I attend my first poetry gathering!  It was a lovely April afternoon (again… finally!!) at the Crossroads Coffee House in Cross Plains.  It was a great venue for the little group – they were hospitable and accommodating.  I had very little idea what to expect.  I am a little disappointed no one in a beret showed up; I guess I’m going to have to pick up that gauntlet.  There were some Birkenstocks, though.

The two stars reading were Marilyn Taylor and David Scherer.  Both read for about 20 minutes a great mix of old and newer poetry (even some racy stuff!).  Obligingly, both stayed on for the open-mic session where about ten different poets covered a wide range of poetry.  A few poets recited other’s works.  One gentlemen recited Frost’s Stopping by a Woods on a Snowy Evening from memory and another woman read Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese.  Both had the crowd chanting along to these favorites.

The other poets read wide-ranging topic’d and sized poems.  A first-time reader (with a quirky sense of humor) was also well received.

I learned the protocol and appropriate responses:  most poems get a nod with a “mmm.”  Funny lines get a chuckle.  Applause is given at the end of each reader.  And… I am good enough to do this, too.  Now that I’ve watched from the shore, it’s time to dive in.

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