Having a poetry slam in a sauna was an inspired choice of venue. It was hot in Travonna, whether or not it was the weather or an overtaxed a/c unit is not for me to say. Sometimes you can't control the conditions and we dealt with them.
That said it was a great night of poetry. I'm proud of my team. Atticus did what may have been his best performance yet. Ellie showed that she belonged by more than holding her own reading between Barbara Fant and Rachel McKibbens. Paula did what she wanted, read off paper.
In the blur of heat, noise and action - two poems stood out. Roger Bonair-Agard's Black Penguin poem, which I had never heard, and what I think is a newer work by Ethan Rivera.
Then, I was the first poet to be name checked in a poem of the night. Scott Woods, still playing up the race war, wants his mulatto niece to kill all the while people she does not like. The poem did have an image of Scott and I, in the bunker at the end of the race war, eating chicken wings, dipping them into mostly empty jars of mayonnaise, both of us battered to the point where skin color does not matter. Thank you Scott, but a five point time penalty, really?
Had the pleasure of following up Laura Yes Yes, felt like I was following Amy Everhart at IWPS. I read my calling out poets poem, Slam Poet Junction. Did not know how well I was being received but after awhile I focused on Tom Budday's laughter and played it smooth. Got a respectable score, even with a 6.2. Uh, ok. I was fourth in my round, I think.
Our team far from first but we're not in last place. Round two is at one o'clock, and I could not be a happier poet.
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