2nd Tuesday Open Mic, June 9

Bennington in my home, on Zoom since we can’t get into the Tap House anyway, with our host for spoken word, music, whatever you want to do with words, Charlie Rossiter. We did 2 rounds.

I was first up with an old poem for the Black Lives Matter events all around us, “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” for Tamir Rice, then in the 2nd round, a new piece in 2 columns “My Life with Birds.” Julie Lomoe was at this open mic for the first time, mainly because she didn’t have to drive to Bennington & read a couple pieces about her mother, in the first round “My Mother’s Head” about her passing out at a club with the Modern Jazz Quartet, & in a similar vein about going to jazz clubs in Milwaukee with her mother stalking black musicians “Jazz Crazy.”

Laura’s first poem was a splendid description of moss “Shady in the Park,” then later she read a memoir of learning with a friend to ride a unicycle “The Helper.” Charlie, with the accompaniment of his son Jack Rossiter-Munley on guitar, performed his poem with the title of a famous blues tune “Sweet Home Chicago,” then in the second round a real-life tale of speeding in New Mexico “Frontier.”

Tom Nicotera, Zooming in from Connecticut, also had real-life tales, “Blues for America” from 2009 at a late-night Motel 6 accompanying himself on harmonica, then in the 2nd round a real-life bird poem “Turkey Love.” Jack Rossiter-Munley did a couple pieces on guitar, the first a mashup of Bob Dylan’s “North Country Blues” & Bruce Springstein’s “Born in the USA” both harkening back to Woody Guthrie, then, as the night's final performer a blues “Make it Rain.”

Can’t say I missed the hour drive to Bennington, except that then I would’ve had time to spend with Charlie & Jack, but it was a pleasant gathering of poets, albeit electronically — no hugs allowed, but at least I didn't have to wear pants.