You Me & Poetry, August 22

This show was held at the Fuze Box, 12 Central Ave., Albany, NY one of an ongoing series run by Schenectady Poet Laureate, Sincerely Donnie (Adonis Richards) & Lucid Voices. The theme of the night was “o.p.p.” (i.e., other people’s poetry), although not required. Many did read o.p.p. as well as their own. However, many readers did not identify the author of the  they were reading. Not matter, the night was over-flowing with poetry.

Adonis started us off with a poem by a poet whose name I didn’t catch & by the end of the night I forgot to ask him, but it was titled “Strength” with a memorable line, “I am tired of trading my poems for your applause.”

The MC of the night was the lovely poet who goes by the handle, “I Am Danea,” who also performed later in the evening. The first poet introduced was performer Kareem Ture, with the handle “Your Favorite Underrated Poet,” who performed o.p.p. from memory (author?), then another piece which I think was his own. He was followed by Platt (?) with “a dreaded audience participation piece” (as we used to say in the old days) titled “It’s Not that Simple.” JTDPoet was familiar to me from the open mic scene, & has read at Poets in the Park; he did one of his characteristic positive self-actualization pieces. John R. Tevan III, better known for his prose fiction, read a political rant in rhyme, “The Reverse Opium Wars…” 

Some other poets, not known to me, were not clearly identified, such as Camillia (?) who read a piece titled “Puzzle Pieces,” perhaps o.p.p. Miss Allie read her own piece but it was untitled. Another read, according to my notes, “who would have thought? a love poem?” The “signup list” was apparently kept via text messages between the organizers & the MC so there was nothing I could get my hands on to verify names.

For my turn, I read “Black Einstein” by Moses Kash (America’s Moses Kash, III, Ph.D.) (1945 - 2017) dated 1/3/02, what he subtitled “a prose poem,” a personal portrait & praise piece about himself -- glad to do it for you my friend.

There was a break for some music spun by DJ Trifecta, then a 2nd half that included many of the principal organizers, starting off with Dahoud (?), introduced as “the Stage Manager,” who performed his own piece about a stickup on Coney Island, then some o.p.p. love poems, but sadly, he said the names of the authors too fast for me to catch (& said nothing about them).

There was an enthusiastic introduction for Eros (Logan, who had been at Poetry Jam last night), who did an o.p.p., apparently untitled, a love poem on the theme that a picture is worth a 1000 words.

As he did last night at the Poetry Jam at AMBACC, Jav Rux (aka, Mojavi) paid tribute to other community poets in the house (including me), then did o.p.p., a love poem beginning “I want more…” Our MC, I Am Danea, performed a steamy, graphic, hyper-erotic piece — phew! Aaron (?) performed a couple of o.p.p. by his friends Kareem, & Adonis in the house. 

Miss Elizabeth also did o.p.p., a love poem by I Am Danea, & a couple of her own pieces. The next poet was perhaps named Nioko (?), read from her phone a couple of short, self-reflective pieces. DJ Trifecta said that she was a spoken-word artist before she became a DJ, read a powerful rant titled “Our Bodies Are Political.”

Poet Tai (or Kai?) read rather than performed the lyrics from his own rap songs. Dee Journey, who had also performed last night at Poetry Jam, did a piece from memory that I think was titled “Unapologetically Luminous” in praise of women. Eros was back to cap off the night, having removed his fancy shirt, to a tee underneath, did a piece on Daydreams (erotic ones, of course), & promoted his line of poetic cookbooks.

You Me & Poetry pops up frequently, though apparently not on a regular schedule, & often at the Fuze Box on Central Ave., so check social media regularly for notices. Worth hanging out.

[As always, if I get something wrong — a poet’s name, a title of a poem, or anything else that needs to be corrected — send me an email (it’s in the Blog) & I will humbly correct it.]

Poetry Jam, August 21

This monthly open mic is held at The Alice Moore Black Arts & Cultural Center, 135 South Pearl St., Albany, NY. This night there was a trio of hosts, Mark, Stephanie Robinson, & “Mr. Harris” serving as hosts/MCs, with DJ Landlord. In between the poets there were a series of trivia questions for the audience about notable black figures in history, politics, & entertainment; the entertainment questions were generally beyond me, but I did get a couple of politics & history questions correct.

Those who read/performed were a mix of poets I’ve heard previously, sometime going back to the earlier days of the Albany poetry scene & new faces & voices to add to the history. The first 2 up were poets with whom I am familiar. First Carol Durant with a piece in rhyme about the power of “Our Ancestors.” She was followed a poet who had been featured at the Third Thursday Poetry Night at the Social Justice Center in April, Valerie Temple, aka Bertha Blunt who read her funny, rhyming piece with a lesson on diet, “Sugar Poem,” then a poem she said she has been working on since she was in 8th grade, “Cultivating Love’s Garden.”

After a break for trivia, Ebony Queen gave a lively, erotic performance of 3 pieces, all in rhyme, first the serious “The Willy Lynch Syndrome,” then a sexy description of a “Nubian queen” & a white man, “The Afro-Centric Bond,” & the intensely erotic 1st person “Mistress of Masturbation.” I followed, sweating, & tried to be as energetic with my “hot pants” poem, “Southwest Flight 2095” referencing a song by James Brown.

Dr. Andrea Miranda-Pestana, the Deputy Director of the Center of Law & Justice, announced next month’s Poetry Jam for September 18, with the theme Boriken Night: Celebrating Amefricanity - stories of displacement, pain, joy and collective liberation. Ann Garcia was here to read for her first time, 2 pieces: “Full Disclosure” & a piece that riffed on the Psalm “He Maketh Me…” Stephanie Robinson sang a praise song to Black Men. Samia read 2 untitled pieces, one about warm-hearted soft hands, then a more serious love poem.

Sean Davis performed a somewhat preaching rap on chains, freedom & the need for forgiveness. Dee Journey did a sultry piece with a stage joint, a memory piece on music & smelling the loss of a love in a market place.

Mojavi, now also going by the name Jav Rux, was once the host of an open mic at Clayton’s Restaurant on Washington Ave., Soul Kitchen, back in the late ‘90s; he talked about the old poets of this area, some (like me) in the audience here tonight, then accompanied himself with music off his phone to a rant on how we are taught oneness through the perfect beat (the soul of Black folk), & dance. Logan, who I remembered from an electric night of poetry & music at Proctor’s Theater some months ago, read an erotic piece from his phone, a memory piece about falling in love to (& with) rhythm & blues.

Adonis Richard, also known as Sincerely Donnie, & who is the very busy Poet Laureate of the City of Schenectady, did his often-performed piece on race & how it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Victorio Reyes, once the Director of the Albany Social Justice Center, now returned from a teaching gig in Puerto Rico, did a piece titled “Statehood?” piling up the well-worn images of tourist attractions, the victim of colonial exploitation.

Hosts Stephanie & Mark noted the presence in the audience of Charles Touhey, the widower of the activist Alice Green, the founder of AMBACC, with a tribute to the long lasting love of Alice & Charles, & all the good they have done for the community of the City of Albany. Then Stephanie ended by singing Carly Simon’s “You make me feel like a natural woman.”

Did I mention the food? I was too busy scribbling my notes & taking pictures to be able to handle an over-flowing plate & fork, but it sure looked good.

Sorry you missed it? Well, this is a monthly event on the third Friday of each month at the Alice Moore Black Arts & Cultural Center, 135 South Pearl St., Albany, NY, 7:00PM to 9:00PM — donations gratefully accepted. 

Third Thursday Poetry Night, August 20

To start off the evening’s poetry I, as I do each month, invoked the Muse in the form of a gone poet, tonight the spirit of Lew Welch (1926 - 1971), whom I noted had been born on August 16 in 1926. He famously walked into the mountains of California in May 23, 1971, with a revolver & his body was never found. I read his short poem beginning “I saw myself…” from his Ring of Bone: Collected Poems 1950 - 1971 (Grey Fox Press, 1973) which seems to predict his death. Then on to the work of living (& present) poets.

First on the sign-up list, & here for the first time, was Laura Ludwig, who for many years ran the monthly poetry open mic at Inquiring Minds Bookstore in Saugerties, NY; tonight she read a poem titled “Jazz,” trees & the music of Louis Armstrong, the joint jumping, with the memory of artists. 

Thomas B. was here once again to read “The Same Power,” a tender, relationship poem. 

Maria Sohn was back after an absence; she said that her introduction to her poem was longer than the poem itself, & told a story of finding a box of poems in her attic, among which was a poem by her best friend, Margaret, & the next day Margaret’s sister called Maria to tell her that Margaret had passed away, so Maria read Margaret’s poem, titled “Cal’s Tavern,” a gallery of the town’s characters drinking in the Tavern. 

The night’s featured poet, Jason O’Toole, brought friends & relatives to cheer him on, notably, his mother Christine, whom I had met in high school in my senior year at Vincentian Institute here in Albany in Journalism class. Jason was born in Albany & I first encountered him in the music scene in Albany centered around the QE2 rock club, just down the street from from the building that would become the Social Justice Center. He began with poems published by Ghost City Press, out of Syracuse, NY with vintage Albany photos, looking back to the past, including “Sissy Boy” which mentioned Snyder’s Lake. The centerpiece of his reading were poems from The Strange Misgivings of the Sadly Gifted, originally published by Dead Man’s Press Ink of Albany, NY, now available in an expanded 2nd edition with illustrations by Alexander O’Toole (to whom the book is dedicated) & collages by The Collage Club of The Netherlands based on Jason’s poems. He moved on to a mix of published & new pieces, including “Astropastoral (The Second Pentacle of the Sun)" for which he had won the 2025 Amy Lowell prize, & ended with a brand new poem, “Small Maps.”

Following the break I got back to the open mic list & read an old piece, “I Thought I Saw Elvis,” noting that Elvis “left the house,” so to speak, in 1977 on the anniversary of Lew Welch’s birth.

Tom Bonville read “What I Realized,” just written this morning, pondering the customers at his local Walmart & their cars in the parking lot.

David Gonsalves wrote the poem “Perseus” about meteors although he didn’t see any this year.

Elaine Kenyon hadn't signed up at first, but ultimately decided to read a new piece, still hand-written, responding to a poem by Mary Oliver, one that begins with the line “In Every Heart.”

Please join us at the Social Justice Center, 33 Central Ave., Albany, NY on the third Thursday of the month for a reading by a local or regional writer, with an open mic for the rest of us — start time 7:30PM, your donation supports poetry events in Albany & the work of the SJC.