2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, May 8

It was Mothers’ Day, for all the mothers out there. As always here you can read whatever you want, but the day seemed to set the theme, with my co-host, Nancy Klepsch, starting off with a list poem “Questions for My Mother.” Peggy LeGee followed suit with “To Mothers & All Women” mixing her estranged family with the historical, the political.

K.A. Laity’s little story of motherhood of sorts, “Fur Baby” can be found online.  Cathy Abbott started with a poem written by her daughter when she was 16, the to the strangely titled “Micro-Womb Mother.”  Bob Sharkey read a piece paying tribute to the recently deceased Dan Berrigan, “Avoiding the Draft.” Pat Berger had a short memoir about her own shadow side, & a guy she dated for a time.

Mike Conner’s poem “In a Mirror in a Frame” was about a time of grief & change, then a poem from 10 years ago “The Floor” as a letter to his son about sharing what they have in common. Matt Ryan read a sad rhyme “Here I Do As I Please,” then a poem about his grandmother & watching the changes of life. Dan Curley read a lament for a dead musician friend “Jean Jacket” followed by a poem from a trip to Rome with students “La Pieta.” Karen Fabiane read poems from her 2 poetry chapbooks, “Fawn” from Dancing Bears & “Flesh is All That Holds Me Now” from Seeing You Again.

Continuing the Mothers Day theme Dave DeVries read “The Impeccable Life” about his perfectionist mother, then a poem that considered the various uses of horses, for racing, for work, “Equine Diversity.” I was the last on the list & read an old political piece harking back to the origins of Mothers Day as a Peace Holiday “Mothers Day Meditation.”

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose is a free open mic held at the Arts Center of the Capital Region each month, except the months of July & August, your hosts are Nancy Klepsch & me, Dan Wilcox.