Denver Poetry Calendar

SUNDAYS-
Every Sunday night at the MERCURY CAFE, the slam starts at 9 pm. This event is all ages, free and open to the public, though a $5 donation is suggested. The Second Sundays of each month are hosted by Denver Minor Disturbance Youth Slam Team, competing poets range in age from 12 - 19 years old. Each slam includes a cash prize to the winner, and competing poets earn the opportunity to 'slam off' in a chance to represent Denver on a national scale. For more information, visit www.mercurycafe.com or www.minordisturbance.org

MONDAYS-
SLAM NUBA is held the first and last Monday of every month. Writing workshop starts at 6:30 p.m., $5. Doors & sign-up for the slam and open mic are at 7:30 p.m., the open mic kicks off at 8:00 and the slam starts at 9:00 p.m. Each slam includes a cash prize to the winner, and competing poets earn the opportunity to 'slam off' in a chance to represent Denver on a national scale. Featuring DJ Cavem on the 1s & 2s, Slam Nuba features nationally touring poets and award-winning local artists. $5 cover, all ages. For more information, contact Ayinde Russell or e-mail nuba.slam@gmail.com

TUESDAYS-
ART FROM ASHES hosts a youth poetry (workshop) every Tuesday from 6 - 8 pm at The Spot. This event is focused on writing and sharing transformational poetry, Attendance is free and available to youth (to age 25), and includes a weekly featured artist, snacks & writing supplies provided. For more information, please visit http://www.artfromashes.org/

FREEDOM OF SPEECH is an intimate open mic that is held 1st & 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Gypsy House Cafe (1279 Marion st (the corner of 13th and Marion)), 8 pm. This event is free of charge, but we do ask for donations for the featured poet(s) and their beautiful amazing selves. This event is all ages. Fore more information, contact Lady Speech Sankofa.

WORDS: THE MOVEMENT is held the fourth Tuesday of every month at Fluid Coffee Bar on 19th & Pennsylvania (Uptown). This is a set all about the power words have to move people and be a movement of its own. This is a great venue for poets and musicians, encouraging the blurring of the lines between the different medium. The event is free, but donations are encouraged for the featured poets and musicians. For more information, please contact James Scott or Marion Smallwood.

WEDNESDAYS-
MINOR DISTURBANCE youth open mic happens every Wednesday at Hooked on Colfax, located at Colfax and Steele. It goes from 6 - 8 pm in an intimate and welcoming setting. This is an uncensored mic - though no hate will be tolerated. While this event is youth-focused, there are a limited number of slots available to poets over the age of 19. The features are awesome. All are welcome. Contact denveryouthpoetry@gmail.com for more information.

THE POET AS MUSE is the last Wednesday of every month at 8 pm at the Gypsy House Cafe on 13th & Marion. This is a place for poets to get down on the mic, and for artists to use as a life drawing experience - literally, the Poet as Muse. You can always expect an amazing feature, as well as a hot open mic. All are welcome. Contact Jessica Chernila at stallionsweet@hotmail.com for more information.

COLORADO SPRINGS: Word Wednesdays @ the V-Bar 19 E. Kiowa Colorado Springs, CO. Open Mic night for Acapella and Acoustic performances! 21+ 5 cover for non-performers, but with this cover recieve a ticket for a drink. Great atmosphere, nothing but love, and good people! Hip-Hop cypher at the end of each night, DJ Gravity spinning throughout the eve, and all voices welcome open mic. "Best Open Mic" Colorado Springs Independent *Best of 2011* Gold Winner! https://www.facebook.com/wordwednesdays

FRIDAYS-
~CAFE CULTURA is an award-winning all ages open mic featuring emcees, poets, and artists that happens the 2nd Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Denver Inner City Parish at 9th & Galapago. Contact cafe_cultura@yahoo.com for more information.

~LENNY'S PLACE is held the last Friday of every month at 8 p.m. at the Gypsy House Cafe on 13th & Marion. This is a fun and casual open mic hosted by Lenny "The Professor" Chernila & Dino Delano.

~MERCURY CAFE hosts the longest standing poetry reading Denver with its Open Mic every Friday at 10 pm. Come on out to the Mercury Cafe, located at 2199 California Street in Denver, any Friday night & share your words with a warm & welcoming audience. The reading begins at 10pm & is open & free to the public. Contact Ted Vaca at tedvaca@gmail.com for more information.

SATURDAYS: COLORADO SPRINGS: Hear Here is an all ages, all welcome workshop and open mic with a feature or two every second and third Saturday of the month! Workshop: 6-7pm (Hosted by our feature, suggested donation) Open Mic sign up: 7:00-7:30, Open Mic: 7:30-9:00, $5 Cover (no one turned away). Bring your ears, Peers, a candle (to donate to warm our house!), and a homemade fingerfood potluck dish (if you'd like)! BYOB!!! Then Sit, Sip, Stay and Be Satisfied!!! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hear-Here/160245787421012?ref=ts

Special Events:
~CAFE NUBA (It’s Hot & It’s Black!) is an annual showcase rockin’ the mic since 1999 founded by Ashara Ekundayo, Matema Hadi & DJ K-Nee in Denver’s Historic Five Points neighborhood in Denver Colorado. As an urban arts, multi-award-winning microcinema, poetry and music showcase with open mic event, Cafe Nuba features local, national, and international artists and performers, independent films, and live music. For more information, contact Ashara Ekundayo at blublakwomyn@gmail.com

My Daughter's Essay on Dreams

Her assignment was to write about hobbies - I can't tell you how proud I am of this darling child. I am sharing this with her permission.


Dreaming

I have a very unusual hobby, activity or whatever else you would like to call it - it is dreaming. When you read this, you are probably thinking of images in your sub-conscious as you are sleeping, but my hobby is much simpler. I am referring the kind of dreaming that gets you motivated and makes your heart feel like it has grown larger, the kind that makes people smile and makes billionaires rich. Hoping, dreaming and wishing are usually what people say get you nowhere but if you look closer you see the things that I see, things I see every day that make tears well up in my eyes, you’ll understand. I know things other people do not, if they could just see through the glamour of money and wealth and dream they would know it too.

Most people like reading, writing, or playing sports but dreaming is better than all of them. If you dream, you can make anything happen for you or another person. A dream is what starts everything and anyone can do it. You can dream about sports or even making them better, you can dream about new reading or writing strategies, you can even dream about dreaming if you have to. If you dream, you can make anything happen.

If you have a good idea, you cannot express that in sports all the time or in almost anything else. You can always express your thoughts in dreaming. Dreaming always starts as an idea and then it becomes something bigger and better. No matter what, people will always listen. I get why some people think that only hard work can get you to the top and that dreaming is not work at all, but they are completely wrong. Dreaming is hard work it takes a lot of hard work but in the end, even one smile of gratitude is worth it. Hard work always gets a reward even if it is not money.

A dream can help your neighborhood, city, state or even your country. All of the laws we have now were started by dreams, the declaration of independence was even started by a dream. Dr. Martin Luther King had a dream, a dream that all men and women, boys and girls would be treated equally. He was killed because he had a dream but his idea moved on. Dr. King’s dream was carried out and even when he died, his dream lived on. Even if people do not agree with your dream it still can be carried out.

My point for dreaming is not to benefit myself. My dreaming is made by the idea of others. The dreams I make are controlled by me and yet they control me, I base my life on the ideas I have and the dreams I envision. Some people might say dreaming is worthless but dreaming is the way you get to the top, the way you become billionaires and the way all people live. Everyone has a dream, a vision like when you were a little kid and they asked you what you wanted to be; a dream can be as simple as that. A dream is an idea, a miraculous idea that you think can change everything. A dream is a new way of thinking or living. A dream is everything.

“You may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us. And the world will live as one.” - John Lennon.


That's my baby, y'all.

The Year in Review

In January, I entered a new era – my 30s. Celebrating with friends and family to ring in my official entry into adult hood, I learned that Casa Bonita is only funny on paper.

February found me in Nashville, Tennessee - I performed at Opryland for NACA Nationals, and my Mom joined me on the trip! We found our way into a few country bars along the way, sang a little karaoke, and a pair of cowgirl boots and a few hilarious stories found their way into my luggage and my life before we made the trek back home.

March saw me in Seattle for the first time, where Daemond and Inti were the most gracious hosts on the planet, the slam was incredibly fun, and I even got to hang out with my cousins Cemal and his wife Kou, Yildez, and Ahmedt for the first time in many years. We played at the music museum for hours and I hope to make my way back there again soon. Seattle is beautiful - and I think that Denver and Seattle are probably long lost BFFs.

In April I became the coach of Slam Nuba’s 2009 team: Panama Soweto, Bobby Lefebre, Ken Arkind, Lucifury, and The Original Woman – rock stars through and through, they did what they do best all summer long. Sweat, tears, cutting of heads, and beautiful brilliant poetry ensued. I also competed in the Barrio Slam for the first time ever, which is part of the Neruda Poetry Festival sponsored by El Centro Su Teatro – if you haven’t been, plan on it next April!

May found me learning to garden for the first time in my life. Being a part of the Eastside Growers’ Collective was a life-altering experience, turning over soil and pulling out pieces of iron and concrete and planting seeds a block away from my childhood preschool was straight up magic. And the collard greens grew in abundance :)

The first weekend in June was spent in Taos at the Verse Converse Poetry Festival, where I competed in a 5 round slam and finally landed in second place next to the talented Christian Drake – I also met some aliens – well, one who acknowledged it . . . a Reptilian, which I am guessing is some sort of alien race (?) – good times were had by all.

July brought my darling daughter’s birthday, where we celebrated heartily at a hotel suite slumber party – me versus 10 little girls (yep, count ‘em – TEN) had me wondering whether I’m smarter than a 5th grader. We all survived, but I think even now I’m a little exhausted.

August began with the National Poetry Slam – one week with hundreds of poets from all over the country (and a few from overseas) gallivanting around West Palm Beach, Florida. If you have never been to a National Poetry Slam, you should go. I can't begin to tell you all that you've been missing.

September brought me back to Florida, though this time to Gainesville where I met some awesome students and even got to hear some of their poetry. From there I spent a bit of time in Massachusetts, where I learned that taxis, hotels, and vegan food are not always easy to negotiate in small towns.

October took me to Minneapolis for a few days – the wind was sharply cold, but the city was warm and friendly. I was staying in a hotel downtown, and it seemed like the city shut down at 6 p.m.; guessing I just did not found the hot spots, so I will have to try again next time.

November was pure insanity – a lovely mixture of Denver, Kansas City, Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania.

I had to go through security three times in Kansas City, finally got to Wisconsin in just enough time to get lost in farm country on the way to my show. Somehow google maps wasn’t super helpful when it came to ‘County Road JJ’, but I eventually found where I needed to go – I have since learned to get the GPS in every rental car.

New York, I love you like a sister and miss you when we are apart. I know you understand.

Albright College in Reading, PA was WONderful – I kept the haiku and sketches the students wrote/drew during the show, they are excellent! And to the sweet woman at the Cuban restaurant downtown who snuck chicken underneath my rice because you didn’t think my vegan diet could be healthy – you remind me of my Grandmother, and I laughed when I got the food back to my hotel.

December, sweet December, has been spent with my family and friends. My Grandpa passed away, and we celebrated his life. From him and my Grandma there came 7 children, 21 grandchildren, and 38 great-grandchildren (and counting) – we all honor his memory and will miss him. Spending time at home among my loved ones has been such a precious gift, I am grateful and looking forward to doing much more of this 2010 – along with writing, bits of traveling, moving into a new neighborhood, and returning to school (yay!).

But it will begin with loads of Blackeyed Peas, Greens, and my very own vegan jambalaya – WOOHOO!!!

Wishing you a very happy new year,

Suzi Q.

Picks, Pistols, and Prayers - on amazon!

Hi there.

Have I mentioned that Picks, Pistols, and Prayers is available for download on Amazon?

Sometimes I forget to tell people these things, but they're kind of important. I'm kinda used to selling cds in person out of my trunk ;) - but I suppose it is a new era.

So, if you would like it - or just a track or two - we can make that happen right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Picks-Pistols-And-Prayers/dp/B002B3D3T4

Thank You, Denver.

Firstly, thank you. Thank you Denver, thank you Slam Nuba, thank you Crossroads Theater, thank you Ashara and the entire Pan African Arts Society family, thank you Chinook Fund, thank you Untitled at the Denver Art Museum, thank you DJ SD, thank you DJ Cavem, thank you Little Man Ice Cream, thank you Root Down, thank you Mercury Cafe, thank you Poets, thank you friends, thank you very much for your support, your love, your faith. Thank you for walking a ways with me and the Slam Nuba team along this journey.

Last night was amazing and beautiful. It was great to see such a packed house to send us off to the National Poetry Slam in West Palm Beach, FL next week. We will keep you in our hearts and minds while we go represent this magnificent city.

Slam Nuba showcased a bit of the poetry that we will be taking with us, and I am so glad you got to see what we’ve been working on! It was really a fun show, and it was wonderful to have so many of you with us.

This is my first year serving as coach, and when I watch these brilliant poets perform, I feel proud and grateful – and SUPER EXCITED FOR NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

So again I say, Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Heroes - This is dedicated to Michael Jackson

We ask where all of our heroes have gone
even as we pick their skin from our teeth.
We love them as our favorite foods, consume them to extinction and wonder
(while we rub our bellies) why our table seems so bare.

We snort their guitar licks, guzzle their voices,
chomp on their words as if they are owed us
Poets light themselves on fire
because they can't help it and we gather round
to warm our hands upon such a lovely glow

We maim our leaders for their presumption to lead
and cry foul when we are lost, we mourn our losses
yet never consider them consequence
to our own greedy violence

We devour the fruit until the tree will bear no more
and feel betrayed once we've eaten it barren.
We have become vampires. We have made ourselves cannibals,
quick to throw her in the pot when she is no longer beautiful,
toss him in the fire once we cease to find him useful.

Still form our mouths around words like love
simply regurgitating pieces of the spirits we have swallowed
in a desperate attempt to remember their taste

I belch bitter eulogies in apology, blood still fresh on my lips,
I'm sorry to all who died just trying to love us
We snatched at your flesh while you still had breath,

gnawed your bones in search of redemption
as if to touch the hem of your garment
we worship and hate with equal fervor, waving our
knives and forks for the next big thing.

Jump Back, Honey, Jump Back

“Don’t forget who you are,”
She said.

“Don’t forget when you’re out there
with your friends
that before you were born
there was a place for you here, in my house

where we sing like Angels
dance like drops of water in a hot iron skillet
and glow like distant stars.”

We stay up late with the hot comb and grease
We wake up early for braids and beads
We walk to church five times a week

“There is still a place for you here, in my house,”
She says,
“where we shower love and sprinkle correction
smile into each other like mirrors
and remind ourselves of Home.”

Nana will let you eat steak at midnight
Nana will cry sometimes for no reason
Nana will open her doors for you

“There will always be a place for you here, in my house,”
She says,
“when it turns cold outside and you’ve gone too far
when the street lights come on and you see
the game is over.”

Leading me out of the lion’s mouth
though my soul looks back and wonders how
I think I understand what she’s been talking about

“Don’t forget who you are,”
She said.

“Always remember where you come from.”

For My Daughter

it's getting harder to tell
your socks from mine,

i suppose it's only a
matter of time

before you won't fit
on the curve of my lap,

and soon will end the days
of our piggy-backs,

you are nearly not ticklish.

i am increasingly awed
by your astute observations,

my mouth agape after
morning conversations



every day finds you lovelier.

Recent Haiku

dream courageously
for before there was color
there lived the idea.

Sugar, here's the thing:
In loving you, I don't cease
to also love me.

in the beginning
we spoke by melting fluid
into each other.

in pursuit of growth
seedlings transform toward sunlight,
shells must be broken


on soaring: look up
fix eyes on destination
breathe steady and go

our harmonies burst
as giggles from nervous girls
and yet we still sing

song becomes bullet
protruding past lips and teeth
dangerously alive

Live Performances

If you feel like watching:

Lazarus - Live at Seattle Poetry Slam
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_0uS1Po8Mo


Dear Huey & Weather Underground - Live at the End the War Rally @ State Capitol
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSJUelz0kHM


Blue - Live at CCA / Poets on the Loose!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ANM85DckU