Happy Birthday, Mik Augustin

Hope it was a good one.

Stone Soup Croutons, 8-22-16, Playtime

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. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, the poem doesn't go up because it's good; it goes up because it's Tuesday morning. I've done fifty of them now, and you can read them here.

Not only did we have Mik Augustin's feature, we also bid farewell to the man known as Big Poppa Ben, who has graced our open mic many times over the past year. A slightly sad but happy night. So it's a surprise the poem came out so dark. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.


Playtime

The ongoing dilemma
either to serve others faithfully
or ride the Paris caravan
until you're left with your hand out

in the clothes your mother dressed you in
when she confided to her yogi
that she couldn't see bringing you to term,
which to her meant middle school.

Moving

Mik Augustin is featuring tonight at Stone Soup. Be there for the north shore invasion!

Mik Augustin is Featuring at Stone Soup on August 22

Read his poem in today's Stone Soup Servings column in Oddball Magazine. Then be at the Out of The Blue this Monday.

August 22: Mik Augustin Invades Stone Soup

For several years, I've talked about those whom I've lovingly nicknamed "north shore invaders," poets from Salem, Beverly and other north shore towns in Massachusetts who have come to Stone Soup to generously share their work. There's a great poetry scene in that area, and we've invited many of their finest to feature. The last time I featured one such invader was over a year ago, and that's too long. Time to rectify that.

Mik Augustin was always one of the quieter members, but when he did read you knew you always wanted to hear more. We have our chance on August 22. Mik has a full feature to do with as he likes. I know you'll love it as much as I will. All you have to do is be in the audience with me.