Third Thursday Poetry Night, February 19

Tonight’s featured reader, Ian Macks, in the last half-year has had free-publicity in the Albany Times Union — but not as a poet. During the July 4th celebration in Albany a building on Madison Ave. was burned down by a flare gun being fired through a window. Ian lived across the street & the TU runs a photo of him looking at the building whenever they do a story about the incident, which was most recently in December. We’ll get to his poetry in minute. But first I invoked tonight’s Muse, the gone poet Amiri Baraka (1934 - 2014). A friend recently gifted me a copy of his collected S O S: Poems 1961 - 2013 & I read a late piece, “All Songs Are Crazy.”

There was a packed house, 11 on the open mic list, plus an enthusiastic audience of listeners. Everyone who signed the open mic list did so with just their first name (but I knew the last name of many). The first up was Avery (Stempel), who read a memoir/elegy, of 4 different people, in the details they left behind. Tim (Verhaegen) read about his history of dealing with alcoholics & a recent meeting, “Saturdays,” a rant/description of a couple in Hannafords, & a men’s only support group - phew!

Amanda (Pelletier) gave the audience a choice, the audience opted for the first part of a longer piece, with the repeating line “a breath was caught in her …” about an assault (tune in next month for the promised 2nd half). Kayla read about never writing political poems, but her personal rant was about looking for answers for justice, looking for change -- the ultimate political poem.

Shamyla said that she was a former Albany High School student who had entered a couple of poems to the Tom Nattell Peace Poetry Prize a few years back when she was 16; tonight she read an intense biographical piece, about deciding that “seize the day” is the way to live.

Ian Macks reads frequently in open mics here. Tonight he read mostly from his book Identity Crises (Recto y Verso Editions, 2024), the poems in the order that they appear in the book. He began with the opening poem, “Our Dreams are Kerosene,” mixing racist incidents with alcohol & weed; in fact he confronts racism throughout the book, as both a pervading theme & a persistent undercurrent. That includes his poems “The Ringing in my Ears” (about the “school to prison pipeline”), “Over the Top, Behind the Back,” “Veins Popping//Inconvenience” (responding to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery), & “Say Hello to the Feds.” Another major theme is that of feeling alienated, particularly in school, such as “Nevermind, forget it…,” “Autonomy Search Party,” & “Orbit.” But he could also be tender, as in “A Mother’s Love” (his parents were there in the audience to support his reading). He also read the four poems published in the recent January 2025 (Volume 7) edition of Paper Moon Magazine, then capped off his reading with “Return to (soul),” searching for peace.

We took a short break, but unfortunately Ian didn’t have copies of his book with him to sell. After which I started off the rest of the open mic with this year’s “Birthday Poem” about that day in Philadelphia. Maria (Sohn) read the contemplative “The Me That is Here” that was inspired by looking at old photos of herself, “same essence different flowers.” Cat’s poem “Lessons in Fear” was based on an encounter she saw on the street, & a litany of her fears, some scary, some even humorous.

Doug was new to this open mic; he performed a piece on growing up, "work work work," & partying, in rhyme, from memory. Austin Houston has read here many times, this night he read “Rest in Peace, Renée Nicole Good,” a love poem to the woman murdered by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Danea was another new voice, who read a poem that was an introduction & mini-bio, about her recent health issues, struggling to stay alive. Caitlin Conlon who will be the featured poet next month, read a tender piece written a week ago & never read out before, remembering sharing a joint, falling in love.

This open mic occurs on the third Thursday of each month at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY 7:30PM with a featured reader — suggested donation of $5.00 to support poetry events in Albany & the work of the Social Justice Center.