Wednesday, August 20, 2008
:Stand Up Poetry launch TONIGHT:
I don’t know if anyone local apart from my handful of friends reads this blog, but just in case…
Stand Up Poetry - an open mike poetry event
launches at the Sound & Vision Section of the Palmerston North City Library
TONIGHT
7pm
Poets - bring five minutes of your best poetry to share
Poetry Lovers - come and enjoy the live words + free coffee and cake
*free*
Your host is...me! *blush*
Guest poet - Sean Monaghan, reading from his new book ‘Forgotten Trees’
Hope to see you there
***
I am very nervous. I am nervous in case no one shows up and then I am nervous that lots of people might show up - so I guess I’m just going to be nervous no matter what happens.
When I was starting out as a poet - I was supported and encouraged by many open mike events in London, Bristol and Wellington. It gave me such a buzz to have people listening to my words, and the organisers were uniformly encouraging and lovely...Stand Up Poetry is my attempt to ‘give back’ some of that encouragement I received. I hope it works out OK.
***
Seeing as this post is all about poetry - here’s a poem...and although it is dangerous to encourage the idea that all art is thinly veiled autobiography, I thought you might enjoy seeing the bunch of coriander flowers that features in this poem - so I made the image above. (Obviously, this is a summer poem - because the first line is certainly not true at the moment!) Notice the presence of both ‘tea’ and ‘up’ (see yesterday’s post.)
***
SEED SAVING
The first day cool enough
to take a long walk:
we saw dry grasses rattling
we stepped over a chewed sparrow
we bought second hand books
we picked up acorns
we came home because there are berries in the fridge
we come through the clicky gate, and
I am glad to be home. Glad for the blue door
and the call of the tea kettle.
The coriander by the steps has bolted - I pull out
the whole plants. Held together they make
a spindly white bunch. The sort of wild hippy bouquet
I would like to hold if I ever married you again.
I hang it up by the roots
in the hot water cupboard,
with brown paper underneath,
where – when it dries -
the seeds will fall
like confetti.
Posted by on 20 August, 2008 at 9:47am
I love the “seeds like confetti” image 
I am SURE people will come. I doubt I will be up on Friday night tho - sorry
Posted by artandmylife on 20 August, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Course I’ll come. So that makes three, at least - already a respectable crowd, for a poetry reading!
Posted by Tim on 20 August, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Great news, Tim! Make sure you bring poems!
x Helen
Posted by on 20 August, 2008 at 12:27 PM
Hello dear
…you are going to be a splendid host for a splendid winter feast of poetry. That’s so funny: nervous no-one will come, nervous lots will!!!
I had a tummy bug last night (or something), am dragging myself out to teach this pm, and am grimly determined to make it tonight. Sorry, that sounds SO not fun in its approach! But, you know what I mean.
Good on brave you…I’m really looking forward to the evening and I know others will be also.
Go those who flower in winter, go, go, go.
Love the coriander confetti word images and sounds – spindly bouquet.
Posted by Margi on 20 August, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Cool, Margi - so with me. you, Tim, Thom, the librarians and Sean there will be at least eight people there! That’s a good start! 
Posted by Helen on 20 August, 2008 at 02:17 PM
This is beautiful - my favourite so far. But did I say that about the last poem of yours I commented on? Oh well. I do love this. And I think to try and work out why would be to somehow ruin the magic of it.
Anyway, just wanted to say good luck with tonight. And thank-you for the poem.
Posted by Bec on 20 August, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Thinking I’ll be there. That is as long as my very dodgy brain doesn’t slip the information from it before 6.30 this evening. May even make it a Madz-only adventure and try leaving the ruby at home rather than having her try to make herself the star of the show by constantly climbing on the ‘stage’. Got no poems though so will have to be a pew straggler. see you there. don’t be nervous. you’re lovely.
Posted by Madz on 20 August, 2008 at 04:13 PM
Yaay! Madz! I’m stoked that you are coming. Thank youuuu!
And Becky, thank you too.
It’s so nice having this little online enclave of supporters!
xxxx H
Posted by Helen on 20 August, 2008 at 04:30 PM
Hey you! Have a fabbo night, wish I could be there. Love the poem
Posted by Helen on 21 August, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Wow, very nice poem. Well done, it’s fantastic!
Posted by Lyric on 5 October, 2008 at 10:20 AM
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