Third Thursday Poetry Night, May 19

In spite of the Corporate Run around Washington Park, an annual event, there was plenty of parking on Central Ave., & some of the folks on the way to the open mic at the Social Justice Center had a pre-reading dinner at Lazeez with tonight’s featured poet Tim Verhaegen. Tonight’s muse was the recently gone Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal (1925 - 2020), & I read his poem “The Price of Bras" from the City Lights book From Nicaragua with Love (1986). Then on to the open mic.

Avery Stempel was the first poet up with a piece titled “Layers” a dream poem of hidden doors & keys. Chris Z., who is one of Tim’s past workshop buddies, read a poem titled “Dixon Ave.” about the diversity of her former students, mostly immigrants, on Long Island. ZaZa said she has been “rhyming again, unintentionally,” & read  an untitled break-up poem. Kathy O. is also a former workshop buddy of Tim’s & joined us to read “Once More” about still yet another murder by guns.

The featured poet, Tim Verhaegen, brought with him copies to give out of his just-published chapbook, Visiting the Art Gallery When You’re Seven (swimming in happenstance press, 2022), then dove into  poems with mostly childhood poems (most not in the book), the first from when he was 9 years-old, “Third Grader’s Rhyme” that introduces his mother, then to “Old People” as a 7 year-old. Then another about being a child listening to an adult conversation “Thelma Talking to Harry in East Hampton About Mildred Fawn,” in 2 voices, full of humor & vivid characters. “Steven” was actually about the death of a cat, a love poem (from when he was 12). Many of us who have heard Tim read his poems over the years have heard “The Fuck Family” before, & we all would gladly hear it again, & laugh again which is perhaps his “signature poem,” a stunning portrait/elegy of his mother, & his Dad. He ended with a poem from the book, the simply titled, but tender & complex, “Letters.”

After a short break & the passing-of-the-hat, we returned to the open mic, with me, your host, with a May-themed poem “44,000” about the killing of students during anti-war protests in Kent State University in Ohio & of students at Jackson State University in Mississippi in May 1970.

Naomi Bindman, from Vermont, was here for the 1st time to read about a gift of tulips from a friend, “No Small Thing” each change to them like another gift. Joe Krausman is one of the regulars here, read an old poem about a bumper sticker “How Would Jesus Drive?” which he was reminded of by last month’s featured poet who read about a similar sign. Julie Lomoe is also a poet-about-town, but was here for the first time since we opened again here at the SJC, she read a poem about her recently dead cat told as the persona of “Sirius the Alpha Dog.”

Joan Goodman popped up tonight to read an older poem she pulled out of her files, a sestina about an earlier war, but one that could just as well be the current invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Sally Rhoades has a new book out, Greeted by Wildflowers from A.P.D., but didn’t read a poem from it, instead read one titled “Sitting with Joy Harjo” after reading Harjo's book Crazy Brave. Last poet up for the night was Sylvia Barnard, she walked over from Willett St. because no Uber could get over her street because of the Corporate Run, & she read an animal poem (“not a cat poem” she said), about a polar bear, about those driven out from where they live, by age or circumstances.

Poets of Albany, as well as listeners/fans, convene at the Social Justice Center, 333 Central Ave., Albany, NY, 7:30PM each third Thursday of the month for an open mic for poets with a featured poet — your $5.00 donation (more or less) helps pay the featured poet, supports other poetry events & supports the work of the Social Justice Center. Join us.