2nd Tuesday All-Genre Open Mic Out of Bennington, October 14

Of course we began as usual with our host’s Charlie Rossiter introductory rant, “The Mic is Open!” & on we went, with 2 rounds for each reader.

I was up first with a couple of new poems, in the first round my death-fantasy reaction to hearing the insipied song “On Eagle’s Wings” at a recent funeral. In the second round, an “accidental sonnet” on the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, “The Sound of the Tides.” 

Sharon Smith read 2 poems from her 2022 collection of poems, reflection. In her first round she read “Long Form Duet” for her parents, their cooperative roles, in a series of short stanzas, back & forth; then in the 2nd round the first poem she ever wrote back in 2018,  “Hearing the Shaman Boogie, or Is That a Waltz?”

Sherri Bedingfield read a poem titled “Animals Come” with strutting crows, an owl in the road, from a new book, for which Charlie wrote a blurb; then in her second round read a prose memoir, “Gloria & Me, 1957” for an Orenaug Mountain Press collection.

Charlie Rossiter, Full Circle Bookstore
Oklahoma City, 8/29/2010

Our host, Charlie Rossiter, began with a nature poem of sorts, “Nothing Much Happens Here;” his second round poem was “Morning Thoughts” which he said was one of many with this title.

Tom Nicotera’s first round poem, “The Trees on the Ridge,” was an Autumn poem, the trees & the light; then in the second round read a Halloween poem about The Green Lady Cemetery, a haunted place in Burlington CT, a descriptive piece, with a lyric ending.

Julie Lomoe’s only poem was titled “The Toothless Crone,” TMI about her missing dentures, hearing aids & growing old, 

Anthony Bernini began with a poem titled with a quote from Benjamin Franklin, “If You Can Keep It,” about fighting for our values, then, in the 2nd round, an old poem, “Survivors,” about squash abandoned in the fields, ending up in the market.

This is a monthly Zoom open mic for “all genres” with an eclectic mix of writers & & strummers, & what-evers is on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, at 7:00PM ET. If you are not already on Charlie’s list, send him an email at  charlierossiter@gmail.com & ask for the link & bring your stuff -- I hope to see you there.