Writers Mic, January 10

Another popular Zoom poetry open mic with a loyal group of followers, with our host, poet Jackie Craven.

David Graham was the first reader with his newest poem, “Gratitude,” a meditative essay, with an epigraph from American poet Robert Hayden. 

Rachel R. Baum dialed in from Florida with a poem titled “Tiles from Mexico,” with images of flight, addressed to a deceased friend. 

Susan Oringel announced her new book Carnevale (David Robert Books), with the poem “The Stairs at Marion Lodge” about Pyramid Late retreat in Upstate NY.

Mimi Moriarty read her poem “Mummer’s Parade, January 1, 2010” descriptive of the annual event when she visits her family in Philadelphia from her series of poems about the parade.

Catherine Norr dialed in from Arizona & talked about her new chapbook from Finishing Line Press, Goat Farm Road: Poems from the Adirondack Mountains, then read the poem “On the Road to Mountain Cabin.” 

Alan Catlin gave a most uncharacteristic reading (for him) with Haibuns, with hard winter rain, lightening in the forest, a creek floods, not a bar stool in sight.

Scot Morehouse’s humorous (& oh so true) piece titled “Save the Date, or Not” was about a notice for a high-school reunion, his high-school years were endured, not enjoyed he said, pondering when the next will be, & what that would be like.

Susan Jewell read a long, free-ranging poem, descriptions of sound & light, & strangely titled “We’re Sorry to hear You are Moving Away from Golina.” 

I read a piece based on my reading of the Tao, in a translation by Victor H. Mair, “Bright but Not Dazzling.”

Naomi Bindman began her reading with a trigger warning (I think all poems have an implied trigger warning: “this is a poem, it’s about things you don’t want to hear”)a piece of flash non-fiction titled “Echo” about a current echo-cardiogram, remembering an ultra-sound of her pregnancy, remembering dreams of her daughter before she was born.

Ellen White Rook read a poem of flowers & light titled “New Years Again,” then a revised version of one she read previously “Ghost Story.”

Kathleen Herold read an untitled piece about early morning walks at a lake, the colors, the sounds of a loon, filled with sadness.

Jackie Craven read what she described as “a short little bit of absurdity,” beginning, “if my dentist could probe deep enough…” an inventory under anesthesia.

With a time left on the Zoom clock, Jackie asked if anyone had anything else to read & there were 3 takers. First Rachel Baum read a love poem in metrics, “This is How You Love Me;” Sue Oringel read “What I Learned” about working in a restaurant; and Catherine Norr with a piece titled “Matter & Other Reds.” 

If you want to join this open mic held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, you can find the Zoom link on the Facebook page for the group Writers Mic.