It's been a very long time since I was young, but I remember the giddiness of first love, and David Steingass, a Wisconsin poet, shows us in this poem how poetry can both recall and reflect that kind of emotional excitement.

This is from his book, Hunt & Gather, from Red Dragonfly Press.

Youth

I vowed I'd quit ciggies on the heel of the mother
Of all hangovers. The world at noon pulsed a first

Columbus Ohio spring day. I'd fallen in love
Of course, as recently as chem lab and held

The ghost of her smell
In my clothes. Or lips

If I'd been lucky. My blood thunk
Thunk-thunked, the way a cut feels

As you bend to tie shoes. The way life
Tingles the first day it breaks loose

To crawl your skin. Dizzy,
I ran through milky sap and

Sycamore-leafed streets, mixing the smells
Of just-thawed earth with essence of girl

My blood steamed. I understood lost-at-sea as glamorous
Isolation, the way a hummingbird's movement through two

Eye blinks allows it to vanish and
Re-appear. My wings blurred hinges

Among worlds. Nothing held me. Nothing
Could catch me. I'd run this way forever.

American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2016 by David Steingass, "Youth," from Hunt & Gather: Poems New and Selected, (Red Dragonfly Press, 2016). Poem reprinted by permission of David Steingass and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2018 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

THE PREDATOR (Rated R)

Arnold Schwarzenegger made his mark in the Eighties with films like “The Terminator,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Predator,” the latter of which he quite astutely did not join in any of the sequels.

“The Predator,” written and directed by Shane Black, takes a departure from the past, infusing this action thriller with tongue-in-cheek humor and wisely skipping any misguided links of previous films in the franchise to the “Alien” films.

But even with the new touches of Shane Black’s vision, based on the director’s affinity for thrilling action mixed with a sense of humor, the question is whether the “Predator” franchise is necessary to be revived at this time.

At best, “The Predator” is an action-filled B-movie that would probably play best at local drive-ins, if such theaters remained in plentiful supply. But that doesn’t mean it’s lacking as an entertaining diversion.

The action gets off to a fast start when Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), a former Special Forces Army Ranger turned mercenary soldier, is in Mexico on a mission to rescue hostages held by a drug cartel.

The arrival of an alien spaceship scrambles the hostage liberation effort, and McKenna and his squad are faced with a deadly encounter with the Predator, a fearsome creature with physical strength unmatched by any human.

Barely escaping as the only survivor, McKenna is able to retrieve some alien gear, including a helmet and a metal casing for the forearm. He ships the equipment back home to his son, Rory (Jacob Tremblay).

Once the package arrives, Rory, a loner afflicted with autism who is bullied at school because he’s a genius, tinkers with the alien equipment, triggering the Predator’s ability to track down what McKenna managed to steal.

Upon returning to the States, McKenna is taken by the government for mental observation and is put on a military prison bus with a group of veterans suffering from PTSD who know each other from group therapy.

The soldiers, known as the “Loonies,” include the suicidal Nebraska (Trevante Rhodes), Tourette’s Syndrome victim Baxley (Thomas Jane), wise-cracking Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), enigmatic Lynch (Alfie Allen), and fanatic Nettles (Augusto Aguilera).

For the sake of survival, this motley crew of “Loonies” bands together with McKenna and commandeer the prison bus to head off to McKenna’s home to save Rory. In the getaway, they pick up the terrified Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn).

A biologist called to help the government study a captured alien held in a secret bunker, Casey had managed to escape when the sedated creature awoke and killed just about everybody in a bloody rampage.

Of course, McKenna’s kid, who figured out the alien code, is placed in serious jeopardy. But one of the funniest scenes is when the Loonies end up at the home of McKenna’s estranged wife (Yvonne Strahovski) to locate Rory and unnerve her with their lunatic banter.

“The Predator,” fittingly enough with Shane Black’s desire not to take things too seriously, goes all-in for over-the-top thrills with a climax so wild on top of the alien spaceship that one can only marvel at the audacity.

In the end, “The Predator” is a joyride into thrilling action where the raging battles with the Predator may not be truly suspenseful or frightening but fun nevertheless.



‘TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN’ ON AMAZON PRIME

Jack Ryan was to author Tom Clancy what James Bond was to Ian Fleming. Both heroes have had a long and successful run in source novels and plenty of cinematic iterations. Now along comes “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” for an eight-episode run on Amazon Prime.

Even though both prolific authors are no longer with us, their family estates keep the franchises going, and in most cases that’s a good thing.

The “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” series allows John Krasinski (“The Office”) to bring an everyman quality to the CIA analyst evolved from a desk job to a daring action hero in the hot spots of the Middle East.

Krasinski’s Jack Ryan first appears as a mild-mannered drone dwelling in his office cubicle tracking suspicious financial transactions that signal significant terrorist funding operations happening in Yemen.

Following in the footsteps of actors like Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck, Krasinski’s Ryan is similarly tossed into the cauldron of dangerous missions out in the field.

The first episode puts Jack Ryan on the spot with an assignment to cross-examine a terrorist, an obligation to which Ryan responds: “I’m an analyst. I don’t interrogate people. I write reports.”

Ryan would not have been in this predicament but for having gone behind the back of his superior, James Greer (Wendell Pierce), whose prickly nature is manifested in frequent outbursts.

As a former Marine who saw action in Afghanistan, Ryan may be an egghead who enjoys baseball and riding his bike, but he’s the right guy to step up his game.

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” a nice contemporary addition to the franchise, is entertaining and could easily merit a binge-watching turn.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The Kelseyville Pear Festival has special plans for children this year.

Always the last Saturday in September, the festival team plans something for everyone to enjoy.

Kids’ Town is just for kids. Located on Main Street, next to the Saw Shop Gallery and Bistro, the area is contained and has lots of action.

High energy activities include the ever-popular giant water slide and bounce house. Cuddles and cuteness can be found at Big Valley 4-H Club area.

They are bringing the most adorable animals found around the barnyard. A face painting artist returns to create all sorts of silly or serious looks just for kids.

The new and extra special activity this year is for all young artists. Volunteers from Lake County Rural Arts Initiative will be on site to facilitate the creation of a children’s collaborative mural.

Each child will receive a square block designed by prominent Lake County artists. The finished blocks will be added to the mural board and will then become a travelling art display all around the county.

This is a free project for children. All paint and art supplies will be provided.

Volunteers of the Lake County Rural Arts Initiative will guide artists, but a parent or guardian must also be present

The Lake County Rural Arts Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is a proponent of art education and supporting economic success by making Lake County an “arts destination.”

Make Kids’ Town part of your Pear Festival day on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – If you are a fan of Baroque music who never gets enough, you’re in luck!

The Lake County Symphony’s Chamber Orchestra will present a unique Baroque concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Soper Reese Theatre.

It is a special concert with open seating and a lower admission fee of $10 (under 18 are free) and is not part of the Symphony’s main concert season.

Additionally, there will not be a full dress rehearsal performance for this concert, as is the norm.

Baroque music got its name from its beginnings during the Baroque era (1600-1750), when a small group of musicians would frequently perform in home concerts.

The harpsichord was used before the pianoforte and modern piano were invented; it was quieter because the strings were plucked, making it more appropriate for those smaller concerts. It should be a treat to hear this unique instrument since it is not often seen in large concerts in our era.

There are four talented musicians performing in this concert. Tom Aiken, well known keyboard player from Kelseyville, will be performing on his harpsichord for the whole concert, and also featured as soloist, playing the J. S. Bach Harpsichord Concerto No. 4 in A major.

Beth Aiken, oboe player extraordinaire, will be playing the Albinoni Oboe Concerto in B flat. Beth is also from Kelseyville and well known in many orchestras in northern California.

An additional treat is the inclusion of mandolins as they are not often seen playing with a symphony orchestra. Two members of the regular symphony, David Garelick and Gail Sharpsteen, (they usually play violin and cello) will perform the Vivaldi Double Mandolin Concerto in G.

The last selection, played by the whole orchestra is the Sinfonia in G minor, a delightful chamber work by Johann Christian Bach, the son of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Debra Fredrickson is a volunteer with the Lake County Symphony.

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On Saturday, Sept. 22, the Middletown Art Center is hosting a West African drumming and dance workshop with master teacher Alhassane Camara.

Read more …

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 1967 drama, “To Sir, With Love,” starring Sidney Poitier, Christian Roberts and Judy Geeson, screens at the Soper Reese Theatre on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 1 and 6 p.m.

Entry to the film is by donation.

A strong cast and unforgettable title song make this an undeniable classic, with Sidney Poitier as the struggling teacher who wins over his rowdy Cockney pupils.

The film addresses issues of race and class and offers a window into London in the mid-1960s.

The production design is marvelous and, along with the fine cinematography, captures the desolate nature of the rundown East End.

The movie is sponsored by The California Retired Teachers Association CalRTA Div. 35. Not rated. Run time is 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-0577, www.soperreesetheatre.com.