It's odd, I've been hosting this poetry/open mic in Columbus for like 2 months now, and I've never thought to ask the freehuddle if anyone was around here and interested. For shame.

It's in the Short North, and it's actually become pretty epic. Or, at least as epic as people reading poetry and occasionally playing a song can become. If anyone writes and is interested, or would like to check it out first, let me know.

If you would be a first timer, it's pretty casual, if you know what I mean.

(I actually mean nothing sexual by that, despite the wink.)

do you do that coffee house snapping thingy when people are finished? or do you guys clap the normal way?

I think Upper90 is... He wrote this sweet Jackie Robinson story, can't remember the name of it though.

I've been known to write some poems

Hows this?

When I was young me and my mama had beef
Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets
Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face
Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place
Suspended from school
and scared to go home, I was a fool
with the big boys, breakin all the rules
I shed tears with my baby sister
Over the years we was poorer than the other little kids
And even though we had different daddy's, the same drama
When things went wrong we'd blame mama
I reminice on the stress I caused, it was hell
Huggin on my mama from a jail cell
And who'd think in elementary?
Hey! I see the penitentiary,
one day
And runnin from the police, that's right
Mama catch me, put a whoopin to my backside
And even as a crack fiend, mama
You always was a black queen, mama
I finally understand
for a woman it ain't easy tryin to raise a man
You always was committed
A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how ya did it
There's no way I can pay you back
But the plan is to show you that I understand
You are appreciated

people seem to like that one

happy birthday to you
you live in a zoo
you look like and monkey
and you smell like one too.

Hmmmm....all I got out of this post was a ton of sexual innuendo. You're not tempting me into your sex slave trade business Upper90!

Do they have strippers at these poetry clubs?

Wrong type of club,i apologize but i have read alot of penthouse forum articles and i could stop by and recite a couple of my favorites if you would like.

After a couple of the ones I heard tonight, haha, a penthouse letter probably wouldn't be that far off.

Post Natalie Portman, or send it to me on the book

Yeah, I will, I still kind of need to kind of come down from it a bit. Tonight was pretty much me debuting that, and I haven't written in that style in 5, or 6 years, and I'm still a little overwhelmed by the response. I'll be putting it up on facebook/various blogs early next week, once everyone comes down from their new years buzz.

Good deal, wish I could have been there to hear it