On Justice and Other Things

If you know my work, it's probable that you also know dancing girl press. This small press out of Chicago focuses on printing the work of contemporary women poets. It is also the press which released my chapbook, A Classic Game of Murder. And, a while ago, the publisher, Kristy Bowen, invited me and a few other writers to participate in the creation of a poetic Tarot deck. Each card was given to a different writer. They could choose to collaborate with an artist, or create a visual on their own. I was drawn Justice, which is all about balance--between light and dark, good and bad, right and wrong. What better setting for this concept than a rural one, where civilization is constantly battling the wild, and where life and death come face-to-face daily?

Miss Justine suggests I take
two glasses of wine—one for each hand
on the threshold of day, of season.
The spider has nested and the chestnut
drops its hollow currency to the ground
to await its fate: food, or fodder
for next year’s tree, or a darker limbo—
the squirrel’s cool, dry pantry beneath my shoes.
Miss Justine prods a toe—Good peasant feet, good for balance. For dancing? For walking the fields. To the west, corn glows
in the nuclear light of a dying sun.
In the east the full moon
breaks like an egg over the river.
Miss Justine grins. Keep steady. Now walk.

If you want to read more Tarot-rific poetry from the dancing girl writers, now is your chance. A subscription to dancing girl press will bring both chapbooks and the coveted Tarot deck to your mailbox. It promises to be gorgeous, both in pictures and words, so don't wait. Subscribe today!

LocalArts: Digging Davis, CA

Smack dab in the middle of fields and farms, Davis, California is a little intellectual and artistic haven. Here, bikes rule the street and composting is commonplace. Here, you may just be able to shove your hand into a living cow's stomach or smell a corpse flower named Ted. In Davis, agriculture mixes with environmentalism, conservatism with conservation, and engineering with poetry. It is a truly unique town.

The Davis Poetry Book Project seeks to capture this unique city through the words of its citizens. If you are a current or former resident of Davis, consider submitting a poem or few to the project. Winning selections will be including in a print anthology. But hurry--the August 15th deadline is quickly approaching.