My First Public Reading

I decided to check out Open Mic night at Barnes and Noble this past Friday. I didn't expect to read any of my poetry. I thought I'd just listen, get a feel for the regular attenders, and maybe write some of my own poetry over a cup of tea. When I got there, I couldn't actually find where in the B&N the poetry group was meeting. I assumed it would be near the coffee shop, but no one seemed to be there. Finally I found them in a corner near the greeting cards.

I was surprised to see how intimate the group was. There were two rows of seats, and most of them were full. They all seemed to know each other already, and my presence was immediately noticed. I tried to just take a seat and blend in, but after a few of the regulars had finished their readings, the man in charge, Dr. Hollis Pruitt, stared at me, stomped his foot, and said "Get up here!"

My heart was pounding, but I took the floor and tried to look brave. I really only had one poem on me, because I recently started a new journal. The poem was a love poem that I had written for Rob the night before. I introduced myself and read the short, sweet poem. Everyone said, "Aw!" and I sat back down. Dr. Pruitt asked if that was my first public reading, and I said yes. Then everyone applauded because of that. Isn't that kind of them?

They really were lovely people. Their poems were sincere and evocative, sometimes making us all burst into laughter and sometimes bringing us to tears. Some of the people who stood up to read were as nervous as I was, and others were full of a confidence that inspired me to be more like them. I'm so glad I met them all. I'm so glad I heard their poems. I'm so glad they were kind to me, and made me share my own little poem.

All in all, I highly recommend Open Mic nights, and I highly recommend the poetry of Hollis Pruitt. Here's a taste: