LAKE COUNTY — Today in literary history: On July 3, 1883, the German-speaking Jewish author Franz Kafka was born in Prague. Known for his short stories and novels that engaged existentialist thought with elements of the absurd—such as “The Metamorphosis” and “The Trial”—Kafka was a trained lawyer who also worked as an insurance officer.
The following poems are authored by Lake County locals and submitted to this newspaper by Lake County Poet Laureate Richard Schmidt.
The Boatman
Moon glow lit a viscous fog like near death heaven light
I saw a boatman on Clearlake, his arms and oars and glide
A brown trout in primeval pond
A white dove in the sky
As oars bit deep propelling, no ripple there occurred
No whirlpool as so often left in water quickly stirred
No wave against the pushing prow, as surface it cut through
Nor, did the transom leave a wake
As transoms always do
Oh, phantom of a ribald dream, distraction of my soul
But, stop! I cried. What fear is this, a boatman can evoke?
A fisherman with mordant load, traversing distant shore
Surly now, there’s naught to fear, thus reason would implore
But, on and on and on it came, just as it was before
Had the fog enclosed the boat, I’d have never known
A boatman patrolled Clearlake
Eternal and forlorn
— Seth Richards
Role Model
I grew up under the star of Hollywood, the blond,
shoulder-length pageboy, turned up nose, full lips
and penciled brow, my profile lit from behind.
Even though my hair was straight, I would curl it.
Even though my hair was brown, I would dye it.
There was not the slightest doubt I would find myself
discovered on the corner of Hollywood and Vine
seated at that drugstore counter by someone who
could see straight to the center of me.
I would live at the top of a tower cut like a jewel from the sky,
surrounded by lights cascading like a skirt of possibilities;
twinkling and finite as ice cubes caught in a glass I would hold
in my hand, and the other hand lifting my hem
to make way for the next step.
— Wendy Overin
The Cure for Magic
Ritual abandonment
Dead rabbit curled up stiff
In a top hat while the audience
Mingles in the lobby
House lights flicker
Velvet seats beckon
Curtain lifts, magician glides
Wand in top coat pocket
Rabbits need water.
— Casey Carney
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The Creative Expressions column is a space for local Lake County poets and writers to share their work with their community. Creative Expressions is supported by the Lake County Arts Council. For more information and to submit a poem or short piece of creative writing, email rvschmidt2@gmail.com.
