Stone Soup Croutons, 7-25-19, Last Night Between Heaven and Hell Where Poets Go (for Bill Barnum)

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard 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.

So, yeah. This intro is going to be a little longer than the others.

Stone Soup Croutons, 6-6-19, The Pulse

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard 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.

At last night's open mic, we were entertained by bassist extraordinaire Ethan Mackler, who not only had solo sets on the open mic (playing along to a Jack Powers recording at one point) but also performed with mime-at-large Marty Levin and played alongside James Van Looy. The title of today's poem comes from the nickname I gave Ethan years ago. Thanks for reading.


The Pulse 

They say bless the amputee
who still has something to give
as long as one remaining limb
can be fitted on the rack.

From Bill Barnum's Birthday

A scene from Bill Barnum's 94th with Bob Johnson, Marty Levin and Annie Goldstone.

Stone Soup Croutons, 1-31-19, Polished

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard 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.

Linda Carney-Goodrich gave us a great feature last night.She was amazing, and I enjoyed the open mike before her set. Also, we had more miming with James Van Looy and Marty Levin. It also influenced the poem below. At least I don't mention mimes in my poem like last week. Noting wrong with that, but I just don't know how I feel about a series of mime-based poems. Thanks for reading.


Polished

You're turned into the block of wood
she always thought you were.

Now you'll be allowed in her room,
your body placed on the windowsill
they thought you'd hang yourself over.

Stone Soup Croutons, 1-24-19, Inaction Items

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard 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.

Last night wast Stone Soup's last extended open mic of January. A small but fine sampling of poetry. Next week we have our first feature of 2019. We're already getting some new people on the open mic. Here's hoping we have more.

I wrote the last of this poem early this morning because I have a lot on my plate for the rest of the day. I've stopped writing New Year's kind of poems, which makes me glad. The mime/dance performance by Marty Levin and James Van Looy was a big help. You can see a sample photo below and a near-full video of that piece of inspiration here. Thanks for reading. 


Inaction Items

Today is the first day
you did something new

and so unimportant
you won't even remember.