Ghost Poems, October 27

There has been a long tradition in the Albany poetry scene, originating with events organized by R.M. Engelhardt, of Halloween-themed open mics but they had languished even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this year there was a rising from the dead at the Art Associates Gallery on Railroad Ave. in Albany, NY which had recently been the site of the poetry & art exhibit Poetic License - Albany. The host was, once again, goth/Poe/Baudelaire host R.M. Engelhardt.

I led off the list beginning with an old poem from Halloween years ago, inspired by Alan Catlin’s Killer Cocktails (1997) “Zombie Gourd,” then a poem only a week or so old “Witches in the Attic."

James Duncan has a new book out but read from an early book We Are all Terminal But this Exit is Mine (2017), a collection of short, short memoir, with a “true story about the ghost in the guest room closet," & another Halloween tale titled “October 31.”

Tim Verhaegen told a funny story of walking in Albany Rural Cemetery & meeting a “hot” gay ghost, the spirit of James Dean.

Josh-the-Poet read a dark poem about a warm spirit who has turned evil & cold.

Melissa Anderson read a piece titled “The Snake, or the Dream of the Werewolf” a meditation on tragedy.

Thom Francis introduced the last reader for the night who had been our host here, R.M. Engelhardt who read 2 pieces, a philosophical consideration of people & change titled “Some Spirits,” & “The Wolfman” combining a memoir of a poet from the early 1990s who read werewolf poems at the QE2 open mics, & of aging poets moving on to the suburbs.

It was a spooky night of poems of werewolves, witches, ghosts & memories of the past.