Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic, October 4

Tonight’s scheduled poets were April Bernard & Jay Rogoff, both on the faculty of Skidmore College, but, sadly, April was ill, but happily Jay was here. Our host, Carol Graser, got us started by reading “Ars Poetica” by the late North Country poet Maurice Kenny.

In a switch, Barbara Garro was first on the list & read about where she grew up in New Jersey “Maple Shade.” Kate McNairy was her usual quirky self with the funny “Her Coat” & the sexy “Shoot Some Pool.” Caffè Lena volunteer Debbie Bogosian read a couple of autobiographical pieces “Perspective” & “Copper Nails.” Susan Kubert was here in August & brave enough to come back to read a couple poems, the first title "They Speak," the second, “The Test,” about replanting a tulip. Susan Kress read a poem that has been published in the journal New Letters, “Call Back.”

So 1 out of 2 featured poets is not bad, particularly when the 1 is poet Jay Rogoff. He read a tantalizing bouquet of poems from his new book Enamel Eyes: A Fantasia on Paris, 1870 (LSU Press), historical fiction in poems, set around the ballet Coppélia, or the Girl with Enamel Eyes, & the chaos of the Franco-Prussian War. He read the poems “War & Peace,” “Guiseppina Gets a Lesson in Courtship,” “Votive Offerings,” “Travesty,” “Just Looking,” “A Debate about Realism,” & “Fever Dreams.” Just enough to make me anxious to read the book. He finished off with new poems from “The Penny Poems,” “All the Same,” the villanelle “Witness,” & “Wear” (about what matters & what souls wear).

After the break, Carol Graser read one of her own poems, “Ghost of Ambitions,” then on to finish off the open mic list. Leslie Sittner read a poem about a Halloween party “Papel Power,” then a dead dog poem. Jackie Craven read a couple poems from her forthcoming book Secret Formulas & Techniques of the Masters about her mother’s paintings.

David Graham also had a poem about painting, “The Dogs in Dutch Paintings,” then read the short poem “Love.” Nancy White also read from a new book of poems on Biblical subjects, the first poem “Free Will” in the voice of God, the second about Lilith a bit more personal. Mary Kathryn Jablonski began with an ekphrastic poem “Mirror,” then a piece of memoir about playing in the barn “Minor Mishap.”

The first of some younger poets on the list, Alyssa Benaro, read a poem, much like a painting, titled “Imagine” about what you can think of while riding in a car. Certainly not a younger poet, Thomas Dimopolous, read a funny piece playing on “Tony,” the award, the name & whatever else. Another young poet, Suzanne Mori-Stranton, read a school assignment about beginnings. I also only had one poem, my pastiche on Eliot’s The Wast Land “Octoberland.” I hadn’t seen Effie Redman here in a while, she has had another piece published in the New York Times & tonight read a new poem “September 26, 2017" about adjusting to her new apartment.

Anthony Bernini read 2 poems about libraries & children, the first “Hart Memorial Field Trip” & the other “Providence Atheneum.” The last of the night’s young poets was Kaela Ellis who read a dream-like “Never Go Back Into the Forest.” & the last of the night’s poets, young or old, was Karen Fabiane with a brand-new piece, on the Las Vegas shootings “Guns For Free,” & a slightly different piece “Nuttin’ She Said.”

By now you should know that the Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic is on the first Monday of the month at historical (& now renovated) Caffè Lena on Phila St. in Saratoga Springs at 7:30PM, $5.00 for a featured poet or 2 & a fabulous open mic.