April is the Foolest Month, April 1

The start of a very busy month. The new Poet Laureate of Saratoga Springs, Jay Rogoff, sent out a list of 14 events in April, starting with this, “an evening of original funny poems by local luminaries,” (including me), in the Downstairs Lounge at the Whitman Brewing Company & Walt Café in Saratoga Springs. Jay was the host & MC; he said he chose the poets because we each had made him laugh out loud at some point in time. He began with his shortest poem, one about bacteria eating grime. We read in alphabetical order.

Joe Bruchac read a series of funny aphorisms, then performed Robert Frost’s “Whose Woods…” as a tango — it was! 

Jackie Craven’s poems point to her quirky, surrealist view of the world; she read “Still Life with Stuffed Olives” & sort of a break-up poem, “In Which I Try to Leave My Husband But Cannot Find the Words.” 

David Graham said he was reading poems from some 30 years ago, “Self-Portrait As a Runner-Up,” & a poem in 2 short parts, “Today Two Things Happened.”

Carol Graser’s funny poems were titled “The Winter She Left Us for Temporary Work in Kansas,” & “The Appendix” (as a woman).

Maggie Greaves began with a poem of collaged lines, “Things My Daughter Said During the Wildfires,” then one written this February “The Empires of Apricots,” & one written in her youth about an imagined figure skater, “Explication of the Presence of Ann Marie.”

Elaine Handley read about everything going bad, “Kafflooey” (which I don’t know how to spell).

After a break, Jay came back to read his poem “Horoscope.”

Susan Kress read a poem, “Tidying Up,” inspired by the Japanese author Marie Kondo, then, using her cellphone as a prop, read “The Muse is in Transit.”

Marilyn McCabe read “Strange Arrangements,” based on her early majoring in Biology in college, then “Lettuce,” &, based on anthropology, “We the People.”

Mary Sanders Shartle read a series of short pieces from a chapbook Advice to the Karma, including found poems (a great source of humorous poems), “Mortise & Tenon Tips” (dedicated to the late poet Naton Leslie, the sexy “Cleans Up with a Glass of Water,” & “Avoiding Fights.” 

Barbara Ungar noted that this was the 1st night of Passover & began with "Free Form Judaism,” then “Grieving for Seniors,” & a poem about her son’s fascination with the word “penis” “Now We Are 15.” 

Nancy White read a poem from 40 years ago, the Biblical “Eve Leaves,” then a monologue in the persona of Bill Clinton, & from her forth-coming collection What She Said, a poem about going to beauty school.

Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos

I brought up the rear by reading in its entirety the mini-chapbook, A Little Book of Irish Pub Jokes (A.P.D., 2023), about my infant grandson & his dog.

There was a little time left, so Jay opened it up to others & a poet he had met in one of his workshops stepped up, Robert Ridley, to read a poem “for Cindy.”

With so many poets reading there were of course many of their poet friends in the audience, including photographer Thomas Dimapoulus who posted some of his photos on his Facebook page. This was a congenial venue for poetry — food & drinks were available — the upstairs bar & cafe are spacious & the staff was friendly & efficient. I have found a new place to go to when I am in Saratoga. https://www.waltandwhitmanbrewing.com/