2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose, July 14

Once again I was the solo host as my co-host was busy with a reading by the winner of the Troy Pride Poetry contest. For me personally this was the 4th poetry event I was at in the last 3 days: 2 on Friday, 1 yesterday, & this one this day (David Gonsalves was also at all 4 events).

The first name on the sign-up sheet was a first-timer here, Wayne Cochran who read a piece that has been published in Reformed Jewish Quarterly, the Psalm-like “Oh Let Me Behold Your Presence,” then one about things to do in Nature “Springtime.”

Avery Stempel is the proprietor of Collar City Mushrooms & makes this space not only available for this open mic every month, but for other poetry, art & gastronomic events at other times. He read from his series “From Here to There” about things he sees while driving, this a portrait of a bike rider “Watervliet 19th Street Afternoon.”

I read a single, long poem, a political rant from years past, “Richard Nixon Must Die.”

Joel Best’s poem “Travelers” was a list, or string, of connected, perhaps spontaneous images.

The afore-mentioned David Gonsalves read a couple of equally strangely compelling pieces, “Altar Calling” which was like a tin can telephone with no-one at the other end, while “Lover Man” invoked other places, other worlds.

2nd Sunday @ 2: Poetry + Prose is a monthly open mic held at Collar City Mushrooms, 333 2nd Ave., Troy on the, that’s right, 2nd Sunday of the month at 2:00PM — 2 poems, a maximum of 5 minutes of prose — & you can buy & take home mushrooms for the family.