Zoom Poetic Gathering, May 15

Charlie Rossiter usually has an open mic — poetry/spoken word, music, whatever — at the Tap House in Bennington on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, but this special invitation Zoom event was held instead, but on a Friday, in our homes. All those reading are regulars at the 2nd Tuesday, or others like myself, or Tom Nicotera from Connecticut, who had shown up on occasion. We went around few times.

Kenn Ash opened it up with a rendition of Thelonious Monk’s “Straight No Chaser” played on his pocket trumpet; later, again an old blues on the trumpet; & at the very end, a poem about cats waking up. Bill who was joining us from the wilds of Pennsylvania also played a blues, on his guitar, from 1979; later he read what he called “a third-place poem” a string of haiku “Fishing with Theo” (his son). Tom Nicotera read a collaborative piece he’d written with Charlie, “Coming Home from O’Hare on the El One Night;” then a political piece titled “The Gun is the Shaman” accompanying himself on the bodhran; & later the descriptive “Driving thru Kansas.”

My poems were all new pieces, “Adrift with Guy DeBord & Thich Nhat Hanh;” later “Prayer for Super Heroes” (inspired by my granddaughter Jane); & my poem-joke, “April 30: Poem in your Pocket Day.” Anthony Bernini, from Troy, NY, read a piece inspired by the artist Lori Lawrence “Chihuahua Wild Life;" later, a pandemic poem, on death, “Winnowing.” Jack Rossiter-Munley played his mandolin & sang a tune inspired by the series Mrs. America about dealing with Phyllis Schlafly; later, he sang a Woody Guthrie tune, again with his mandolin.

Our host, Charlie Rossiter read a tribute to Lawrence Ferlinghetti “Poets Arise!” a cento of lines from Ferlinghetti’s poems; later, accompanied by Jack on conga drum, performed his “Manhattan Blue,” a classic from numerous performances by 3 Guys from Albany. During the first round Laura Ellzey brought in her dog while Anthony Bernini read his poem but then she missed the first round when she retreated to the basement as a powerful, fast-moving storm came through, but when she returned she paid tribute to Jim Henson, who had died 30 years ago on this date, by singing “It’s Not Easy Being Green;” later, read a Spring poem titled “A Bit off the Beaten Path.”

A most pleasant poetry salon, informal, friends sharing work from their various homes in the Northeast.