DATE: Wednesday 15th April
TIME: 7pm - 9pm
LOCATION: East Quay Kitchen
This is a FREE event

Its time for this month's Spoken Word! Our next open mic is Wednesday 15th April at 7pm, in the East Quay Kitchen. This month's guest speaker will be Alexis Tamar-Brooks. The invitational theme is Clamour.

As the natural world and the people that reside in it awake for summer, what or who has the loudest voice and demands attention? Fun fact from the RSPB: April is the loudest month for birdsong. Next month bring us your loud, audacious, absurd and defiant poems, what message do you want to shout from the rooftops?

Poetry Prompt:

I love to imagine the pep talk butterflies give to depressed caterpillars

The Sound Collector

by Roger Mc Gough

A stranger called this morning
Dressed all in black and grey
Put every sound into a bag
And carried them away

The whistling of the kettle
The turning of the lock
The purring of the kitten
The ticking of the clock

The popping of the toaster
The crunching of the flakes
When you spread the marmalade
The scraping noise it makes

The hissing of the frying pan
The ticking of the grill
The bubbling of the bathtub
As it starts to fill

The drumming of the raindrops
On the windowpane
When you do the washing-up
The gurgle of the drain

The crying of the baby
The squeaking of the chair
The swishing of the curtain
The creaking of the stair

A stranger called this morning
He didn't leave his name
Left us only silence
Life will never be the same

Introducing Alexis:

Her poetic narratives explore the crevices and characters that we often bypass, shun or cross the road to avoid. Alexis peels back their layers until all that is left are the glimpses and reflections of ourselves. Alexis is a SLAM-winning poet [Hip Yak Poetry Shack 2024] who has been described as “one of the most exciting fresh forces in poetry in the South West.”

How the evening works:

· Open Mic Sign Up opens from 6:45pm for a 7pm start.

· MC Introduction and Guest Set

· Open Mic - 2 poems each (but bring a 3rd in case we have time for more)

· Please give trigger warnings for any topics that listeners may find upsetting.

· I shall close the evening and tell you what’s happening next month!

Got an idea for a guest poet you’d love to see perform? I'd love to hear it!

Get in touch via my email or social media channels.

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