Your Poetry Menu and American Life in Poetry: Column 443

[Tyisha Jaimie Elizabeth]

• 9/22, Su-- 1pm, reading at at The Bookworm (8702 Pacific St., Omaha) with Lucy Atkins, Becky Breed, Heidi Hermanson and others will read in support of Lucy and Becky's new book Writing in Community: Say Goodbye to Writer's Block and Transform Your Life. For more information see writeincommunity.com.

• 9/22, Su-- 9pm-1:30am, it's Shoot Your Mouth Off at The Shark Club (2808 S 72nd St, Omaha). Online sign ups on our FB 24/7 for priority stage time: facebook.com/Shootyourmouthoff. Check myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff for interviews with features and more information. Mandy Morgan and Jim Morrison will be your hosts as open mic poetry and comedy, featured readers from Omaha's slam scene and free drinks prizes await you. The best free show in Omaha! (every Sunday)

• 9/23, M-- 7pm, Open Mic at the Moon, at Crescent Moon Coffee (140 N 8th St #10 Lower Level, Lincoln). For more information, contact cresce...@inebraska.com and check www.crescentmooncoffee.com/. (every Monday)

• 9/25, W-- 8pm-12am, Acoustic Open Mic for musicians and poets at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso (1624 South St, Lincoln). Hosted by Spencer. For more information call 402-477-2007. (every Wednesday)

• 9/26, Th-- 7pm, Poetry Slam in Vermillion, SD at the Pit Lounge (main floor of the USD student union). Tonight features Matt Mason. $5 at the door. Sponsored by the Vermillion Literary Project. For more information, see http://www.usd.edu/orgs/projlit/poetryslams.html (last Thursday of the month)

• 9/26, Th-- 7-8:30pm, the Park Teen Center Underground Open Mike Coffeehouse Night. Open mic/slam poetry/hot cocoa/coffee/acoustic music for Grades 8 thru 12 at Park School (855 S 8th St (basement of the school), Lincoln). For more info, call 402/441-9471. $1 cover. (last Thursday of the month)

• 9/28, Sa-- 7:30pm, OPEN MIC for WRITERS & POETS! at GratitudeCafe & Bakery (1551 N. Cotner, Lincoln) This unique event is open to the public! Open to all writers & poets of any age & ability... an evening to feature your writing & enjoy others! Hosted by Amy & Jeff of The Lincoln Underground Literary Magazine. A PURCHASE OF SOME KIND MUST BE MADE DURING EVENING EVENTS. THANK YOU. Check out their Facebook page: facebook.com/GratitudeCafeBakery

• 9/28, Sa-- 7pm, Open Mic Poetry Night at A to Z Books (507 North Jeffers, North Platte) -- ultra large bookstore. It's a fun, funny, widely varied group. Poems can be short or long, funny or touching, rhymed or free verse. Musicians too. George Lauby of The North Platte Bulletin emcees and makes you feel comfortable. (2nd Friday, 4th Saturday).

• 9/29, Su-- 9pm-1:30am, it's Shoot Your Mouth Off at The Shark Club (2808 S 72nd St, Omaha). Online sign ups on our FB 24/7 for priority stage time: facebook.com/Shootyourmouthoff. Check myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff for interviews with features and more information. Mandy Morgan and Jim Morrison will be your hosts as open mic poetry and comedy, featured readers from Omaha's slam scene and free drinks prizes await you. The best free show in Omaha! (every Sunday)

• 9/30, M-- 7-8pm, WriteLife Presents: Writers' Open Mic at The PS Collective (6056 Maple St., Omaha). There will be 10 minute slots available for writers to sign up to read their work. This can be poetry, an excerpt from your published book, a piece that you're working on...anything goes, as long as you wrote it! Not a writer, but want to catch a glimpse of local creativity and talent? Stop by and be entertained! (last Monday)

• 9/30, M-- 7pm, John H. Dobrovolny reading followed by Open Mic at the Moon, at Crescent Moon Coffee (140 N 8th St #10 Lower Level, Lincoln). For more information, contact cresce...@inebraska.com and check www.crescentmooncoffee.com/. (every Monday)

******************************

American Life in Poetry: Column 443

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

There are thousands of poems about caring for the old, but I have never before seen one like this, in which a caregiver wades with an elderly person out into deep water, literally and figuratively. It’s by Marie Thurmer, a poet now living in Nebraska.


A Grandfather

We waded in the shallows,

holding his hands, then just

fingertips, as his feet

slowly lifted off the bottom.

The land did not stop

at the waterline, but simply

became unreachable.

His worn face bobbed above

the waves, breath in an O

as our words, fistfuls

of shimmering minnows,

scattered, lost on their way

to him. The tide carried

him out, then back a bit,

a gradual letting go into dark

waters, and we, still

in the ebb, could almost

mistake that O

for the response we wanted—

on the ins, I’ll remember you,

on the outs, goodbye.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2012 by Marie Thurmer, and reprinted by permission of the poet. Introduction copyright ©2013 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. We do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

******************************

--

         The new book is OUT! Look it over, buy a copy or twelve!
          Executive Director, Nebraska Writers Collective: newriters.org
                            My homepage: Matt.MidVerse.com
                State Coordinator for Nebraska: PoetryOutLoud.org
                    Find Nebraska poetry info at: PoetryMenu.com
 Past President, Nebraska Center for the Book: CenterForTheBook.nebraska.gov