Local spoken-word poetry is a blessing, freely available, if you know where to find it!

In Mendocino county the local poetry scene is broadcast – virtually singlehandedly – by poet/activist/educator Dan Roberts, whose biweekly poetry-world music show Rhythm Running River airs alternate Sunday afternoons from 2-4PM on KZYX & Z.

Every Spring a day-long poetry marathon is organized by another local poet-educator Gordon Black, and dozens of us sign up to read our poems to one another.

Thanks to Dan’s recording, curating, and broadcasting a selection of the poems from the marathon (and from other local events), one of my nerdier poems, “Meiosis,” was given life over the airwaves.

You can hear it on this link, or read the poem below.

Meiosis/This Becoming

and re-becoming

this

doubling, quadrupling of cellular goo

these

divisions preceding reproduction,

artworks reformed/ing,

derivative,

and, yet,

not

this

aligning against metaphase/physical plates

& essential separations these

breakdowns (of outer, inner membranes)

& crossing-overs,

& reassemblings,

this

creation of diversity these

homologies and heterogeneities;

where to condense

is to become visible

this

stuttering into being

always & forever

demanding more

than

a life/line.