I wanted to promote my work so I planned it – to go on the road the first few days of May: first to Daytona to participate in open mikes and then to Sarasota for theFavorite Poem Reading. What I didn’t plan for was the gray skies opening up with the downpour of rain in Daytona.
Mediterranean Café was most welcoming as I signed up and participate in the open mike, it was mainly musicians but they welcomed poets. As the only poet, I had the floor and read six poems from Adventures in theCourtyard (even got asked for my card). The next day it rained so hard that I couldn’t make it to Port Orange for a Thursday open mike. Then, I headed across I-4 (did you know there’s a town called ORLAMPA?) to Sarasota.
Sarasota was hosting PoetryLife and I had bought a ticket for favorite poetry reading. W.S. Merwin read his favorite poem from W.H. Auden. Naomi Shihab Nye read her favorite poem from W.S. Merwin. My favorite reader (other than the excellent reading by the actors) was the teacher, Kate Cumiskey, who read One Art by Elizabeth Bishop. She shared how Bishop’s poetry has a special place for she and her sister; also, that her sister does poetry workshops in Newtown (poetry as healing especially after Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy). When I first learned of the tragedy, I was tending to my garden looking at my blooms and thinking of those poor children (which is why I wrote Flowers in My Garden). It was a learning experience listening how people were connected to the poem they chose and how they read it.
Being on the road did inspire some poetry and I captured some scenes through my lens. Despite the downpour, I had visions of Springbreak past in Daytona with all the debauchery.
Walking along Beach Street with rain drizzling on my head;
Peering in the store windows, some had signs “for rent.”
Daytona wanted a more family-oriented image
So did they chase spring breakers away?
Walking along Altantic Street with gray skies overhead
Still more store windows with signs “for rent”
Made me wonder of days gone by
Even this past spring break:
Did it live up to the repuation –
Of wet t-shirt contests and indulgences
Alcohol galore until they’re pretty much face down
Or is that era in the past?
Like beat writers indulging, experimenting
Peppering their writings with the flow
As stream of consciousness go
(Yea, I’m also on the road)
Looking at ghosts of spring break pasts
As I pass the pizza and beer special
While I walk down the streets with gray skies
Blessing me with droplets of rain.
