Saratoga Senior Center Poetry/Storytelling Open Mic, April 12

Our host, Rachel Baum, got the afternoon rolling into poetry by reading a poem titled “Hoodie” by January Gill O’Neil, then introduced the day’s featured poet.

Rhonda Rosenheck is a member of the Board of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, runs Poetry Circle a critique group on the 2nd Monday of each month at the Schenectady County Public Library, & is a frequent participant in area poetry open mics. As she says, “I write sometimes.” She also talked about her obsessive writing projects, including daily Haiku, & read some Haiku (as well as other short poems, such as the “Lost Scarves”); also, limericks from the Bible, & even an example of her “crime poems,” “Slightly Bitter,” in an obsessive form, “tumbling rhyme.” An energetic, entertaining reading.

To start off the open mic portion of the afternoon, Rachel Baum read the title poem from her recently published poetry chapbook How to Rob a Convenience Store (Cowboy Jamboree Press). Gail Nixon followed with a pandemic poem, “Chaos,” then the self-affirmation poem, “Who Am I?”

Victoria Twomey read 2 poems from her 2023 poetry collection Glimpse (Kelsay Books), “Stadium Gods” & “White Dress on a Clothesline,” visual poems as befitting a painter of visual art. 

David (the 1st of 3 on the sign-up sheet) Soval read just one poem, titled “Suicide.” David Graham read “Totality” an eclipse poem, then a poem about the loons at Indian Lake in the Adirondacks. I followed with my eclipse poem, “Spathe is the Plathe.” Joyce Ruben read a piece about staying inside titled with a pun, “The Hides of March,” then one titled “Different Gardens.”

David Gonsalves began with “Neighbors,” a parody (or one might say, cynical take) on a Robert Frost poem, then a description of “Daybreak.”  Jay Rogoff, who has many books under his poet's belt, read a new poem titled “Why I’m Here” which told the story of the Jewish migration & his family from Belarus, the story of his grandmother & his parents.

Suzanne Rancourt came in towards the end & read from her phone (like so many of the young poets do), a poem about woodcocks mating in the backyard (& somehow I feel there is an [un]intentional pun in there).

This is a rare daytime poetry open mic held on the 2nd Friday of each month at the Saratoga Springs Senior Center, starting at 1:00PM, free, but check-in with the nice lady at the desk.