Writers Mic, March 10

Once upon a time, I would drive up early to Schenectady to have dinner, somewhere, before the open mic, now I cook my own meal, but at least I don’t have to drive. Jackie Craven is still our host.

I was first on the list & started with a couple of “seasonal” i.e., St. Patrick’s Day themed poems, “Brigit” from my 1975 chapbook Ireland, then an unpublished piece, "Sheela-na-gig," & ended with a COVID-themed “Vaccine Haiku,” me & Dolly Parton.

Alan Catlin read a poem for his son & wife, “Epithalalium,” a tender piece about true love, then the working class tale in 2 parts “Storm Story.” 

David Graham dialed-in to read 2 new ones, unpublished & maybe unfinished, he said, the first about a clerk at the Post Office who greats everyone as “Honey,” then the elegy/tribute to a recently gone great American poet “Ferlinghetti’s Dead.” 

Susan Kress used her poem, “What I Cannot Tell You,” to call back the memory of a friend dying in Covent Gardens. 

Daniel Sennis read a couple of new poems, “Go Hawk Eyes” about a trip to Iowa to visit family, & “From Oy to Joy” on the anger of his parents & growing up.  

Scott Morehouse gave a funny theatrical reading of a piece titled “So You Want to Be a Star” about a character named Tony hiring a “clapper” for a store.

Our host Jackie Craven read a surrealistic, political piece, responding to the killings of George Floyd & others, “Surveillance Video Shows Suitcases Resisting Arrest.” 

Kate Gillespie read “Notes from a Book Fair” about people reading poetry to others, much as we were doing, hopeful of moving on.

Susan Jewell, having trouble with her eyes, & unable to share the image she had intended, just reads the poem, which was inspired by a picture of a bucket. 

You can find the link for this open mic held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month on the Facebook page Writers Mic — people reading their poems & short prose works to others.