Poetic Vibe, February 15

A somewhat more laid back, quieter Monday night with just the open mic, no featured poet, 12 “participants” listed on Zoom but not all of them read.

Our host, D. Colin, started us off with a couple of her own pieces, the first was titled “Nameless” found in a notebook was about running out of hopeful poems, the day drifting away, then “Tuesdays” a COVID poem about what every day since last March has been.

Samuel Maurice began with “Deer in Headlights” an all too-common encounter, then a piece titled “Paper Crane in Oblivion.” 

I also had read 2 poems, the recent “Birthday Poem 2021,” then the much older tribute to jazz pianist Thelonious Monk “Acrostic Jazz.”

Marie Kathleen is here every time I show up, her poem “Dance Exhale Open Take Up Space” was not only a description of dance, but also what needs to be done, while her piece “Momentary Arrangements” was on change as the nature of the universe.

Jeannine Trimboli is also a frequent reader here & read a poem about taking out the garage in Winter from February 2019 “A Poem About Nothing,” then a more recent portrait “She Wants to be Free.”

I missed him when Baba Ngoma was the featured reader at the beginning of the month, but he was here tonight with a couple pieces, beginning with “Epigraph” a rolling stack of imagery, & advice, a tribute to Mohammed Ali (with the refrain “impossible is nothing”), followed by a piece of his history growing up & dressing up in the Jim Crow era “Funny thing Is.” (He also referenced an album tribute to Ali titled Brown Butterfly by Craig Harris.)

Greg Wilder/Slay! the Dragon began with “Hot Girl at Drug at Drug Court” which you can find in his 2020 collection Pink Cloud Poetry: Poems from Early Recovery, then read a long piece of alternative/speculative/reversed history written on Presidents’ Day 2019 “Black Presidents History Day.”

Analysis dialed in from Baltimore where he is associated with the Red Emma’s Bookshop & Coffee House, he said he has been listening to People’s Voice of the History of the United States, began with a quote from Eugene Debs, & read a long sermon on militarism, imperialism, & domestic violence, then a somewhat less heavy & amusing tale of being wakened one cold night to a “popping sound.”

Angelique Palmer introduced herself as a teacher, then shared 2 pieces from her experience,“Ten things to Know When a Hammer Meets a Nail” about confronting problems with “this is not a nail…” or, in racist situations “that’s a nail, hit it,” then a related piece “But It’s Different for the Children” on racist remarks from kids & the opportunity to educate them. 

Danielle ended the night with reading a few Haiku, on COVID, impeachment, & Valentines day, then a marvelous Cento composed, as she does each week, of lines that struck her from tonight’s open mic poets.

You can join the fun every Monday night at 7:30PM — check out the Poetic Vibe Facebook page for information & the link, & bring some poems to read.