Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic, October 4

Seems like I was just here, as I was, for the 20th Anniversary for the Poetry Open Mic, just a little over a week ago. We were back this night for the next 20 years.

Our host, as always, Carol Graser, began with a poem by Aimee Nezhukumatathil titled “Baked Goods.” 

Then on to the featured reader, tonight Ellen Rook whose book Suspended was recently published by Cathexis Northwest Press. She began with what she described as one of the 1st poems she had published, about getting lost going home with her mother. She went on to read a half dozen of poems from Suspended, sprinkled in with a few others. But if you want the full experience of her reading, which I recommend, you can find it on the Caffè Lena YouTube channel.

The open mic is not live-streamed & therefore not available on YouTube, so you are just going to have to trust me on from here on. Also, please note that since I was not able to get a copy of the sign-up sheet I can’t verify the correct spelling of the names of the readers that I am not familiar with.

First on the open mic list was Mary Anne Rockwell with one of her own, “Conundrum” then one by Denise Duhamel “Anti-Christ.” 

Jackie Craven read from a series of “survivalist prose poems, “The Predatory Chain” & “Window Treatment.” Mark Clitch(?) read a rhyming piece from his laptop “Seashore.” Rachel Baum shared a poem titled “Look Down at Coyotes with Me” saying she had been attacked by a dog back in May, then a poem based on a train ride to NYC “Waiting for Fog to Lift.” David Graham read a magic poem “Ask the Wind if It’s Weary.”

Dawn Marar read a moving piece, “The Man Stitches,”  he stitches her heart with his voice. Justin Mitchell was reading in public for the first time ever! a piece in rhyme “Permanent Change,” & the descriptive “Fall Morning.” Jean Ungar was another 1st timer (i.e., virgin) with a couple of rhyming pieces, “The Eyes of Winter” & “Ancient Forest.” I jumped the gun on Halloween with my poems “The Witches in the Attic” (for an anniversary of sorts) & “This is Not Trick or Treat.”

Mark G. finished off the night with a funny Haiku, his first ever written, from high school, then a piece on the extinct Dodo bird, “What Do a Bird Do?,” then snuck in another Haiku before he was dragged off the stage.

It’s been happening here at Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs for 20 years now, so the odds are pretty good you will find us here next month on the 1st Wednesday, with a featured poet at 7:00PM (sharp!), followed by an open mic — sign up for the open mic at 6:30PM — $5.00 (cheap!).