3rd Saturday Coffeehouse, September 19

I was invited by Charlie Rossiter & the 3rd Saturday Ambiance Committee to a reading by Paul Seline with an open mic. This is a group that Charlie was in when he lived in Oak Park, IL, outside Chicago, & ran a regular monthly open mic. It was a re-union of sorts & a celebration of Paul Seline’s book.

But first a round of the open mic. Jim Madigan was first up with an Autumn poem inspired by biking through the park “Red Tree.”  

Diane Scott’s poem was a for Labor Day & the work of women, based on the famous quote from the early 20th Century labor organizer by Rose Schneiderman about having both bread & roses.

Marilyn Myles’ tender poem “My Father’s Hands” was both a memory & portrait & about where he is now & what he’d done.

To honor Rosh Hashanah I read my poem from 2004, written in Gloucester, MA, “Tashlich."

Mary Ellen Munley read a tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with quotes from her from her years of wisdom & activism.  

Charlie Rossiter called son Jack down to accompany him on the guitar for a poem for Emily Dickinson with the great chorus “…put your white dress on… & we gonna write poems tonight.”

Mary Rose Lambke read a poem from a trip to Ireland for her 80th birthday about & treasuring elders.

Jack Rossiter-Munley returned to his room to perform solo performing a song that I probably hadn’t heard in 50 years (or more!) about a motorcyclist & “Highway 101” (not the '80s country group).

The featured poet was Paul Seline who read selections from his recently published first book, A Writer's Life: Essays and Poems. Paul taught English and writing to high school students for 32 years. He is now retired and lives in Oak Park, IL where he enjoys focusing on his own writing. His work has been described as “Poignant and funny, this collection of essays and poems shows how, given the right perspective, ordinary life can be extraordinary." He alternated reading the poems with his wife Sue Piha to save his voice & to honor her role in helping to produce the book. The poems they read were a couple of gardening pieces, “Big Max” a memoir of trying to grow giant pumpkins with his son, & one about battling a rabbit “Gardening Points of View.” “Karl & That’s with a K” was a hilarious take on the “kn” sound/not sound, while “A Basic Christmas” was a memoir of sharing cookies sent from home when Paul was in basic training.

Back around again, as Charlie is wont to do, for those who could stay & had another poem, Jim Madigan read a memoir of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the Moon “From Above.”

Diane Scott read an imagined memoir based on an old photo of her mother with some unidentified guy.

Marilyn Myles read a piece titled “Evolution” on the unfairness of it all, on slavery, war, sexual violence, drugs, & all that.

I haven’t written many poems inspired by COVID-19 but read a recent piece titled “Words in the Time of COVID-19: Saxophone” inspired by a friend’s Blog post on the pandemic.

Mary Ellen Munley used her time to remember fondly when these poets used to meet in person in Oak Park at the coffeehouse.

Charlie Rossiter’s 2nd round poem was also a memoir, this of a road trip with Jack & staying at a friend’s cottage in Minnesota.

Mary Rose Lambke had a COVID-19 confession (not at her best best living alone during the pandemic) about eating a pint of ice cream.

Jack Rossiter-Munley had another guitar tune, “You’re Not Alone,” the title song of an album by Mavis Staple.

Our featured reader(s) brought us home with Paul reading about favorite things besides gardening “My Journal is Built like a Canoe” & Sue reading a series of writing tips “How to Catch a Poem.”

This was once a regular in-person event on the 3rd Saturday of the month, but, alas, is no more, but I was pleased to be invited in to this group of poet friends for their reunion & to celebrate Paul Seline’s book A Writer's Life: Essays and Poems, which can be found on Amazon.com.