Tim’s Open Mic, January 14, 2021

Verhaegen, that is, on Zoom, this time on a Thursday night, in his preferred 2 round format, that way if you have to leave early & can get through the 1st round you can at least sample everyone, & they can hear your work.

I ended up leading off again & reacted to the election for President with a poem from a previous election in 2015 “This Is Not Trick or Treat.” 

Howard Kogan’s poem “19 Years Ago,” had an epigraph from Franz Kafka, & was about being in NYC on 9/11/01. 

Bob Sharkey said he’s been digging through old poems & read a piece that starts with a memory of working in Portland, Maine, a descriptive litany/list of stores, sales, etc. along the streets of Portland.

Avery was here to read about his cousin, a recovering homeless heroin/meth addict, “Any Day Now,” & sings, “my life in a bag.” 

 

Due to the wonders of Zoom Jan Tramontano was able to show up here all the way from Florida, but said that she has not been able to write now so read Sam Hamill’s grim poem dedicated to poet Hayden Carruth “On the Third Anniversary of the Ongoing Iraq War.” 

Host of the 2nd Sunday @ 2 open mic, Nancy Klepsch, drew a parallel to the current talk about vaccines to the trials for AIDS drugs, & friend who got the placebo, “Letter from a Live Teacher to a Dead Teacher.”  

Tim, our host, read about an encounter at his complex at the trash dumpster, titled “COVID Nights.”    

Sally Rhoades hadn’t been able to connect via Zoom on her phone so was dialing in via FaceTime to Tim, read a poem written when she also wasn’t able to dial in to the open mic on Sunday, a piece titled “The Thugs of America.” 

Back around again for the 2nd round, I was up with another old poem, the seasonal “Winter Light.”

Howard Kogan’s 2nd poem titled “Visiting my Sister” was about seeing her as an old woman (while he, of course, is an old man).

Another from Bob Sharkey’s treasure trove of old poems was from 7 years ago at poetry outdoors with poets Carolee, Nancy, Sylvia, Dan & Don, “After Poem” after mass shootings.

Avery’s 2nd piece was another song/chant “We Fit” building family, joined together, with rhymes.

Jan Tramontano began her 2nd round talking about how tired she has grown of Florida, then read a rant from May 2014, titled “A Ramble is the Price of Love,” with the line “… grief is the price of love.”

In her 2nd round Nancy read her poem based on a poem by Sam Allen, who also wrote as Paul Vesey (1917 - 2015), from a poetry book from her High School years. 

Tim returned for the 2nd round, said he listens to Joni Mitchell & Melanie in troubled times, then reads the lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s “Hejira.”

Sally Rhoades’ 2nd round piece was a memoir written in May for a dance friend,”I Just Put my Winter Hat away.”

If you are interested in attending Tim’s open mic, contact him at his email address, tverhaegen1@gmail.com, & ask for a Zoom link to his next open mic, you’ll enjoy it.