The Return of the Purple Beret
~ Third Saturday Spoken Word at the Café Del Sol 7-9
I wore my purple poet’s beret. Mara’s was black. Everyone else was hatless, even though the night was frigid, and a few flurries earlier in the day threatened to cancel our open mic.
I’m so gullible. I tend to believe everything the poets say. But I’m pretty sure Janean (pictured below) did not hear a zombie climbing up the stairs where she works, going AAAARRRGG AARRRGG, as one of her poems described. 
She read another one about loving the NFL and later insisted that part was true. But she is not Greek as another line in another poem stated.
“I’m never going to get to know you better through listening to your poems,” I joked to her at the end of the night.
I sat up close, on the cafe couch as the poet's spoken words wove spellbinding plots. Six readers and some new attentive faces made up the crowd. Chelsea, who teaches writing at Radford University, is working on a new collection of poetry about insomnia. I guessed her new work might be directly related to her Java Poems, another collection espousing her love coffee. Sally, the Café owner, told jokes in between readings. She challenged us to write some coffee haiku for a future reading (although she gave me the poetic license to write mine about tea). 
When it was Mara’s turn, she read a poem about Jesus in which her favorite line was “Jesus was totally an Aires.” I liked this part: “Jesus drove with the windows down and knew what he wanted for breakfast.”
After that poem I spent the rest of the night jotting down things that my Jesus would do. I’m pretty sure my Jesus is a morning person who has a braid like Willie Nelson’s and wakes up in a good mood.
Post Notes: The first photo is of me and Mara. Photo number two is of Janean reading and number three is of fellow writer’s circle member and Scrabble playing friend Rosemary. Read more about the purple beret HERE. Click and scroll down HERE to read about more spoken word nights at Floyd's Cafe Del Sol.
Comments
Hi, Colleen, Michele sent me this time. I love your beret, but it is more purple than my vest, which is sort of plum.
I like your idea of Jesus...
LOL
Posted by: kenju | January 20, 2008 5:12 PM
That looks like so much fun. I have to say Floyd certainly is open to all the artsy types that live there...that is wonderful!!
Posted by: Sara | January 20, 2008 6:20 PM
wish we had a cafe like yours! floyd reminds me of a small college town in many ways where most are connected by a common denominator. :) and don't you look cute in your beret?
Posted by: sky | January 20, 2008 7:38 PM
these always sound like so much fun! i feel similarly about music open mikes, although there are none close by.
keep warm!
Posted by: bluemountainmama | January 20, 2008 9:59 PM
The Jesus poems sound like wonderful fun with a serious side...You all have such a great time at these open mics....It is terrific! LOVE that purple beret Colleen...Very Fetching!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | January 21, 2008 12:22 AM
I love the idea of a personal jesus, and what he would do etc. I may have to give that some creative thought.
I used to tease friends, telling them when I moved to CA, I would suddenly start wearing a beret, and that everyone would simply know me as Shephard who wears a beret, and think nothing odd of it... because they never knew me when I didn't wear one. :)
~S
Posted by: Shephard | January 21, 2008 12:36 AM
special fun- purple beret can't wait to hear about your Jesus..sk
Posted by: sandy kessler | January 21, 2008 7:48 AM
Oh fun! I like the idea of tea and coffee haiku's - there could be some amazing expressions of caffeine love there! ;-)
PS you look very cute in your purple beret - very fetching too!
Posted by: Absolute Vanilla... (& Atyllah) | January 21, 2008 9:33 AM
Hmm. I'd like to think Jesus is an Aries and knows what to do next and will do it. I'm feeling anxious this morning and some Aries energy would totally fill the bill. I'll try coffee.
Posted by: Sharry Teague | January 21, 2008 10:52 AM
Once again... I wish I could move to your town. I miss poetry nights. I love the purple beret. Now I am going to have to ponder my ideas about Jesus.
Posted by: inlandempiregirl | January 21, 2008 11:32 AM
Your berets are very beatnik which I suppose fits in with the whole poetry/coffee shop vibe lol. Michele sent me to say hello !
Posted by: WendyWings | January 21, 2008 4:44 PM
I'd like to hear Mara's poem. You look fabulous in purple and I am glad someone else likes to wear hats! I think hats are such marvelous inventions and terribly under appreciated. (Can you tell I watched 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' this weekend?) ...and I certainly hope she didn't actually hear a real zombie, that would scar you for life!
Posted by: Deana | January 21, 2008 7:29 PM
An open mic night for poetry would be so much fun. We've been working at organizing the artists community here for several years and are finally making progress both in gathering them together and gaining the respect of the community...but we aren't up to Floyd speed yet.
Posted by: Kat Campbell | January 21, 2008 8:56 PM
Yay for poetry. I just recently started writing some new poetry again after a long stint with my memoir/collection of personal essays thingy. We have a digital camera again so I'll make sure to take a couple of pictures for you the next time I manage to get out to one.
Posted by: Leigh in Atlanta | January 22, 2008 6:32 PM
I have heard a comic monologue somewhere or other along the same lines. I really like this idea....thinking out of the box. I should try something like this poem at some point.
Posted by: thebluebstbutterfly | January 29, 2008 8:31 PM