe tonight, Jan. 22 with RD Armstrong and Josh Fernandez. Open mic before and after. Hosted by B.L. Kennedy. Todd says it'll be an evening of booze and beauty, debauchery and rock-n-roll devil horns! That's 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM.

Read more about Todd Cirillo on his rattlechaps page on rattlesnakepress.com/. Watch for a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez, In the End, It's a Worthless Machine, coming February 11. And RD Armstrong was featured on Medusa's Kitchen on August 15, 2008. Go to the archives at the right and click on August 2008; scroll down to the 15th. Josh was featured on May 10, 2007.

Speaking of B.L. Kennedy:


B.L.'s Drive-bys:

CANDLES BURNING
A Novel by Tabitha King and Michael McDowell
Berkeley Books
424 pp, paperback
ISBN 978-0-425-21570-8

This was a surprise. I have long been a fan of Tabitha King and had read very little of the late Michael McDowell, but Candles Burning is one beautiful read. It’s one of those old-fashioned Southern Gothic ghost stories that just creeps up your spine and does not let go until the last page has been turned. I cannot recall the last time that I jumped so much during a novel, but Candles Burning is one of those rare and brilliant narratives that drive the nail hard into the base of the skull. Find this book, read this book, enjoy the journey that both King and McDowell prepare for you. Trust me; you will not soon forget it.

—B.L. Kennedy, Reviewer-in-Residence

__________________

LEATHER JACKET
—Ann Wehrman, Sacramento

I sit here,
your old, black leather jacket on the chair at my left.
I want to ignore my boss, our customers,
your possible rejection,
run my hands over its worn, broken-in surface,
squeeze its soft, thick, pliant roughness,
try it on and see if it smells like you,
let it keep me warm.

__________________

HOW
—Hugo Williams

How you fell asleep in your chair
and woke up some time later
and said, 'It's hot in here'
and asked for a glass of water.

How you stretched out your hand for the glass
and a look came into your eye
which might have been laziness
or might have been lechery.

___________________

SIREN SONG
—Hugo Williams

I phone from time to time, to see if she's
changed the music on her answerphone.
'Tell me in two words,' goes the recording,
'what you were going to tell in a thousand.'

I peer into that thought, like peering out
to sea at night, hearing the sound of waves
breaking on rocks, knowing she is there,
listening, waiting for me to speak.

Once in a while she'll pick up the phone
and her voice sings to me out of the past.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up
as I catch her smell for a second.

___________________

USELESS
—Hugo Williams

I narrowed it down to this—
her voice on the phone,
its cheerful 'Hello, how are you?
Can you come out to play?'
I wrapped her choking laugh
in layers of indifference.
I couldn't get rid of her mouth.

I narrowed it down once more—
a look on her face,
one arm across my neck.
As a final test
I allowed her to speak my name.
That was no good at all.
That was worse than useless.

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

I like finding out what makes people uncomfortable. I like to draw a line, cross over it, try to bring them with me, and try to make them glad they came.

—George Carlin

__________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.

And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.

Think Yellow

YELLOW
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Two bananas in a bowl,
the almanac with its cold forecast;

breakfast eggs you cooked up special
while we watch the screen
(normally dark this time of day);

dabs of yellow among reds and blues
and sober grays—how many millions?—
bundled against weather;

Michelle Obama’s dress, more muted
than her smile;

January’s chilly sun through firethorn
where birds of so many feather
come to celebrate the day.

__________________

PRIVATE EDITION
—Taylor Graham

Put the book down. Pulp and blather.
Too many pink-flowered words
blooming like weeds out of season,
all bound in stamped leather.
No need to ponder its meaning, nor
(to quote Gray) cast one longing, lingering
look behind the metaphors.

But keep this image: an old skeptic
in shirt-sleeves scything,
bending with the measured swing
of a curved blade
cutting the verbiage,
leaving the earth shining
in sun-yellow light.

__________________

Thanks, Taylor Graham, for helping us with our celebration of yellow this week. And thanks to Pat Hickerson for her gluttony poem which actually turns out to be about yellow, too. Pat has been systematically working her way through the sins; today's poems are about gluttony and lust. Watch for a littlesnake broadside from her in March and one from Taylor Graham in April.

Today's other poem is also a celebration of yellow, in a way. It's one of my all-time favorites, by Russell Edson, who celebrates all sorts of things in his crazy, surreal prose poetry that always wakes us up.

_______________

MARIGOLD SALAD
—Patricia Hickerson, Davis

Yellow was my desire
and yellow it would be
yellow blending into bright orange
like sunshine that splits the clouds
and dries up the rain

a salad of marigolds
edible Signets yellow enough
to spice up the dingiest plate

and my desire would also be
to hand-pluck those sunny petals
one by one
from their honeycomb center

[curly satins tickle my tongue]

to sniff the tarragon essence of each
before tossing it into the bowl
along with leaves of lemony lace
their sour-soft fragrance startles me
the yellow of a burst-blossom afternoon
flowers into the orange of twilight—

O Golden Gem!
O Lemon Gem!
cool and shy to the taste!
Marigolden pumps up any Spring day
after the rain


__________________

WE RETURN TO THAT STREET
—Patricia Hickerson

Under my breath
in a corner of my odd-angled heart
again we leave the ghost place on W. 7th St.
we walk out to the fringe of the city
much of the long night
still left to us
the cracked sidewalks
the weedy glass-littered lots
arm in arm
your wasted bone scrapes my withered flesh
we sit at the hamburger counter, remember
how our bellies were once hot with hunger?

then back to the Pack Train Hotel
up the broad wooden staircase
its hollowed steps heave and squawk
under our clanked feet

you stand in the doorway
your sharp-jointed finger at your disappeared lips
shhhh...
before we turn into the $2 room-for-a-night
to resume our sacred rituals:
dry lick
dead stick

__________________

THE TAXI
—Russell Edson

One night in the dark I phone for a taxi. Immediately a taxi crashes through the wall; never mind that my room is on the third floor, or that the yellow driver is really a cluster of canaries arranged in the shape of a driver, who flutters apart, streaming from the windows of the taxi in yellow fountains...

Realizing that I am in the midst of something splendid I reach for the phone and cancel the taxi: All the canaries flow back into the taxi and assemble themselves into a cluster shaped like a man. The taxi backs through the wall, and the wall repairs...

But I cannot stop what is happening, I am already reaching for the phone to call a taxi, which is already beginning to crash through the wall with its yellow driver already beginning to flutter apart...

____________________

Today's LittleNip:

Yellow light through the pine trees—the road bends and climbs but still no end in sight.

—Stephen Dobyns

____________________





—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.

And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.

Is It Time For Daffodils Yet?

INAUGURAL
—Taylor Graham, Placerville

Red clay, black loam—we come,
soles weighed down with the journey-mud
we share—brown adobe, yellow soil,
white limestone sand—each
of us bearing the earth

we’re made of. Heavy with hope
and labor, burdens to bless, we come
with mind and spirit
that won’t be mortgaged or
repossessed; bare hands

cupped for water from the well,
the river, sweet Heaven’s rain, springs
that rise. We come,
faces open to the air we breathe,
our common sky.

__________________

FIDELITY
—Cynthia Linville, Sacramento

You twist and turn
your wedding band
(as you sit beside me),
take it off one finger
put it on another
then take it off entirely,
toss it from hand to hand
cover it with both palms
and shake it—
as if by magic
it might
disappear.

__________________

COURAGE
—Jane Blue, Sacramento

A squirrel walks from the top of a bare sycamore
into a green magnolia.

The little phalluses of daffodils push up out of the cold earth.

Yesterday morning I walked out to get the paper,
surprised by the sun in the East
and to the West hanging curtains of fog in the trees.

Later, a man across the street
stood on the limb of an ash tree, sawing off the end.

The cold haze falls upward, out of the trees.

And now the full moon with its face on
rises in a lilac sky.

What courage to show one’s self to everyone this way!

__________________

Thanks to Taylor Graham for the Inauguration poem, and to Cynthia Linville and Jane Blue for poems about the Seven Deadly Virtues. Jane's talk of daffodils (and TG's yellow soil) leads us into our Seed of the Week: Yellow. Write about yellow. Send me the results. In case you've forgotten all the many shades of yellow, herewith is a list I made several years ago. Print it out, tack it up near where you write, add to it over the years—and let me know what else you came up with! (Methinks we should add "rubber-ducky yellow".) I have a similar list of the other colors, too; write and ask for it and I'll email it to you.


Yellow, Gold

golden
old gold
amber
aureolin
gamboge
flaxen
ochre
citrine
blond
sungold
topaz
banana, banana-slug
yellow jacket
hornet
honeybee
bumblebee
canary
tigereye
millet
citron
lemon custard
lemon meringue
pineapple
egg yolk
mustard
custard
lemonade
whiskey
honey
peanut butter
pear
cheese
canola
casaba
butterscotch
butter, cream
buttermilk, -cup
maize
sunflower
goldenrod
cornsilk
daisy
chrysanthemum
crocus
daffodil, jonquil
dandelion
honeysuckle
straw
barley
saffron
school bus
taxi cab yellow
gold foil

__________________

YELLOW ITS COLOR
—Jafa ibn Uthman al-Mushafi (d. 982)

Yellow its color
As if it wore
A daffodil slip
A perfume
Penetrating as musk

Perfumed and hard of heart
As that woman I want
Mine its color, lover-color
Passionate, strong

It is pale with a pallor
Loaned from the midst of me
And when she breathes
She breathes its deep odor

It had grown on a branch
Ripe in its odor
And leaves by then had woven
Brocade for its mantle

Hand outstretched
Gently I picked it
In the middle of my room
I placed it with reverence
A censer

Rolled
In ashes, fuzz
Its golden body

Naked in my hand
Under ts daffodil slip

It made me think of her
I cannot name
I was breathing so hard
My fingers crushed it

(translated from the Arabic by
Christopher Middleton
and Leticia Garza-Falcon)

___________________

CHASING YELLOW

keeps her fully busy: endless
shopping, searching the 'Net, combing

through catalogs for an elusive
puce, or just the right dandelion. She

tries to collect an abundance of
yellow—huge billowing

baskets of it: keeps it filed in
folders, even cages the more exotic

shades (amber, harvest gold, daylily)…
And this chase is a full-time job, like

tending children or a husband: it catches
every ounce of her: dances with all

her hours: frames every movement
of her hectic, graying life…


—Kathy Kieth, Pollock Pines

__________________

AS GRIEF GOES ON (YELLOW)
—Kathy Kieth

Daffodils are up, peering around the edges
of stiff new bonnets to see if the pain and grief
of winter are gone. Out of the corner

of my eye I can see them, their buttery
promises of spring; out of the corner of my eye
through the window. But I'm afraid to turn full-

face and look straight out: afraid of the glare
of lemony daffodils and purple beads of muscari
and long-necked lilies-of-the-valley. . . Three

months are nowhere nearly enough time
to heal: not nearly enough time to get up courage
to look out the window: nowhere nearly enough

time for my purple beads of bruises to fade
from grape to magenta: from magenta to brown:
then slowly into yellow. . .

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

Winter retreat—
how old the pine traced
on the golden screen.

—Basho

____________________




—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.

And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.

Don't Let Go

Photo by Bob Dreizler, Sacramento

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
—Patricia Wellingham-Jones, Tehama

On this day honoring
Martin Luther King's too-early death
three years earlier
you were in my womb

I carried you
and forced your father
back to New Jersey
My parents were not enthused

While we were there the NAACP
held its monthly meeting
I dragged the three of us
to my high school gym

My mother's cleaning lady
didn't know whether to be proud
or horrified at our two white faces
my bulging belly
our cheers in strange places

I seldom mentioned this event
until now
but always felt good
you and I went

___________________

This week in NorCal poetry:

•••NO READING TONIGHT at Sacramento Poetry Center. Next week (1/26): Reading for Flatman Crooked literary periodical with Joe Wenderoth and Chris "Whitey" Erickson.

•••Midnight tonight is the deadline for Medusa's surprise giveaway: write us a poem about The Seven Deadly Virtues (according to the song in the musical, Camelot, they're courage, purity, humility, honesty, diligence, charity and fidelity) and I'll send you a free copy of Danyen Powell's new rattlechap, Blue Sky Flies Out. E-mail 'em to kathykieth@hotmail.com or snail to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726.

•••Tues. (1/20), 6-8:30 PM: Our House Gallery in El Dorado Hills is officially back! You are invited to attend the Our House Poetry Night at their newly completed suite in Montaño de El Dorado (El Dorado Hills). Read—Sing—Perform—Enjoy! Everyone is welcome, readers and listeners alike, to join John Donnelly every 3rd Tuesday, 6-8:30 PM. (Sign up by 6 PM to read that night.) This is a FREE event (although donations to the featured poet are never discouraged). That’s Our house Gallery & Framing, 1004 White Rock Road, Suite 400 (Corner of Latrobe & White Rock Roads—at the waterfall), El Dorado Hills. Info: (916) 933-4278 (4ART) and www.OurHouseGallery.com/. For pictures and info on the renovation, go to www.ourhousegallery.com/New_Location.html/. [Note: This event is no longer sponsored by Red Fox Underground, which has moved to Raven’s Tale books in Placerville. It is now sponsored solely by the gallery, bless them!.]

•••Weds. (1/21), 9 PM: Poetry Night at Bistro 33 (226 F St., Davis) presents Joshua Clover, UC Davis Professor and Winner of the Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets. Joshua Clover teaches poetry and poetics, film studies and other things at the University of California Davis. His recent book of poetry, The Totality for Kids, was a book of the year finalist with PEN and the Village Voice; it is currently being translated into French and Polish. His book, The Matrix, has been translated into French, Russian, and Czech. His book on pop music and the end of the Cold War, 1989: Bob Dylan Didn't Have This to Sing About, will be published this fall by the University of California Press. He is a frequent contributor to the Village Voice, writes for The New York Times, and is a former senior writer for Spin Magazine. He has appeared in three editions of Best American Poetry, is a two-time winner of the Pushcart Prize, and recipient of an individual grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Poetry Night at Bistro 33 occurs on the first and third Wednesdays of every month, beginning at 9 PM with an open mic at 10 PM. Poetry Night events are free and open to the public. A limited amount of free refreshments will be made available to attendees, courtesy of Professor Clover. Seating will be limited for this event, so plan to come early to claim a seat. Bistro: 530-756-4556.

If you plan to attend this performance and have a Facebook account, you are invited to register your interest at the official Facebook event. This might be our first poetry reading with more than 100 “committed” guests. Click http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=44918159562&ref=ts to see how many of your friends are planning to attend.

Future Poetry Night Featured Readers at the Bistro:

February 4 – Kim Addonizio
February 18 – Mary Mackey and Brad Henderson
March 4 – Alice Anderson

•••Weds. (1/21) is the postmark deadline for the 83rd Poets' Dinner Contest entries. If you have any other questions regarding the Poets' Dinner, you should contact 2009 Contest Chair, Cleo Griffith. Her email address is: cleor36@yahoo.com/. Remember, you must attend the Bay Area dinner in March in order to be a winner.

•••Thursday (1/22), 8 PM: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, presents Todd Cirillo, RD Armstrong and Josh Fernandez. Open mic before and after. Hosted by B.L. Kennedy.

•••Sat. (1/24), 8 PM: Luna’s Café, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, presents Jack Hirschman, Sharon Doubiago, John Bennett and Jane Crown. $10 at the door; no open mic. Hosted by B.L. Kennedy.

•••Sunday (1/25), 6 PM: Poems-For-All presents its annual Burns Night: Burns 250, this year, featuring Kevin Jones and presenting “Haggis: A Rebuttal” by Rachel and Richard Hansen. This year's featured reader, Kevin Jones (producer of Low-Rent Dojo, a recent littlesnake broadside for Rattlesnake Press), is a scholar and poet who has proven his mettle when it comes to getting tongue and tooth around the challenging dialect of Burns' poetry. You'll enjoy his reading of poems by the National Bard of Scotland.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns. We'll mark the occasion with our annual Burns Night Poetry Reading. Burns Night is traditionally an opportunity to heap praise upon the Scottish foodstuff the Haggis. And Mr. Jones will, of course, read Burns famous poem “To a Haggis”. In reply, Rachel and Richard Hansen will offer up their “Haggis: A Rebuttal”. Please join us for an evening of food, drink and poetry. There will be an open-mic, an opportunity to read poems that pay tribute to Burns or his native Scotland. Anyone who braves a go at reading a Burns' poem earns themselves a dram! The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, between J and K Sts. Free! Info: 916-442-9295.

•••Sun. (1/25), 11 AM-1 PM: El Camino Poets invites any interested poets to attend its regular monthly workshop and tea at the Ethel Hart Sr. Center, 27th & J Sts., Sacramento. Please bring 8 copies of your poem for critique.

___________________

ON THE ROAD
—Cynthia Linville, Sacramento

black leather combat boots with bright green laces
buzz cut blends me with other faces
anarchist patches on tattered jeans
a stack of subversive books and zines
a backpack so heavy I can hardly lift it
a cross-country Greyhound ticket
maps, aspirin, scissors, knife
(not enough cash to save my life)
a length of rope
a bottle of soap
some paper for notes
expired IDs
apples and cheese
a collapsible cup, plenty of Ts
a short list of people who still take calls from me

__________________

ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE
—Cynthia Linville

I have picked locks
listened at keyholes
made use of clever disguises

stabbed enemies in the back
dropped bombs
taken shots in the dark

burned bridges
switched allegiances
stolen battle plans

led sorties
shown courage under fire
and taken my share of the spoils

__________________

SMALL CRAFT WARNING
—Cynthia Linville

the hair on my arm rises
in response to your electricity,
I lean in closer
smell fresh fish
pleasant on your skin
sea-breeze in your hair;
your breath whispering in my ear
drowns out your words
as the ocean-roar of my heartbeat
drowns out mine

___________________

SOMETHING UNSUNG IS MINE
borrowed between dawn and never

so much of now
began ago

on days too short
below anything skies

rough winds shake
summer flowers into snow

your hand in mine
holds all these years

you hold on
you don't let go


—Cynthia Linville

__________________

Today's LittleNip:

DREAM AND POETRY
—Hu Shih, 1921

It's all ordinary experience,
All ordinary images.
By chance they emerge in a dream,
Turning out infinite new patterns.

It's all ordinary feelings,
All ordinary words.
By chance they encounter a poet,
Turning out infinite new verses.

Once intoxicated, one learns the strength of wine,
Once smitten, one learns the power of love:
You cannot write my poems
Just as I cannot dream your dreams.


(translated from the Chinese by Kai-yu Hsu)

__________________

—Medusa


SnakeWatch: What's New from Rattlesnake Press:

Rattlesnake Review: The latest issue (#20) is currently available at The Book Collector, or send me two bux and I'll mail you one. Deadline for RR21 is February 15: send 3-5 poems, smallish art pieces and/or photos (no bio, no cover letter, no simultaneous submissions or previously-published poems) to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. E-mail attachments are preferred, but be sure to include all contact info, including snail address. Meanwhile, the snakes of Medusa are always hungry!

Coming in January: Other than the ever-restless Medusa, the Snake will be snoozing during January; no releases or readings.

Then, in February: On Weds., February 11, Rattlesnake Press will be releasing a new rattlechap from Sacramento's Poet Laureate, Julia Connor (Oar); a littlesnake broadside from Josh Fernandez (In The End, It’s A Worthless Machine); and the premiere of our new Rattlesnake Reprints, featuring The Dimensions of the Morning by D.R. Wagner, which was first published by Black Rabbit Press in 1969. That’s February 11 at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sacramento, 7:30 PM. Refreshments and a read-around will follow; bring your own poems or somebody else’s.
And on February 19, the premiere of our new, free Poetry Unplugged quarterly, WTF, edited by frank andrick, will be celebrated at Luna's Cafe, 1414 16th St., Sacramento, 8 PM. (For those of you just tuning in, Poetry Unplugged is the long-running reading series at Luna's Cafe.)

Also available (free): littlesnake broadside #46: Snake Secrets: Getting Your Poetry Published in Rattlesnake Press (and lots of other places, besides!): A compendium of ideas for brushing up on your submissions process so as to make editors everywhere more happy, thereby increasing the likelihood of getting your poetry published. Pick up a copy at The Book Collector or write to me and I'll send you one. Free!


Medusa's Weekly Menu:

(Contributors are welcome to cook up something for any and all of these!)

Monday: Weekly NorCal poetry calendar

Tuesday: Seed of the Week: Tuesday is Medusa's day to post poetry triggers such as quotes, forms, photos, memories, jokes—whatever might tickle somebody's muse. Pick up the gauntlet and send in your poetic results; and don't be shy about sending in your own triggers, too! All poems will be posted and a few of them will go into Medusa's Corner of each Rattlesnake Review. Send your work to kathykieth@hotmail.com or P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726. No deadline for SOWs; respond today, tomorrow, or whenever the muse arrives. (Print 'em out, maybe, save 'em for a dry spell?) When you send us work, though, just let us know which "seed" it was that inspired you.

Wednesday (sometimes, or any other day!): HandyStuff Quickies: Resources for the poet, including whatever helps ease the pain of writing and/or publishing: favorite journals to read and/or submit to; books, etc., about writing; organizational tools—you know—HandyStuff! Tell us about your favorite tools.

Thursday: B.L.'s Drive-Bys: Micro-reviews by our irreverent Reviewer-in-Residence, B.L. Kennedy. Send books, CDs, DVDs, etc. to him for possible review (either as a Drive-By or in future issues of Rattlesnake Review) at P.O. Box 160664, Sacramento, CA 95816.

Friday: NorCal weekend poetry calendar

Daily (except Sunday): LittleNips: SnakeFood for the Poetic Soul: Daily munchables for poetic thought, including short paragraphs, quotes, wonky words, silliness, little-known poetry/poet facts, and other inspiration—yet another way to feed our ravenous poetic souls.

And poetry! Every day, poetry from writers near and far and in-between! The Snakes of Medusa are always hungry.......!

_________________

Medusa encourages poets of all ilk and ages to send their POETRY, PHOTOS and ART, as well as announcements of Northern California poetry events, to kathykieth@hotmail.com (or snail ‘em to P.O. Box 762, Pollock Pines, CA 95726) for posting on this daily Snake blog. Rights remain with the poets. Previously-published poems are okay for Medusa’s Kitchen, as long as you own the rights. (Please cite publication.) Medusa cannot vouch for the moral fiber of other publications, contests, etc. that she lists, however, so submit to them at your own risk. For more info about the Snake Empire, including guidelines for submitting to or obtaining our publications, click on the link to the right of this column: Rattlesnake Press (rattlesnakepress.com). And be sure to sign up for Snakebytes, our monthly e-newsletter that will keep you up-to-date on all our ophidian chicanery.