main street slam

There's a new poetry slam in Vancouver - last Tuesday of every month at the Cottage Bistro on Main Street at 29th Ave. It's run by Trevor Spilchen and Sean McGarragle. I competed there last night with a stage full of exciting and excellent poets: Chris Gilpin, Patrick Swan, The Svelte Ms Spelt, Fernando Raguero, GoBFree, Zaccheus and Jack McCarthy. It was an evening of excellent poetry and raucous good fun. The format's a bit different from that of the original Van Slam on Commercial. At the Main St. Slam the competition is a series of head-to-head bouts. Instead of scoring numbers, the judges hold "beaver" and "toque" cards. After each pair of poets perform, the judges hold up a beaver or a toque to represent their choice of winning poet for that round. Every poet gets to do at least 2 pieces because the first round second-placers go again against one another in round 2. It felt good to be part of this new thing and to perform along with such a talented and friendly group of fellow poets. Jack McCarthy took the title for the evening. And now I can say I have slammed in a match with Mike McGee and in a match with Jack McCarthy. Slam is really something else.

This morning I am very tired and also very happy.

In other news:

• The dog must wear her cone for one more week, at which time the vet will take out her stiches and free her from her restrictive headpiece.
• Fiona took first place in the Folk Song category for her age group at the Coquitlam Music Festival and brought home a trophy.
• There are 4 coats of red paint on the basement walls and it's finally starting to look uniformly red. We'll do another tonight.
• Work hit me like a tornado of good stuff but way too fast when I returned on Monday, and continued in that vein Tuesday, and will continue until 5pm Friday.
  
• Next week I'm a guest-reader for a grade 6-7 class as a school near where I work. Easter is just around the corner. Van Slam Finals night after that. Summer Camp is coming soon too.
  

Thumpity thump, the days go by like a flip-book cartoon in the hands of an 8 year old. Forward and back, quickety quick. Good thing the story's a good one.

question: got some fun going?

mompoet - accelerated