Your Poetry Menu and American Life in Poetry: Column 520

[Matt Mason]

• 3/9, 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)

• 3/11, W-- The UNO Writers Workshop presents a reading by Greg Kosmicki and Natasha Kessler in the UNO Art Gallery (Fine Arts Building, UNO Campus, 1st floor). This reading is free and open to the public.

• 3/11, 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)

• 3/13, F-- 7pm, Open Mic Poetry Night at Espresso Shoppe (419 North Dewey St, North Platte). 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).

• 3/13, F-- 7-9pm, Feminist Reading of Poets and Writers at Connect Gallery (3901 Leavenworth St, Omaha). Come join us for an insightful reading of poets and writers on the topic of feminism. Artist Courtney Kenny Porto will also be there to answer any questions about her feminist body of work. See the Facebook Event for more information.

• 3/14, Sa-- 11am-12pm, "Poetry from the Plains" at the Durham Museum (801 S. 10th St, Omaha). Twyla Hansen, Nebraska State Poet, will read selections of her poetry and discuss how the landscape of the Great Plains has inspired, influenced and shaped her writing. For more information, call 402-444-5071.

• 3/14, Sa-- 7:30pm, the OM Center Poetry Slam and open mic (1216 Howard, Omaha). Tonight features world champion performance poet Sierra DeMulder! It's the longest-running slam in Omaha, often featuring some of the best performance poets in the nation. Open mic starts at 7:30 followed by the slam; sign up BEFORE 7:30 as signup is limited. Hosted by Zedeka Poindexter. $7 suggested donation. Call 402/345-5078 or go to OmahaSlam.com for more information. (2nd Saturday of every month)

• 3/15, Su-- 2-4pm, National Women's History Month reception at W. Dale Clark Library (215 S. 15th St, Omaha), featuring a reading/discussion by Twyla Hansen, Nebraska's State Poet, selected readings from “Celebrate XIX,” a publication by and about local women, live music and refreshments. Co-sponsored by UNO and OPL, the event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 402-444-4838

• 3/15, 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)

• 3/16, 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)

• 3/17-24-- Preliminary Bouts for Louder Than a Bomb: Great Plains at UNL, UNO, and Metropolitan Community College's Fort Omaha Campus. For more information on Louder Than a Bomb, see: LTABGreatPlains.org. 3/17 is in Lincoln at UNL, 3/18 and 19 at Metropolitan Community College's Fort Omaha campus, 3/22-24 at UNO.
  

• 3/17, Tu-- 7pm, the Lincoln Poet Tree Slam at Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso (1624 South St, Lincoln). (3rd Tuesday)

• 3/18, 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)

• 3/19, Th-- 7-11pm, Verbal Gumbo with Felicia Webster and Michelle Troxclair at House of Loom (1012 S. 10th St., Omaha). $5, all ages until 9pm, 21+ after. Crabby about the political climate? Want some okra change? Just want to discuss your relationshrimps--or the andouille sausage in your life? Well, Verbal Gumbo is here with some hot, spicey flava with a side o' rice and rhythm. This is the Spoken Word event that promotes our rich diversity of culture and style. Soul session immediately following by DJ Real. (3rd Thursday)

• 3/22, 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)

• 3/23, 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)

• 3/24, Tu-- 7pm, Imaginary Gardens Reading at Mr. Toad (1002 Howard St, Omaha) featuring poets Marilyn Coffey and Chad Christensen. This monthly series by Michael Skau features talented local poets.

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American Life in Poetry: Column 520

BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE

With this column American Life in Poetry celebrates its tenth anniversary. Thanks to all of you for supporting us, week in and week out!

When I was a boy, I was advised that if a wasp landed on me I wasn’t to move until it flew away. I did as I was told and got stung. Here Karen J. Weyant, who lives in Pennsylvania, takes a similar risk.

Yellowjackets

When my father held his Bic lighter

to the nests in back of the garage,

the gray paper pulp sparked

then blackened. Ashes fell,

coating crawling ivy and clover.

A few yellowjackets fled,

one or two swirled, flying

into the sweaty face of my father,

but most too stunned,

their usual side-to-side swag

of a dance, flailing in the smoke.

When one landed on my arm, I stiffened.

His wings settled into a still gauze,

body coiled in yellow bands,

the same shade as buttercups we held

to our skin, cupping sunlight near our chins.

Every step, careful, quivering, as if neither

of us knew who was supposed to sting.

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 ©2013 by Karen J. Weyant and reprinted from Poetry East, Nos. 80 & 81, Fall 2013. Karen J. Weyant’s most recent book of poems is Wearing Heels in the Rust Belt, (Main Street Rag, 2012). Poem reprinted by permission of Karen J. Weyant and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2015 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.

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          Executive Director, Nebraska Writers Collective: newriters.org
                            My homepage: Matt.MidVerse.com
                    Find Nebraska poetry info at: PoetryMenu.com