Cold Fest, February 7

One way to get me out on a cold, snowy night, in a string of cold, snowy days & nights, was to have a party, sponsored by Rootdrinker Institute at the home of Alan Casline & Jennifer Pearce. There were drinks, enough hors d’oeuvres for dinner, & dinner -- & a table full of desserts. Poets galore with a few non-poet spouses dragged along as well.

After dinner we gathered at the fireplace for a poetry “round robin” but first a brief drum circle instigated by drummer Sue Spencer who had accompanied the peripatetic Michael Czarnecki, publisher of Foothills Press, from Western New York State.

The first round of the “round robin” actually began as an oscillation around the circle of poets, each reading 1 poem, back & forth from clockwise to counter-clockwise & back again. If I hadn’t been sitting in the most comfy chair in the room I would’ve gotten dizzy. I was there to party not to “work” so I didn’t keep notes, just enjoyed the variety of styles & tones & subjects, from haiku, to rhymes, to humor & great serious ponderings, just like any open mic. There was a second round to which Alan designated the “owl” as the titular bird rather than the robin (hmm, would the tit-mouse have been a more appropriate titular bird?).

A few pictures will have to suffice for the documentation of this event. Thank you Alan & Jennifer, & all the poets who attended & read, for a wonderful evening.