Mudd Poets at the Mudd Puddle Cafe, June 12

This was the 2nd poetry event of the day for me (& the 4th in a 3-day stretch), down in New Paltz. Since I had been in Woodstock earlier in the day, this was "in the neighborhood" (relatively). The host was the poetry dervish Robert Milby.

There were 2 featured poets, the first Cheryl A. Rice, whose fine poems I've been listening to at open mics & readings since the days of the QE2 back in Albany. The majority of her poems tonight were focused on her parents & her memories of growing up on Long Island, "Egypt," "Jake is Fine," "Scaling Bluefish," "Beach in Memory," "Fireworks," & "Colt" (teamed up with "In Defense of Horses"). A new poem, "Abundance," was filled with pear & plum trees, chickens & eggs. Cheryl recently did a new edition of her chapbook, The Auction, & read from it "Joe" & "Happy Birthday" (the chapbook theme is Marilyn Monroe). Her last poem, "Imperfections," is a love poem with the message to keep on living. Sounds good to me.

I read last Fall with Guy Reed & I always enjoying hearing him read (so much so he will be one of the Poets in the Park reading this July). In honor of his birthday, he began with "Time of the Geminis." He too had a number of father poems, bird poems, painters & dreams (sometimes in the same poem). Edward Hopper showed up in "Americana" & Van Gogh in "Being Seen by Starry Night." A poem about love songs on the radio became one about his father dying, while "Husks" was about his father feeding the birds, the "1963 Evenrude" was his father's outboard motor, & "Euphoria in Ohio" was on the road after is father's funeral. His last poem was "Bat Dream" (does that count for birds too?). Then Cheryl embarrassed Guy by bringing out delicious cupcakes for his birthday. Now it was a party too.

After the break, we continued on with an open mic & I was first up with my recent piece "On a Poem by ee cummings." I wasn't the only one there who had been at the Woodstock reading earlier in the day, although now this writer was signed up as "Tommy Burns" & did a piece in an Irish accent on a drunken father. Adrianna Delgado read a 2-part angry poem on British Petroleum, the rant "Dream Heist" & the more pensive "Guilt Trip." Mala Hoffman's poem "Smoking Gun" was about her daughter, then into "Yoga Pose."

Leslie Gerber read a poem by Tara McCarthy, then his own political commentary/rant "Trashland." Ted Gill's poems use rhyme with humor & poignancy, as in "Tin Cup Mind" & an untitled poem on beauty. Adam's poems were colorful, with "Orange Sky Road" & thinking about Van Gogh's (again) "Sunflowers." Billy Herman's notebook entries were memoirs & fantasies of former girl friends.

T.C. said she had not read her poems out in about 10 years, they were short, rhyming, piling up words seeking to become images. Dave Kime is known for his booming rants, which "Black & White" is a good example with its play on slogans & stacks of images. Robert Milby read Ben Jonson's "ghost" poem, "On Something That Walks Somewhere," then his own "Fat Thoughts." Christopher Wheeling ended the night with a dream poem, "Squatter."

This is a regular, on-going series, with featured poets & an open mic held usually on the 3rd Saturday at the Mudd Puddle Cafe in New Paltz, 7PM, hosted by Robert Milby.