Loose Leaf Notes: Sidelined Sidewalk Poets

After nearly three years of co-hosting a Spoken Word Open Mic with the Café Del Sol on the third Saturday of every month, local writers were stood up. This past third Saturday when we arrived at the café, it was locked.

Poets began to gather on the sidewalk. Questions were asked. Cell phones were used. Some came and left while others lingered, pacing the sidewalk and peering into the café windows.

Mara decided she wasn’t going to wait till she’s an older lady in a purple hat to sit on the sidewalk. “Where is our soapbox when we need it?” she asked.

Kyla got her hula hoop out of the back of her mom’s car.

Joe ate French fries that he got down the street at Oddfellas Cantina.

Cars and motorcycles drove by. Heads turned. Jayn pulled up a chair on the sidewalk next to Mara and chatted as if she was sitting on a front porch.

One couple who came for the entertainment pulled out their lap top and clicked on the Café Del Sol page. “See! It’s listed right here!” the unidentified man shouted.

“Yes, it was in the Floyd Press too,” I answered while balancing Kyla’s hoop on my hips.

Mara and I used the sidewalk as a stage for an impromtu street performance. With the setting sun as a spotlight, we did a piece from the OUTLOUD women’s collective that was recently featured at FloydFest. You can see and hear it HERE. We hope all is well with the Cafe owners and will keep you posted.

Comments

Hmm, yeah, why was it closed? Hope all is well there.
But you guys just proved your creativity once again. If there's a sidewalk...there's an open mic.

Posted by: Terri | August 19, 2007 2:29 PM

How great that the show went on even if on the sidewalk.

Posted by: Pearl | August 19, 2007 5:53 PM

What a fine thing to do even if the place was closed! You folks in Floyd are amazing.

Posted by: CountryDew | August 19, 2007 6:52 PM

Gee...I hope everything is okay with the owner's, too! I know how often you all go there and how you and Mara play scrabble there and I feel like I know the place very well from seeing so very many pictures of it on your blog, PLUS, calling you there one day....I truly hope nothing has happened to them, Colleen...! Do keep us informed!

Love all the pictures of your Sidewalk Converntion!

Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | August 20, 2007 4:01 AM

hey, musicians do it....why not poets! you could have put a hat out and busked. :)

i loved all the pictures....floyd is such a cool place!

Posted by: bluemountainmama | August 20, 2007 10:27 AM

i AM CONVINCED THAT PEOPLE in small towns KNOW how to live.

Posted by: david in the mountains | August 20, 2007 10:58 AM

It appears that Sally left for vacation (not vacaton) on Friday and just forgot. Oh well. No dire emergencies, just oversights. We did have fun anyway, though I really felt for the poets who traveled long distances to read.

BTW, Colleen--it's KYLA, not Kayla.

Posted by: Mara | August 20, 2007 12:06 PM

Oh, I know that! Look at the second to last photo. I'll fix the misspelled one.

Dylan's step-daughter's name is Kaylee and somehow I strangely mix both names together.

Posted by: colleen | August 20, 2007 12:52 PM

Looks like Mara has a poem on her pants! :)

Ode to a cafe owner

Open your doors
Let us in please
If you don't
We'll sit on the street

Ok, I'm a horrible poet.

Greece pictures will definitely be posted upon my return.

Posted by: carmen | August 20, 2007 1:00 PM

I get messages like that on my answering machine all the time. It says: Speak in rhyme if you're so inclined.