Saratoga Senior Center Open Mic, February 14

We were gathered in a side room off the Lobby of the busy Senior Center, which was an improvement over the post-lunch dining room, with its noisy kitchen. Out host is Saratoga poet Rachel Baum, who started off with a poem by Elinor Wylie (1885 - 1928), “Sunset on the Spire.” There was no featured reader this month, but Rachel has suggested a theme, Love, this being Valentines Day.

When I arrived, about 4 poets had signed up for the open mic, but the #1 slot remained blank, so for the sake of order & neatness I took it; I read a love poem, “The Phrasing Must Change,” riffing off a line in a poem by Rumi, then a short little love poem, like a postcard, “Starting the Wine.” 

Rachel Baum followed with “Grief is a Person” that I recognized from other readings. Jeanne Ungar said she was here for the 1st time, having recently relocated from Brooklyn; she read “Each Night,” & a memory of being at Lake George as a youth, “Forest.” David Graham began with a poem by peace activist & poet William Stafford (1914 - 1993) “Passing Remarks,” then read “Summons” from his book The Honey of the Earth (Terrapin Books, 2019).

Leslie Sitter, who also reads at the monthly Caffè Lena Poetry Open Mic, read a memoir/history of her boyfriends/husbands. David Gonsalves read a characteristically quirky take on the theme with an unValentine, “My Allegany Valentine,” & another titled “Dog Woos Cat.” Gerry Wichrowski read Debra Spencer’s funny piece “The Discovery of Sex.” 

Elaine Handley read 2 poems on theme, “Old Love,” & the tender, domestic “In the Afternoon.” Sue Valactis’s poem “Dance of Life” was about the relationship of her aunt & uncle, while “Time Capsule” was inspired by her 50-year college reunion. Mary Abbott read a draft of a poem written just this morning, “Always My Favorite Valentine” about her “Jack of Hearts” who got his wish to for home hospice.

Last minute signup was Galen (? spelling), with a tender piece beginning “Yesterday’s socks…” — I like when an audience member is inspired to read after hearing others in the open mic. Earlier when Leslie Sittner introduced her work she said that she had another piece on the Valentines theme but it was “too long;” Rachel invited her to finish off the afternoon by reading it, a letter to her late husband, “To Jim & his F-150” — a sweet, humorous love story of a man & his truck.

This open mic for poetry, prose, story telling, etc. is held on the 2nd Friday of each month at 1:00PM at the Saratoga Senior Center, 290 West Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY — Free!