Live from the Living Room, October 10

Still without the comfy couch, etc., but at least there were plenty of chairs here in the living room of the Pride Center. Our host, Don Levy welcomed some new faces & introduced the featured poet.

Featured Poet Sylvia Barnard (left)
& open mic poet Mary Rubio (right)

Sylvia Barnard let the "poetry gods" choose her poems tonight as she paged through the manuscript of her poetry collection, but ever the professional, kept track of her time as well. She began with a poem from a workshop, the poem based on a photo of Robert Frost, then a poem about another poet, Anne Sexton, on seeing a film about her life, then on to a poem to her daughter, "Good-Bye Poem." "In Memoriam" is a recent poem about visiting the Cloisters Museum & remembering an old love. She included a couple poems from her travels, "Change" (written in England) & the look back into history & death, "Frankish Cathedral in Andromeda, Greece." Looking back was also a theme in her poem "To My Mother on her 70th Wedding Anniversary," in "Marriage Quilt" seen in a museum & in her final poem, "Journeys" as a traveller through American history. A nice selection of poems by the "poetry gods" reflecting many aspects of the poet Sylvia Barnard & a good reading in spite of persistent chatter both from the cafe at the other end of the room & from the sound of the keys as someone typed at the computer in the room.

Host Don Levy (left)

On to the open mic portion, I read first, with a couple new poems, "Different Tastes in Music" & "Opinions." Mary Rubio read a wonderful piece about her mother in the kitchen late at night, "Momma" & then a poem about looking out the window at a homeless woman. Alexandria Kirksey had signed up early, then went off for something to eat & made it back in time for the open mic; she read the enthusiastic rant, "Just Blowing Off Some Steam." Our host, Don Levy, read 2 "city poems" (quelle surprise!), "Sneakers on Telephone Poles" & the New York City based "The Old Times Square of My Youth."

A cozy evening in the living room of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, 332 Hudson Ave., Albany, NY, where we gather each 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:30, a featured poet, open mic & always straight-friendly.