2nd Tuesday All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, August 10

This open mic has done much better since the pandemic forced it to Zoom. The host is poet Charlie Rossiter, who likes go around twice, one piece/performance each round.

Bridget Elder had been at the in-person version of this event, but this was her 1st time joining us on Zoom, & she jumped right in to read with “Give us Your Trees.” She stayed on theme (maybe it’s a Vermont thing) in the 2nd round with a descriptive piece about being in the woods.

Tom Nicotera’s 1st round piece was titled “Picking Up Trash,” scattered by a bear in the woods behind his house; in the 2nd round he read about a bar out in the sticks of Pennsylvania, “At Michael B’s.” 

Tim Verhaegen only did the 1st round, a tender dream poem about his mother that he’s read before simply titled “I Love Her.”

I pointed out that Friday had been the 76th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan & read Tom Nattell’s poem “Hiroshima” written years ago for the 40th anniversary of the bombing; in the 2nd round I read a brand-new bar poem typed up on a 3x5 card “Technology.”

By far the youngest poet to read in this series was Helena Bushee who in both rounds read short, funny poems in rhyme; I hope all us old farts didn’t scare her off from coming back again.

Our host Charlie Rossiter read a new poem that sounded like a surrealist dream poem, but he said it was for real, “Going Places that Don’t Exist.” In the 2nd round his poem “We Bought It All” was about the post-WWII aspiration to achieve the American dream.

In his 1st round Kenn Ash read from a book he was writing, this excerpt was about a survivor on a lifeboat in a storm. In round 2 he read a love song “Fairy Tale Love” filled with references to nursery rhymes & fairy tales.

Jim Madigan dialed in from Oak Park, IL (where Charlie had run an open mic) with a new poem in the 1st round, riffing on Whitman’s “I contain multitudes,” about the result of a DNA test that showed he’s “a mutt” (as he said). In the 2nd round he referenced Homer’s Odyssey, with “Sirens” about wanting to be tied to the mast.

Bill Thwing’s 1st round poem was from his book Search With Your Eyes, a meditation prompted by a panhandler “The Land of the Brave & the Free.” His 2nd round poem, “Paleo-Man’s Dilemma,” finished up the night, & he said it was based on a dream that led him to activism.

So no matter the weather in Bennington, or future lock-downs, or traffic, you can stay safe where you are & join the 2nd Tuesday All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington on Zoom. If you’re not on Charlie’s list for the link, email him at charliemrossiter@gmail.com & ask for the link. Hope to see you there.