2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, February 11

Back at Collar City Mushrooms for the open mic, with our hosts Nancy Klepsch & me. We were joined by folks from a regular poetry workshop in East Nassau so we had a full open mic sign-up list — but always room for more. 

Appropriately enough, first on the list was Avery Stempel, the proprietor of Collar City Mushrooms, who generously opens his farm/shop here for poetry each month; he read a work in progress inspired by the struggles of his cousin, a piece in rhyme beginning, “We’re all just broken people…”

Kathy Smith read some new poems (her book of poems, Let the Stones Grow Soft, was published in 2023 by The Troy Book Makers), the sad “In Geologic Time,” & one from a prompt from her poetry group to use the Imperative voice, “Downsize” -- the first of many poems today based on prompts.

Mimi Moriarty, who is in the poetry group with Kathy, read a Valentines Day poem, “I Wish For You,” then one titled “Wrong” posing the question, “what if we were wrong?” (Reminded me of a quote from Louis-Ferdinand Celine, “Learn how to be wrong, the World is filled with people who are right, that’s why it’s so disgusting.”)

Speaking of being wrong, I read next, 2 thematically related poems, “Joe the Bartender” & “Birthday Poem 2024” celebrating 60 years of sitting in bars.

Speaking of poetry groups, Philip Good was with others from his group to read a poem about the poetry group & Super Bowl Sunday (did I say this was the Day?).

Annabel Lee is in that group & read a poem from a prompt to write about a food & eating it, I think titled “Swedish Amber Crumbles;” then read another from the group (but not from a prompt), a word stream titled “No Mercy” (& how did Barry Manilow get in there?).

My co-host Nancy Klepsch read “The Invisible Lesbian” from her 2017 book God Must Be A Boogie Man, then a newer piece “Dear Taylor” for Taylor Swift.

Rhonda Rosenheck filled us in on some of the many poetry projects she is involved in, then read a love poem titled "Us" for her beloved, & one from mid-COVID based on a found-word prompt “Opulence.”

Agapi said she had read here previously, & began with, as so many did today, a poem from a prompt “Connecting” (inspired by working with patients who were dying); then a poem titled “Don’t Tell Me to Smile” that she wrote on New Years Day.

John Mason is also in the poetry group with Philip & Annabel, he read a string of thoughts titled “Forms” (complete with fungi), then a seasonal poem “When Does the Time Change, Fall?” which was a word play on that title. 

Anne Hoenstein had read here last month & today she read a sexy poem “Put a Light Around Me;” then another titled “Just What Grandpa Ordered.”

David Gonsalves finished off the list of readers with a couple poems, first “Uninvited Guest” a list of people at his son’s wedding, then one with the descriptive title “A Boy Scout Puts a Few Words in his English Teacher’s Mouth.” And that was it -- home for the Super Bowl.

The name of this open mic tells almost all you need to know, 2nd Sunday @ 2 — & the place is Collar City Mushrooms, 333 2nd Ave., Troy, NY — poetry + prose.