Stone Soup Croutons, 2-5-20, Weekend War Cry

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, this poem doesn't go up because it's ready, it goes up because it's Friday morning.

Rachael Hershon featured this past Wednesday. it was a night light on poets reading but heaving on poetry aficionados. Or just friends/fans of Rachael. Either way, it's a win. Today's poem is hopefully a win. Rachel had a fun set list, and it was fun to incorporate the open micers we had into the mix. Thanks for reading.


Weekend War Cry

Tonight you may be dancing
with someone who used to hassle
the prison guard turned bouncer.

Those who did walk by him
quietly, shuffling on eggshells
filled with up-pointing needles.

Blood on the floor is expected
when you always land on your
belly, think you can flop into space.

In these moments before wake-up,
before regrets, before departing
before finding your final partners,

before your children, before
a need to hide from your stories.
In these moments, you have power.

Rachael and her entourage of admirers.

Our few and proud poets.

Special thanks to Black Byrd, James Van Looy and special feature Rachael Hershon.