Writer’s Mic Open Mic, February 10

Poet Jackie Craven is the host of this Zoom open mic held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. This month there were poets “here” from as far away as Philadelphia, PA & Louisville, KY.

From much closer was David Graham who began by reading a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye from her 2020 book Cast Away (Greenwillow Books), then to his own recent poem set in a cemetery “Surprise Enough.”

I was next on the list & read a seasonal piece written some years ago “Winter Light” then my most recently written poem “Dinner At the Bar” where it was a good thing it was a bartender & not an undertaker.

Susan Jewell is a persistent writer of ekphrastic poems for the ongoing Rattle contest, tonight she showed the image for the poem titled “Witness” her poem mixing images of Viet Nam & all manners of witness (it didn’t win).  

Dan Vollweiler has an acerbic, satiric mind (& pen) & read “Pandumic” (I’m pretty sure that’s what he said) playing on “pan” in all its forms, then, more seriously “July 4th” starting with a Langston Hughes quote, “I will not celebrate today.”

Sarah Chaviano read a memoir of being a kid in a theater seeing “Planet of the Apes” & a recollection of being lost at the beach.

Katherine Zaleski dialed in from Philadelphia to read a piece written over 10 years ago when she first moved to Philly, grim urban images of poverty & shootings titled “America,” then a more recent piece from last Fall “Instrumental” a swirling mixing of images dancing from one to another.

Scott Morehouse’s stories are outrageous, outlandish & always hilarious, tonight he read one set in NYC, “Animal Appetites,” story of a lady afraid of snakes with a mongoose that goes on a killing spree. 

Mary Ann read a memoir poem of childhood “My Father Poses us Before a New Fence” for a photograph. 

Alan Catlin read a piece from a few years ago, short sections strung together, “Reading by the Statue of Robert Burns,” then one titled “The Island of the Oscillating Fans” written to titles from poet John Yau. 

James Quinn got the prize for dialing in from the furthest away, from Louisville KY, read   “Winter 2019” a descriptive piece that could be any winter, & a piece about seeing cop violence while out walking, “Between Classes.”

To link up for the next 2nd Wednesday open mic, look for Writer’s Mic on Facebook, you can be anywhere & so can we!