Where your poetry reading was and how you got there
In 2001, I had been one of the countless poets involved in the “Dialogue of Nations” poetry readings which Ram Devinini had organized. When he later mentioned plans to celebrate the United Nations’ designated “Year of the Mountain” with more poetry readings—the “Poetry on the Peaks” project—I again decided to get involved. Poets would be reading all over the world. Wherever there were mountains, there would be poets.
Bear Mountain in New York immediately came to mind. I had been there a few times, had seen the Walt Whitman statue there, and even written a poem dedicated to Walt Whitman.
Your experience and why it was memorable
Paul and I began reading Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road,” alternating stanzas, putting life into our reading so as not to offend the master poet somewhere up there looking down on our fiasco. When Whitman’s poem was finished, we each read the mountain poems we’d written. Sharon and Suzanne loudly applauded. We pretended the River Room was overflowing with poetry lovers. But the truth was The River Room was dry as a bone. By 11:20 am we had agreed no one was coming. What else was there to do! We tapped the microphone a couple of times and the sound went out. Then we shut the lights since we knew where the switch was and we didn’t want to be embarrassed calling the lady who put the lights on to put them out. She would see there was no huge crowd. She would read our disappointment or think us foolish. We had our pride, if nothing else.
As we drove out of the Bear Mountain area, we could see the sun pushing its head out of the clouds. The rain was slowing down. Eventually the ground would dry. No one would fear slipping on it. It would more closely resemble a Sunday in May than it had hours before, but for us it would be too late. We took our poetry off the peaks and on home with us. All the while as I drove towards New Jersey, I kept thinking of that oft-quoted Burns line (Robert Burns, not George): “The best-laid plans of mice and men…”
Lessons Learned
- Even the most publicized poetry events can draw smaller crowds than those held in local venues like your local library.
- When planning the date of your reading, go with your first instinct.
- Don’t count the attendees until they’re sitting in their chairs when you begin to read your first poem.
- It is rewarding to read one’s poetry, even to two or three in the audience.
- Find the humorous element in all things. What appears tragic can one day make you laugh.
Tell us more
We had it all wrapped up by March, which, by the way, was weather-wise fine as you’d expect in May. We just knew May 18 would be better, much better. Paul and I would read excerpts from Walt Whitman’s famous poem, “Song of the Open Road.”
And more
The executive in charge of Bear Mountain activities, Peter Gulliver, and I decided the event would take place on Sunday, May 18, 2002, from 10 am to 12:00 noon. Originally I had suggested we read in March, but Mr. Gulliver reminded me that March is a crazy month, hard to predict.
And more
My wife Sharon and I woke up the next morning to a heavy rain in Lodi where we live. “Maybe it’s not raining on the mountain,” she said in an effort to cheer me up. “Maybe the sun will come out.” Yeah, I thought to myself, Maybe the world will end.
And more
A few months before the reading we did our best to spread the word about it. From the inquiring letters and phone calls we received, it was a given that the reading would have at least fifty poets coming to read in the open. The six featured poets, including Paul and me, were ecstatic.
