Happy Birthday, Xtina Strong

Happy Birthday Bridget Eileen

Moments I'm Proud of in 2018: My Reading at the Boston Poetry Marathon

Photo by  Bridget Eileen.

I've posted this photo from the event numerous times. I've gone on about how good the experience was. I can't help it. I savored the experience so much.

It was less than eight minutes, but it did the trick. It made me realize how much I missed reading. If I have any say this coming year, I will read a lot more.

Best Summer Memories

This was a year where I didn't read much, if at all. In fact, I'm sure this is the only reading I've done this year.

Walked through a mile or two of rain. Showed up at Outpost 186 soaking wet. Took less than 8 minutes to read. Felt like I killed it. Kept that good feeling with me for as long as I could.

Photo by  Bridget Eileen.

Boston Poetry Marathon: Last Day Haiku

Poetry at end,
rain on windowsill reminds
the world is waiting. 

Funeral for a Birth: My Boston Poetry Marathon Pastiche Poem

Carol Weston holding court for less than eight minutes.

Normally, I do a weekly series on my blog called Stone Soup Croutons, where I take half-heard lines and impressions and images from poems read on the Stone Soup Poetry open mic and turn them into my own poem. This past Sunday, I decided to do a similar poem on the last day of this year's Boston Poetry Marathon.

I got to Outpost 186 Sunday afternoon, just in time for Carol Weston. She was followed by almost twenty other poets I either knew, knew of, or was introduced to that day. I listened to everyone's work, took notes as quickly as I could and came up with the poem below. I finished it yesterday and waited to post it today, when we're likely out our glorious post-hundred-plus poet stupor (personally, I hope mine lasts until next Wednesday).

Is your name listed at the end? If so can you see anything from your set list in my final poem? After a while, I often can't remember what I got from who. Maybe you recognize your work and see what I wrote as the exact opposite of your themes. That's not deliberate, that's just me writing fast. I hope you enjoy it regardless. Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone else who read at the event. 


Funeral for a Birth

The poodles poked your tiny palm
feeling sorry for another small thing,

another sad thing born with a fear
of much larger feet, a predilection

Another Successful Boston Poetry Marathon

Suzanne and Bridget during the halfway mark of the marathon

Thanks to Bridget Eileen, Suzanne Mercury and Darren Black for putting on an amazing three days of poetry. I'm still posting photos from the weekend. You can see them on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Early Memories

Before the Boston Poetry Marathon was the Boston Poetry Marathon we know today, it was whatever event founder Jim Behrle wanted to call it.

My first participation in the event was back in May 2003, when it was called the Boston Poetry Massacre.It was held at Wordsworth Books, where Jim Behrle was working at the time.

It was my first reading since 1996 and first chapbook was released just a few months prior.

I remember doing better than I could have hoped. Got laughs. Kept my cool. Felt great. Still one of my top five moments.

I remember mingling with  poets afterwars, and was introduced to one of the poets by a mutual friend. It turns out he had seen me before.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "You're the guy who's always wearing green at poetry readings."

Memories like this help  me realize that I need to wear anything but green today.

The Final Boston Poetry Marathon Schecule

Excited

A weekend of poetry is coming my way. Check out the Boston Poetry Marathon, starting tonight.

August 10-12: The 2018 Boston Poetry Marathon is On

Special thanks to Bridget Eileen (who designed the logo here) and everyone else behind this year's event. I'm happy to be joining over a hundred other poets to read over this coming weekend. Please visit their website and read their schedule to see who is reading and when (I go on this Saturday at 1:32 PM). Each poet has eight minutes, and I plan to make the best of my time slot. As always, I'm the least of the reasons you should stop by this event at some point this weekends. There are poets to recommend for any time of any day you decide to come down.

The Schedule for the 2018 Boston Poetry Marathon is Up

The Boston Poetry Marathon is a three day event, from August 10 to August 12, with over a hundred poets. I go on Saturday at 1:32 PM as part of a great block that includes friend Timothy Gager and Boston Poetry Laureate Danielle Legros Georges. That't's just a small fragment of the weekend lineup. Check it out the full schedule here.

Boston Poetry Marathon 2018

They've asked me to be part of this event. I'm very grateful. Find out about more as the event is updated here.