1.) The absolute lack of afternoon thunderstorms or fireflies. Mama misses her Smoky Mountain highs. The delicious Mediterranean climate of my adopted SF bay area home ensures no chance of a summer shower. So I can’t “Blame it on the Rain”.
2.) Karen Russell’s St. Lucy’s Home For Girls Raised By Wolves- What does it all mean?- sideshow alligator wrestlers, a Minotaur father carrying his family across the prairie, and choir boys bringing down a glacier with their voices. Ms. Russell- you slay me, my dear.
3.) Shakin’ it to “California Soul” (by Marlena Shaw) with my daughter Lily
4.) The magnolia tree in full bloom in my backyard, but I can’t reach the blossoms to bring one in to my kitchen.
5.) Frail-Craft by Jessica Fisher. It drives me nut bonkers I will never ever be able to write verse as hypnotic as this from her latest and yet unpublished poem Firebird:
From silence to the silenced bow, an interstitial stitch. We held our clapping hands until the tendons were the struts of wings, the fingers feather bones, and off they flew, Dart and shimmer, the lark.
6.) My boyfriend, Mr. Jason Schwartzman to you, won’t get me a ticket on the Darjeeling Limited. Pronto, my good man.
7.) The sweet whiskey hum of Cat Power’s voice singing I Found A Reason by Lou Reed (The Covers Record)
8.) I had my grandmother’s wedding ring restored to its original splendor to wear on my right hand and to serve as a constant reminder of how hard love simply is as evidenced every day by her unswerving devotion to my grandfather these sixty years and even in his last days battling Alzheimer’s.
Nicki Richesin is the editor of The May Queen.
Comments