Sunday Four Poetry, May 22

This series usually has a featured poet, but unfortunately today's feature, Rachel Ikins, couldn't make it, so it was just an open mic (which was just fine). Dennis Sullivan introduced the event, then Edie Abrams did the individual introductions.

Lloyd Barnhart was back again, starting with "Silver Justice" about the 1831 axe-murderer Frances "Frankie" Sliver, who was only 19 when she was hanged, then the test responses to the question, "Poetry Is…" & the timely "Left Behind" (but more like 5th grade). Michael Burke read recent poems from his journal of his trip to Mexico, one about an old dog, then a bicycle benefit for missing children, & attending an old friends burial "Poor Dave."

Carolee Sherwood's 3 poems seemed related (& with an oblique nod to yesterday's non-Rapture), "Zombies Talk in their Sleep" (just like you & I), then a strange piece about growing kidneys (no kidding), & a poem about escaping, "Earth's Lover Disagrees with Paul Simon." Mimi Moriarty returned us to the ax-murderer theme with a poem about a dream about her daughter, then 2 more about her daughter, "The Books of Strangers" & "Her Closet." I read 2 from Poeming the Prompt, the "Top-Tips…" & "November 23" (in the West-African form, the giambone), then dedicated the philosophical "At the Center" to Dennis Sullivan.  Therese Broderick showed off a couple poems in a form she invented called a selene (ancient Greek for "moon"), playing with sounds: "Selene 1: Moon of the Hand-made paper" & "Selene 2: Moon of the Magnolias."

Joe Krausman did just 1 poem, "Be Good to Me," like a song with it's easy rhythm & lilting rhymes. Speaking of forms, Stephen Leslie read poems in the Japanese form "haibun" (& his hybrid version): "Second-Hand Cake" (inspired by working in a homeless shelter), "Knife" (stories of being robbed at knife-point), & one for his daughter, "Brigid."

When Obeeduid (Mark O'Brien) read his tee-shirt, Mike Burke said it counted as a poem, but Mark went on to read 3 poems anyways, the first from a series on the random paint patterns on the windows of a garage door, "We Folded Together" written on a paper towel, & a dream poem inspired by falling asleep watching an old Western on TV. Tom Corrado's first poem "But I Do" was a narrative, if I followed it properly, then he pondered "The Garden of Unearthly Delights," & I don't think I have to tell you what he did in "On Listening to John Cage's 4 minutes 33 Seconds" (if you know the piece).

Dennis Sullivan was characteristically philosophical, thinking about the passage of Time in a poem dedicated to his sister Rita, "Remembering When," then "Ode to a Sad One," & "A Beatitude" pondering "the naked soul of poesy." Go figure that self-proclaimed Atheist Howard Kogan had 3 religious poems, returning to the theme of the Rapture, "May 22, 2011" (a cash-only Rapture), then wry humor on the creation myth in "Lilith," then the holy images debunked in "Not All Who Are Called Answer."  Jim Williams was also thinking about the meaning of Life/the Universe, all the big questions, with "I'd Rather be Doomed than Dislodged" filled with contemporary & historical figures & Kali & ancient Greeks, & then "Shadow Poet," & ended with "The Waterless Flood Part 2."

Former city-girl Edie Abrams gave a nod to Obeeduid with "I Awaken to the Song of Birds," getting used to the sounds of nature.

Dennis Sullivan gave out drafts of the flyers for next season's Sunday Four Poetry, starting in September. There is one more reading this season, 4th Sunday in June, 3PM, Old Songs Community Center, Voorheesville, NY, before they take the summer off. Catch it when you can.