Third Thursday Poetry Night, April 20

“In Albany Everyday is National Poetry Month” so a poetry reading on the third Thursday of the month is not that strange — & tonight the house was packed for the featured poet Ellen White Rook promoting her just-out book from Cathexis Northwest Press Suspended. There was an ever-expanding sign-up list, but first we invoked the Muse, the recently gone local poet Noah Kucij (1979 - 2023) by my reading of his sonnet “Your Photos A Year Ago This Week.”

First poet up on a very crowded sign-up sheet was a former feature here Dawn Marar who read a descriptive piece “I Watched Him Play the Piano,” images of horses, birds, & the laptop keyboard. Sue Oringel, another former feature, read “Cardinal,” in all its meanings, starting with the bird. Linda Miller also read about birds, her poem titled “Bird of Prey,” her metaphorical self. Katrinka Moore referred to Ellen’s “On Waking” (in Suspended) about a Summer pond, then read her own poem about a Summer pond “Grace.”

A poet new to me, Rumara Jewett, & here for the 1st time, read in rhyme on the siege of Mariupol, Ukraine “Doom Scroll,” working in images of horrors from other wars. Naomi Bindman read her poem of birds “The Shape of Wind” that I’ve heard before & was pleased to hear again. Alan Catlin, who will be the featured poet next month, read “Eleven Seconds from the Finishing Line” on the bombing at the Boston Marathon in 2013. Alexander Perez read “Solemnities in White Leather” part of his series about desire with a character named Alejandro.

Starting at some point during the Pandemic I started printing out some of my shorter poems on 3x5 cards & giving them out to friends & strangers; I must’ve given my “Spring Haiku” composed of the repeated word “Boing” to Susan Riback. Tonight she read a poem she had written in which she uses the word “Boing”! Joe Krausman, who packed the house when he was a featured poet poet here in August; in an article in the Albany Times Union writing about the event Casey Seiler described Joe as a “flinty elf;” tonight read his brief, wry meditation on aging “Vertigo.”

Ellen White Rook is a poet, writer & teacher, & you can find her website here. She read a mix of poems from Suspended & others, beginning with the book’s title poem, then on to a couple poems with coffee (her favorite drug, she said), “French Press,” & the star-struck “Natalie Wood Buys a Cup of Coffee,” both not in the book. Others she read not in the book were the feminist “After Sunrise” & one on the theme of home, about a demon in the living room (“who doesn’t have one?” she mused). Other poems she read from the book were “Emigrant Song,” “At Cashiel Rock” about her sister, “Ruins” written in the Pine Bush during the pandemic, “Long Light Day” about her father, & ended with the last poem in the book “New Baby Poem.” Of course the audience was enthusiastic & generous with its applause, many may have had already heard these poems in peer groups & workshops in the poetry community — a community poet brings her friends as well she should.

During the short break Ellen was able to sell a number of her books, then we were back for the rest of the open mic. I was up next to read a new poem, a re-write/version/pastiche of William Carlos Williams’ “The Great Figure” with the same title. Joan Ilene Goodman read her sonnet “Words That Fly” an ode to paper without pen, the fabulous poem not yet written. Valerie Temple has come back, tonight read “Birthday Agenda,” looking forward to a celebration.

Jon Lloyd was here for the first time & read a playful piece titled “I, a Poem” dedicated to his family, & all his other influences, even the dog, the goldfish. Philomena was back after a pandemic hiatus during which she broke her leg twice, read the “The Betrayal of Objects” a prophetic poem written before she broke her leg. Marea Gordett came out to see her friend Ellen & read a love poem to a recipe “Rapture in the Soup Pot” with rich colorful (tasty?) ingredients. Catherine Dickert also read a food piece, a memoir titled, “My Birthday Dinner on a Friday Night in the Spring” having lobster as child with her family.

Melissa Anderson didn’t have a food poem but read one with the tantalizing title “Talking to a First Date About the Weather” about a Winter walk, a time for cold & waiting for Spring. Sally Rhoades read a piece from her memoir “Leaving the Mountain” about a time of changes in her family & her father’s surgery for cancer & her closeness to him. 

Rhonda Rosenheck was here for the first time, read a richly imagined genealogy “I Am From,” based on a poem by Judith Prest used as prompt in a workshop. Sylvia Barnard  made it here tonight, read a poem inspired by looking out her window “The Lamppost & the Tree” a little elegy for a friend. Josh the Poet ended up last on the list, but didn’t mind, recited from memory an inspirational poem finished yesterday, “Beneficial Gain.”

We gather each Third Thursday of the month at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY at 7:30PM —with a featured poet & an open mic (one poem limit) for the rest of us. Your donation helps support poetry events in the area & the work of the Social Justice Center.