Brushes & Pens, January 9

At Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery in Troy. As it says on their website, “Brushes n’ Pens, an evening rooted in community and creative expression. Through spoken word, music, and advocacy, we gather to listen, share, and explore the stories that connect us.”

Interestingly enough all 3 of the poets reading this night had been at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in Albany in December & I, personally, am glad they were there.

First up was Mena Brazinski, who set the tone for her reading with her first piece, “It’s Been 3 Days Since I Thought About Having Sex,” personal, conversational pieces like telling stories over coffee. While musings about sex were a large part of what she read, there was a poem about her grandmother (“Joan”), one based on the movie “The Princess Bride,” one about a friend from school the title poem from her chapbook Other Things That Burn. Then there was the piece titled “Everyone is Fucking Each Other But Nobody Loves Me,” as well as excerpts she read from a longer ramble, “Pussy.” Very entertaining self-absorption.

Juni introduced themself as “I write poems about being queer & hating the government,” & read a string of longer, discursive pieces, but a bit more in-your-face than the first reader. The first piece they read was titled “Pomegranates Are Concrete,” which is an acrostic poem the poet announced after reading it. Other pieces were titled “Pill Bottle Pavement,” the anaphoric “Ode to Dykes,” “Parrot Among Penguins” (about living & Autistic in DC), “Sonnet for Charlie” (a rhyming piece, a screed against Charlie Kirk, “I can read this, I don’t think the FBI is in the room”), “Royalty Free” (a fascinating prompt to imagine all your past Halloween costumes as tattoos on your body), & a piece from a workshop on manifestos, another poem repeating the line “Our dreams …” Quite a tour of the life & feelings of the poet Juni.

The final poet was Mary Panza whom I’ve been listening to for as long as the poetry scene has taken over Albany, & she included some familiar favorites — she has developed “in-your-face” to a science, starting off with “Kiss My Fat White Ass.” “Fuck the Giving Tree” is a take-down of the Shel Silverstein tale. I’m never sure if this poem has a title, but it begins dramatically enough, “I am dreaming of Vim Vender's London …” stacking up images from film noir black & white, on to a portrait of a neighbor “Free-Balling in Work Pants,” & ending with a piece on the lies we were told titled “Painful Religion.” A great lineup of poets with attitude.

Wavy Cunningham rounded out the night with his rap pieces, backed by his own mix tape, I don’t think there were titles, or if there were they were imbedded in the stream of rhymes & alliterations.

Check out the website of Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery for a schedule of their events, donations accepted — at 147 4th St., Troy, NY