Yesterday was National Poetry Day and all around the country readings, poetry slams and open mic sessions took place. The theme this year was messages. One of the authors, Michaela Morgan, who I follow on facebook, secretly left poems in envelopes on the seats of a train heading North from St Pancras. She hoped it would brighten someone’s day.
At Redbridge Central Library, we celebrated with our own Open Mic event, which was held downstairs in the Teen area. A small but select audience enjoyed hearing a range of poems. We combined the theme with Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, resulting in the messages in dreams. It was probably not a good idea to get me started on the subject as my brain goes into overdrive when I sleep and I have an over-abundance of material to draw from.
Luckily for the audience, we started the event with poems by a couple of children who read from a book of classic poetry they had borrowed from the children’s library. It was lovely to see their enthusiasm and eagerness to read aloud to a group of adults and they really made the event memorable. A few more poets read their work, including a girl who happened to be passing and searched files on her laptop for suitable pieces to read.
After I’d lowered the mood with my nightmare recounts, we ended the night on a more upbeat note, with a poem called Warning: When I am Old I shall wear Purple by Jenny Joseph, which can be found on here on poem hunter.
Post Author: Nina Simon
Mind’s Eye
by Nina SimonIn the early dawn
when the mind moves between worlds
and dreams bind me still
to the cold slab of night
I hold onto the lingering image
of you picking up leaf swirls from the stream.Their Autumn tint is gold,
glinting in the sinking sun.
You look at me,
crush them in your palm.There are tears in your eyes
as you open your hand
‘we are but dust,’ you say,Tiny particles catch on the wind,
I turn awaywhen I look back,
I’m alone once more.
Do More 