Nuyorican

Last night i read at Nuyorican poets cafe for the second time. there is so much hype surrounding this venue that i felt i needed to be a part of it. now that i have ventured inside..stood on stage..and presented myself to the crowd..i have little desire to return. dont get me wrong..i love open mics and the spoken word but i just have not taken a liking to the vibe of nuyorican. the crowd is very young and so are their references. i am all for new wave and up and coming figurative speach but there is something lost when the only thing that engages me in the piece is "what" they are presenting rather than how they present it. the how is not in their performance. most can carry a piece very well as actors and actresses can do but what they are saying leaves much to be desired. there is no substance...but there are the few that surprise me and engage me...yet still here, unlike other places i find myself easily walking out and easily looking around. plus i dont like the grading...seems a bit high school...at least this time aroung they did not enagage in the pretensious beatnik finger snapping.
so for now...i will endulge in cornelia street cafe and vox pop and all the other small venues around the city that really speak to me...as a poet

Poem for the Holidays c) 2009

rejoice in the sound of the season
giving praise
oh little town of bethlehem
with bells jingling above from santa's sleigh
the joy of all the children
their calls beckoning in the silence of the night


footsteps tiptoeing in to lay out gifts beneath the tree
as all the children lay quietly asleep
cookie crumbs and milk set out next to stockings
mistletoe above thy deep and dreamless moments
where love meets the morning and we celebrate the birth of christ our lord