All Genre Open Mic out of Bennington, February 13

Charlie Rossiter, our host & Zoom master, started us off with his traditional “Welcome Rant,” that he has used at a variety of open mics over the years — & “the mic is now Open!” Charlie likes doing 2 rounds of supposedly 1 poem each so that's what we did. 

Surprise, I was first up on the sign-up sheet; in the 1st round I read my celebration of sitting in bars for the last 60 years, “Birthday Poem 2024.” 

Later, in the 2nd round, in a nod to the pending Valentines Day I read an old love poem, “Morning Key.”

Mark O’Brien dialed in from his attic, & in the 1st round showed an old photo of himself in the window an Amtrak train, his memoir poem responding to a prompt.

In his 2nd round piece Elvis appeared as a “psychopomp” (a spirit guide to the place of the dead), in a poem like a prayer. 

Bill Thwing began with a poem from the Japanese Haiku master Basho, then read the Japanese commentary & one of his own, & some translations from others. He brought out his guitar for the 2nd round, said he written song 25 songs written this month (!) & sang his new song, a dance piece “Mix it Up.”

Sherri Bedingfield read poems in both rounds from a 2016 collection of narrative poems she wrote of events in Scotland “Isabelle & Ann Early On,” & “Isabelle Entranced,” talking to her child. 

Julie Lomoe read a piece written last month, responding to a prompt about roads for a “Mike Jurkovic” open mic, but I think she meant Michael Czarnecki, her poem a visual piece “My Long & Riding Road Map” & thinking about ways to die.

In her 2nd round another responding to Czarnecki’s open mic, “Gratitude Poem the Day After Xmas,” a list poem.

Naomi Bindman’s 1st round poem, “Eating Flowers on a Winter Morning,” was a sensuous piece about tasting honey on the rim of her cup. 

Her 2nd round poem was one I’d heard her read previously, & the kind of poem I could hear again & again, about a gift of tulips from a friend, “No Small Thing.”  

Our host Charlie Rossiter in his 1st round read a poem about looking for heroes titled “Looking for Direction.”

In the 2nd round he read an old poem titled “Wrong Number” about a high school reunion & not remembering the kinds of things other folks seemed to remember.

Cheryl A. Rice, one of the 4 New Yorkers dialing in, began with a piece titled “23 & Me,” not interested in ancestry genetics. 

Her 2nd poem was a romantic memoir, “Romeo in July,” from the time she was dating her partner Michael, commuting to be together, full of tender details.

Tom Nicotera ended the 1st round with an early Summer poem, “Reading In the Spirit of T’ao Ch’ien [FootHills Publishing, 2012, edited by Charlie Rossiter] in my Breezeway” — you may still be able to get a copy from FootHill Publishing.

& he ended the night with a love poem, “Smack Dab in the Middle of the Suburbs,” a tender description of his lady friend’s house, flowers & trees, even the animals in the yard.

If you want to join this eclectic covey of poets who meet each 2nd Tuesday on Zoom (originating from Bennington, VT, send an email to Charlie charliemrossiter@gmail.com & ask to be put on his list, & maybe we’ll see you next time.