Open Mic, Part 3: Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour 3/8/2013

Video permalink: http://youtu.be/AqF1YIqqM2M

Part three (conclusion) of an open mic emceed by Joshua Gage on Friday 8 March 2013 (International Women’s Day) during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour at MugShotz in North Royalton, Ohio,  this clip includes readings by Mary Turzillo, Dan Smith, Jeff Kosiba, Christopher Franke, Redd, Lacie Clark Semenovich and Leah Mueller.


   

Christopher Franke reads “A Clean Poem” at Snoetry 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP9nxyhUzio

“A Clean Poem” written and performed by Christopher Franke
(poem appears in Cleveland Poetry Scenes: A Panorama & Anthology [2008, Bottom Dog Press])

Filmed at Snoetry 2: A World Record Winter Wordfest — a Lix and Kix production
at Jim’s Coffeehouse and Diner in Elyria, Ohio on 4 February 2011
(photography & editing by Brian Fugett, courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/user/taintnothing22)

About The Author:

Cleveland’s Christopher Franke is the founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Title, Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5.  To read/hear more Franke poetry in the Crisis Chronicles Online Library, click here.

Christopher Franke reads at Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest – 1/16/2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTgCWEJSFIs

Poetry written and performed by Christopher Franke

Filmed during Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest — a Lix and Kix production
at the Last Wordsmith Book Shoppe in North East, Pennsylvania on 16 January 2010
(photography & editing by John Burroughs, a.k.a. Jesus Crisis)

About The Author:

Cleveland’s Christopher Franke is the founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5.  To read/hear more Franke poetry in the Crisis Chronicles Online Library, click here.

Poetics (by Christopher Franke)

Christopher Franke at Bela Dubby in Lakewood, Ohio on 17 November 2008
[photo by Jesus Crisis]

POETICS

Did you ask me,
“What do I need
to become a poet?”
My nearsighted tongue
might say, “Get damn angry,
then learn to love.”
But what is that!

In what it is
that I have said,
I tried to learn
by adding to,
I tried to learn
by taking away.

Plato might have said,
poets are blind,
their words are dumb.
Do we know love
by what love is not?
And that which any call
being
would any call a poem?

* * * * *

Poem by Christopher Franke — reproduced here with the author’s permission
Originally appeared in the chapbook frankeana/miscellangy [Cleveland: deciduous / wordedprint]

For a video of Chris Franke’s featured reading during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour in August 2008, visit http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland’s Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

Life’s Fore Ever (by Christopher Franke)

Christopher Franke outside Cleveland’s Brandt Gallery on 12 July 2008
[photo by Jesus Crisis]


Life’s Fore Ever

When gone the life we were still is . . . .
It murmurs in the wind . . . & stands
in the stiller moments of the
day & the night.  It is an ayre

like a meadow sings in the eye,
or music of an unseen source.

It tousles the locks of forests;
it strokes the nap of grass & bloom.

It’s reiki to a lover’s yen.
But carries the blather of Re-
publicans to billow hell’s glow.
& whatever heaven joy is  laughs!

Upon water, it may mirror . . .
or in its stir . . . be a sea’s wave.



* * * * *

Poem by Christopher Franke — reproduced here with the author’s permission

For a video of Chris Franke’s featured reading during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour in August 2008, visit http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland’s Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

Boo “K” (by Christopher Franke)

Christopher Franke outside Cleveland’s Brandt Gallery on 12 July 2008
[photo by Jesus Crisis]


Boo “K”

I’m not in favor
of draping oneself
with the flag, nor wearing
religion like a
pair of angel’s wings. . .

when politicians
crow what the corps would
have them harp, while greed winks
in denial; but
see what is denied.

The machinations
of some status quo
is change‘s clog.  The untried
is yet on trial
though tried & proven.

The tried is called what
it’s not; the proven
is denied.  The wonted
habit of some mind,
would-be saboteur.

Is not the right’s right
a double posit-
tiff?  & if two nega-
tiffs make a posit-
tiff, doesn’t right’s right

make for wrong?  & as
for folks with ‘bare’ arms,
let the militia have!
But this flower is
my only bullet.



* * * * *

Poem by Christopher Franke — reproduced here with the author’s permission

For a video of Chris Franke’s featured reading during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour in August 2008, visit http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland’s Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

Hoofers on My Roof (by Christopher Franke) – video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WW64akIyY


“Hoofers on My Roof” by Christopher Franke, used with his permission

Read by the author during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour
at Borders Books in Strongsville, Ohio,  8 August 2008

Camera & editing by John Burroughs, a.k.a. Jesus Crisis


* * * * *


To watch Christopher Franke’s entire deep cleveland featured reading, visit
http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland poet Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections
including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

The Rabbit (by Christopher Franke) – video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bcnk_eH8BU


“The Rabbit” by Christopher Franke, used with his permission

Read by the author during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour
 at Borders Books in Strongsville, Ohio,  8 August 2008

Camera & editing by John Burroughs, a.k.a. Jesus Crisis


* * * * *


To watch Christopher Franke’s entire deep cleveland featured reading, visit
http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland poet Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections
including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

Of Some Issue (by Christopher Franke)

Christopher Franke outside Cleveland’s Brandt Gallery on 12 July 2008
[photo by Jesus Crisis]


OF SOME ISSUE

If men were
more like women,
could women be
more like men?

What mothering man
might woman father?
Or nurturing
father mother?

If men had babies!
a spouse might
what lack take?
Call love, “Fluid.”

Like where it leaked
plugging a dike,
could lesbian man
make woman gay?

If women had
commas, would me
have periods?
If men had head-

aches, would women
have erections?
Where women warred,
be men there whored?

Were a woman
a jock, would she
then mount a man?
& ride ’till dawn?

Sweeter seduced
than taken rough.
For better work,
give equal pay.

And so what leave
has any fig,
love’s sweetness grants;
love’s daze may care.


* * * * *

Poem originally apeared in frankeana/miscellangy,  a collection of works by Christopher Franke & Jim Lang

Reproduced here with the author’s permission

For a video of Chris Franke’s featured reading during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour in August 2008, visit http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Cleveland poet Christopher Franke is founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and

Recalcitrant (by Christopher Franke)

Christopher Franke at Cleveland’s Literary Cafe in 2008
[photo by Jesus Crisis]


Recalcitrant

stupidity
sits in its forte.
Dumbness,
numb’s call…
ignorance
wears a blind.
Faith sweeps
its stick (its shtick,
or stich); & corn-
ered truth
throws up
its hands,
seen  as its called,
being  as it is.

* * * * *

Poem originally apeared in Paren’s Thesis by Chris Franke
(c) 1997 by Burning Press, Cleveland
#9 in the Cleveland Leaves Series

Reproduced here with the poet’s permission

For a video of Chris Franke’s featured reading during the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour in August 2008, visit http://crisisblog.crisischronicles.com/2008/09/15/deep-cleveland-poetry-15-august-2008-with-christopher-franke.aspx

Christopher Franke is a Cleveland poet, founder of Deciduous Press and author of collections including (but not limited to) Paren’s Thesis, frankeana/miscellangy, Routines, and =5

For more Franke poetry see the Cleveland Poetry Archive, ArtCrimes, The City Poetry 5, and