W*O*M*P*S, September 14

I haven’t been able to get to this Word of Mouth Poetry Series monthly (2nd Thursdays) reading at the ArtBar Gallery in Kingston for a number of months, not because I didn’t want to but there is so much going on here in Albany. So I was glad to be able to head down there & doubly pleased to be travel with poet Sally Rhoades.

On arrival we were surprised to hear that the announced featured poets would not be there, but that only meant more time for the open mic (which can be a mixed blessing). First off the list was our host, Teresa Costa, beginning with a booze-soaked “Pale Aled,” then a poem on road kill & another as a tongue-twister. Candace LaRue read “The Pendulum,” “My Inner Selfie” (the conflict between her inner slut & flirt), & a couple from an alphabet series, “Potentially Possible,” & “N-Words.”

I followed with my “award-winning poem” “At the Silarian Cafe,” one about the eclipse “Spathe is the Plathe,” & “Reading Memoir in the Laundromat” based on a memoir by Patricia Hampl.  The grand old mencsh of the mid-Hudson open mic scene, Donald Lev, began with 6 sections from his long poem/memoir/cultural history “Radio,” then a trio from his new book Focus “Business,” “Up My Sleeve,“ “& “Something to Do.” Sally Rhoades began with poems about her 94-year old aunt, “A Simple Thing,” & “Riding Shotgun;” “A Starry Night” was written last night, “The Sky is my Witness” is a personal favorite, & she ended with a request “Don’t Put Plastic Flowers on My Grave.”

I was pleased to finally meet in person poet Anne Gorrick who read a few pieces from writing about people’s Facebook posts, one for Shiv Mirabito, another, titled September 10, for the folks at the Widow Jane mine, where she heads the Board of Trustees of The Century House Historical Society. Cheryl A. Rice’s poem said we should “Be Flowers” then the descriptive (& timely) “Weather Watch”. Ron Whiteurs performed his outrageous narrative of the death of Catherine the Great “The Saga of Sulimann.” Suze Bottigliero read a piece written yesterday “My Lai Massacre,” then a tale of a drowning “A Jersey Shore Memory: Riptide,” & “So What Does It Mean to Love Trump.”

Don Haynie began with an excerpt from his own memoir of being in a commune in the legendary Summer of 1969, then a long poem by one of the folks in that memoir, Alfred Robinson. Elizabeth Gordon read & performed a cluster of pieces starting with “Advice to Poets/My Self” invoking the memory of her Uncle Jackie, a toll-taker, then a new one “Gratitude for the Hammer, On About turning 60,” then on taking the advice of her poems & a Doomsday plane, “Horror,” & ended with “Letter Carrier.” Alison Koffler read just one poem, which when they are good is plenty, as was “The Peonies.” Roberta Gould should have been the last on the list, but some late arrivals asked to be added to the list; Roberta’s basket of poems included “Another Dog Day, July 13,” “Stolen,” “Too Slow,” “Only Love,” & “The Step.”

The first of the add-ons was Pamela Twining with 4 rambling poems, “Eschatology,” “Children of the Air,” one about berry picking, & a brutal political piece “Child’s Play.” Gary Seigel read a philosophical inquiry “God’s Wrath,” then an op-ed sounding “Keeping Counsel,” & “A Certain Blond Haired Gentleman” (a fantasy about the god Thor). Andy Clausen said he was reading “poems from the 1970s” from his 1997 book 40th Century Man, one about his son, “Start the Sun,” & the name-dropping “Seeking a Fool Proof Riff.”

WOMPS is every second Thursday of every month from March - December, @ Artbar Gallery, 674 Broadway Kingston, NY (across from the Sunoco station/Mid town), 6:30PM signup, 7:00PM start.