Third Thursday Poetry Night, May 16

I am glad that I was able to schedule poet & dancer Kendall Hoeft here before she left the area to move with her husband to San Francisco. “Comet Kendall” burst upon the scene barely a year ago, a high-energy performer who not only frequented the open mics in Troy, Albany & Schenectady, but also led dance classes at the Arts Center, & like all comets will leave just as quickly. I just hope that it’s not another 72 years before we see her again.

My Muse for the night was  in many ways a mentor, or Elder, to me, the poet & peace activist Jay Wenk, who left us last May 29. He was an active member of Veterans For Peace & liked to say he was sent to Germany in World War II to fight the fascists & “I’m still fighting them now.” I read his chilling litany of military veterans who have committed suicide the title poem from his chapbook Thank You For Your Service (Post Traumatic Press,  2017) -- Jay Wenk, Presente.

Before we get to the featured poet, first a bit of the open mic. Alan Catlin read a new poem just published in The Poeming Pigeon, a poem on baseball “The Baseball Player Stephen Crane” (who was a catcher). Following that, Joe Krausman read a "2 Part Invention: Poetry as Sex, & Poetry as Babies" his characteristic musical wordplay on the human condition. Tom Bonville came back to the open mic to read “Later” reflecting on the emotions inspired by a wake. Desmond Gonzalez hasn’t been here in a while read 2 poems about Life, “Where Light Used to Be” & one about getting up, getting out.

Kendall Hoeft started off by wondering if, when she settled in California, that maybe she would find a home in Albany, CA to start up “AlbanyPoets West.” She said that this was her 1st time doing a feature like this with this much time. Her first poem was in 6 parts, “Forgive Us” an intense, meditative piece if one can put those 2 adjectives together. Then on to “Friendship Like Bees,” “Bloom Cactus Bloom” about empathy, & a love poem read out for the first time “High & Dry.” “Shelter” was another multiple part poem with 5 short scenes. She move on to poems about her family, beginning with 2 contentious pieces about her mother-in-law, “Bitter Sweet” & “Feathered Lady,” then a portrait of her mother “Hidden Ladies,” & a tender piece imagining bathing her father in his old age, imagining him bathing her as a baby, in 3 parts overlapping & each a poem in its own right. “Migration of a Hollow Swan” was another in short multiple parts, a Spring poem, & she ended with a work-in-progress begun in D. Colin’s workshop at the Troy Library, what she called her ars poetica. Her work is richly imaged — & imagined — & energetically performed, & now “Comet Kendall” is off to share her work & her energy to the left coast. We wish her well.

After the short break, I read a new poem “The Grim Reaper” about the ones we have lost recently (& realized later that I hadn’t turned on the sound system after the break, but my little recorder still picked up the words). Karen Fabiane is a regular here, read the provocative title poem from her first book Dancing Bears (Bright Hill Press, 2011). Frank S. Robinson made an “announcement” of the “Dan Wilcox Imitation Open Mic” held at Catfish Corners in Greene County, on the 3rd Tuesday after the 2nd Monday … & on, leaving us in hysterics. Bob Sharkey was the last reader for the night & as always pulled his poem from his pocket, tried "to keep the silliness going," with “Dreaming the Draft” with a cast of folks from his old job at the Department of Social Services.

Each third Thursday we gather at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY, at 7:30PM for an open mic with a featured reader from here, or maybe there. Bring a poem & a dollar or 3 to support poetry events & the work of the SJC.