Loose Leaf Notes

1. It was a rainy night, five days before Christmas, so I wasn’t expecting much of a turnout for the third Saturday Spoken Word night at the Café Del Sol. But when I arrived, I flung open the door and there was Darth Vader, Mrs. Claus, and a birthday party with cake being passed around the room full of people.

2. Telling us it was “Bring Your Kid to Work Day,” Darth called Luke up to the mic for a skit in which he explained that he was Luke’s real father. Luke didn’t take it well. At the end of his 10 minute time slot, Darth revealed the face behind the mask.

3. Sam read a short story. Gloria read a poem about a classified ad and motorcycle ride. Greg read a piece spurred by the low turnout for the Veteran’s Day Parade, and Rosemary read about her children growing up and leaving home. There were nineteen readers in all, a few were first timers. Others spoke of taking writing classes at the Writers’ Bloc, run by Haden Polseno-Hensley a block down the street.

4. It was Heather’s birthday and Laura (who also read) baked the cake. The whole room joined in a Happy Birthday song to Heather when she took her turn at the mic (photo is of Heather receiving our song). She spoke about being moved by last month’s event at the Black Water Loft, her first Spoken Word Open Mic, and said she couldn’t wait for the next one. She belted out an Erykah Badu song that she has sang as a girl’s camp counselor, one about lightening the load of emotional baggage. Confessing that she has no aspirations to be a singer, she told us that singing in public scares her and that singing for us was a way to face her fears.

5. It’s always a pleasure when singer and Café del Sol owner Sally MC’s the monthly event. She introduces each reader with a knack for ad lib. “You’re not going to steal my band,” she joked after Heather sang.

6. The youth of Floyd was well represented, with at least four members of Young Actors Coop in the house, each one took a turn at the mic demonstrating their theatrical flair. Crystal (not a member, pictured above), a recent Floyd High graduate, read some stream of consciousness power packed poetry from her laptop.

7. I read the entire contents of my new TEAPOET chapbook, but because the meditative poems in it were all short … serving up sips of haiku and other poetic brew … it fell well under the 10 minute time slot limit. Rose, who later read a poem about a rose, took the photo of me. That’s my New Castle beer on the table (too late in the night for tea) and my basket of writer’s wares (books) that I have taken to carrying around.

8. Mara read new poetry and also joined with her daughter Kyla in song. The announcement of THIS song brought cheers and some sang along.

9. Associate editor of Floyd’s new literary and art publication, Floyd County Moonshine, Jay Settle returned after attending last month’s event at the Black Water Loft where we featured readings from the publication. Jay, an English teacher in Radford, read one of his poems.

10. The open mic is not limited to poetry, storytelling, and literature, or even accapella song. Mrs. Claus ended the night with some humor, which included a question for Santa and for us. “Does this red suit make my butt look big?” she asked as she spun around.

Post note: For more posts on past Spoken Word’s click HERE and scroll down.