It was an unusually chilly and overcast day for the month of June, and while the word "dreary" certainly could be applied, the word "anticipation" just so happened to hum a little louder. It was Friday the 27th. The night of the Heart Times's first ever Poetry Competition in collaboration with Dojo Sound.
Cups were purchased, mocktails were made, and charcuterie boards were assembled as everyone carefully prepared for a night to remember to something stirring on the speakers.
The clock hit 6pm as the Heart Times Team took to the stage, blowing up balloons, casting fairy lights, and tuning their instruments (their voices) for the most magical evening ever to hit the stage of Dojo Sound.
By 7:30 pm the vibes were electric and the lights were dimmed as everyone slowly made their way into the heart of the space where a stage stood lit up in such a way that a glowing orb encapsulated all who dared to stand in her center.
Our first poet of the night appeared from a door on the right and the magic and rhythm of night began to flow.
One by one our fearless heart speakers took their place among the stars and let their words pour over us and wash us in something new that resonated with parts of us we hadn't seen in a while.
All of this was backed by the gorgeous acoustic accompaniment from Dojo Sound's very own Nikki
Snaps all around.
And suddenly, it was silent as Carmen (our fearless creative director) reset the stage in preparation for the open mic portion of the evening.
Have you ever seen lightning strike?
Now imagine it striking for the rest of the night as one by one people lined up to share their hearts through song and words over and over again. Each one just as impressive as the last. Never a dull moment on the mic.
How did we get so blessed to have so much raw talent right at our fingertips? Right in our backyard?
Then we crowned our winners and their words
Finally, when all was said and done, we got to dig into true edible art thanks to the wonderful charcuterie boards provided by our own local Madi (you can find her info below, along with the winning poets, the runners up, and more)
And to top it all off, (as if we hadn't done enough), karaoke.
What a night
What a show
I hope you can make it to the next one
Over and out
-HT
A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR POETS:
Genya (tied for first)
Brad B
Meg Helene (tied for first)
Kathleen
Scarlett
Poems Performed:
Empath (winning poem)
By: Genya T.
I can feel,
Like the blisters at the edges of fingertips grazing their lovers skin.
I can feel,
Like a carcass rotting with its eyes open seeing
what is being done.
I can feel,
From newborns first breath to seniors last.
I can feel,
I can feel everything,
To the point where it is Nothing.
Until...
I Can Feel
How Long? (winning poem)
By: Meg Helene
Did you confess to the priest
About your obsession
With blaming your daughter
For your spouts of depression?
Not gay, but still repressed,
Like me,
Your issues,
Go unaddressed
I wonder how long it will take to set in,
It’s you, not me, living in sin.
Warped
By: Meg Helene
Rose colored glasses
Eventually removed
Now I recognize
I lost myself in you.
glorious highs
mangled with Anxiety
confused with butterflies
You brought me down to the floor
Drowned in tears before I walked out
That door, barely breathing
Looking back, I try to grasp
How much time I let pass
One day, I looked in the mirror
Who is this person
Staring back
Not me
Moments
now so clear
A strangers reflection
warped with fear
Remembering
You
Wasted at the bar
You took that line
Before driving your car
Now your yelling,
Pure red
I lay on the floor crying
Can we just go to bed
No fight in me, I just retreat
I disassociate from your flame
When I check out, it’s your so cold
No baby,
This behavior is getting old,
Like you
There’s no reason for amends,
I should have listened to my friends.
We Are Ghosts
By: Scarlett Montana
We are ghosts.......
Our place is outside the rigid lines on the fringe in a virtual sea.
The masses don’t believe we’re real, but I see you and you see me.
We stand behind blank canvas. On clean slate is where we write. We archive history’s unexplained for all the days and all the nights. Years, months, days hours, manmade clocks that tell us when. But we know there’s no such thing as time. Then is now and now is then. We straddle across dimensions. We carry with us all the pain. We’re the empaths, the see-ers, the je ne sais quoi. We’re the gracefully insane. We’re the lamplights, the shadows, the absinthe kissed. We’re the satyrs, the nymphs, the green wraith of a mist. We’re magic and tragic. Our flaws are also our graces. We’re Homer, we’re Oedipus, Campbell’s hero with a thousand faces. We’re Basquiat and Lautrec. We’re Hawthorne’s scarlet A. We’re a sorcerer’s casted spells. We’re Dionysus at play. We’re the anarchists, the freaks, the ones who dared to sing. Our voices are the loudest and we shout Liber should be king! Our work? It’s infinity. In what form? We don’t know yet. We are ghosts and you can see us when the sun begins to set. The galaxy above...in the spiral dust we reside. Where the ethereal begins and the material subsides. Look up... It’s where we end and where we begin. We’re twisted, warped and tangled
from the stars that live within.
I Met A Girl
By: Brad Beyer
Early morning raindrops make their final descent toward the ground and
plunge through their last obstacle, a stubborn cluster of oak leaves determined
to impede their destiny.
The light pitter patter of the droplets striking the leaves awakens them from
their overnight slumber, nudges them, and rousts them to gently spin, twirling
like ballerinas, and softly giving voice to the break of day.
As the rain grows a little stronger, the twirling of the leaves becomes more lively
and agitated and a faint chorus of song emanates from above.
I listen intently to the captivating beauty of the voice of the rain against the
leaves and hear its whisper. It calls your name; all because I met a girl.
As the rain continues to fall a bit heavier, I hear a rapid, pounding staccato of
determined splashes, each a unique collision of water against earth, like two
lovers too long separated. The pace of the raindrops mimics the racing of my
heart when I see your smile; all because I met a girl.
As the rain gradually subsides, the sun’s first sliver of light lazily creeps over
the sleepy horizon and announces the hopeful sparkle of a new day.
A day I will cherish from sunrise to sunset. A day overflowing with the
excitement of thinking about you; all because I met a girl.
I carefully dress, select my shirt and pants, tie my shoes, fasten my belt, check
the mirror a little longer than usual, and spring to life like a butterfly leaving
the cocoon, and think of you; all because I met a girl.
Are you still asleep? Were your dreams sweet? Did you dream of me? Or is my
affection in vain. My heart quickens, my palms sweat, my energy bursts
forward with the anticipation of seeing you soon; all because I met a girl.
The girl I met is a butterfly, hard to capture, beautiful, and enchanting. I see
her face in the clouds, in the leaves, in the fields and streams. I hear her voice
in the song of a field bird, in the rustle of a wheat field, in the trickle of a brook.
She is everywhere, in all things at once. The irresistible avalanche of her spirit
envelopes me, makes me whole. My world is perfect, all because I met a girl.
Practically Perfect
By: Rebecca
As painful as that was,
I know
we just did something
extraordinary
because
when I was in your shoes
I was reamed to the bone
But just now
I was in a position
to do the same
(brutal thing) to you
and I chose to do
something new
with my newfound
generational
understanding
Knowing that took place
is the healing balm
over an uncomfortable
set of circumstances
Did You Know?
By: Rebecca
Water is everywhere
and you can enjoy it anywhere
She’s super adaptable and
can endure any climate
He can be mixed with almost anything
and he’s a really good cleaner
They promote so much change and
can grow lots of different things
It can make anyone feel more alive
and it’s so good when it’s refreshing
But sometimes we need a little help
when we get stagnant
and that’s where you come in` `
Thank you all again for a night to remember. What a beautiful first melody out of many.
Our Supporting Cast:
Ivy, Squid, Nikki, Rob, and Madi
Dojo Sound
307 Westtown Road
https://dojosoundofficial.com/
The Art of the Board by Madi
mcahill531@gmail.com
Instagram: @the.art.of.the.board
