Post-Fest Open Mic

August 28, 2021
by Paul Nelson

This year’s post-Poetry Postcard Fest open mic will happen Saturday, September 4 at 10am PDT via Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/s/2064225002 If you would like to help coordinate it, please let me know. We plan to record it for folks who are away on Labor Day weekend.

Fest participants are encouraged to write about their fest experience and many do write blog posts about the themes they found appearing in their work, any difficulties and about some of the cards they received. Of course please do not publish anyone’s poem without their permission, but images are fair game.

Thanks for participating in the fest and remember that registration for 2022 begins September 1 and there will be a higher cost to register at the last minute in 2022. That means after June 1, 2022.

5 Comments

  1. Maggie Westvold

    It’s been wonderfully therapeutic to sit each morning and read from the Psalms then address the day’s postcard and wait for an inspiration to come. There was only one day in the entire month that zi actually quoted from the Psalms. That card prompted a wonderful email reply from the UK that I so enjoyed. I shall respond and feel Ive made a new friend. Again poetry has widened my wonderful life.

    Reply
    • Holly York

      Hi Maggie! Lovely way to begin the morning. I’m in your group and look forward to receiving your poem. I made my cards from photos I took on my morning walks, which then prompted my poems. I copied them and assembled them into a chapbook, which will be fun to keep alongside the cards I hope to receive (not many have arrived yet).

      Reply
      • Jeanne Blum Lesinski

        Hi Holly who grew up in Port Huron.

        Yours was the first postcard I received, and this is my first time doing the postcards festival. I was inspired by yours and many other postcards. They have been an exciting part of my writing journey after life sent me on an 8-year hiatus from what I remember now as a dear love.

        Reply
  2. Daniel Smith

    I am so encouraged by these two comments. My last six years in PoPoFest have resulted in an expanded poetry conflagration and a new book. This year, in 2021, some of the cards reflect my position within the pandemic as a whole, and some reflect my particular situation as having died and come back during open heart surgery. I do believe that without the support of the PoPoFest community and especially Paul himself, that I would be writing this post; that I would have recovered as quickly as I did; that my poetry written during the past few months would have gained the strength it did; that this collection of six years of poems would have become a reality.

    Reply
    • Charlene Cabral

      Hi Daniel,

      I really enjoyed your poem and photos. I am a critical care cardiac nurse (amateur photographer and poet), and it is wonderful to hear of your recovery. I wish you the best! I found this poetry fest last year, and it helped me through a difficult time as a nurse and also dealing with the loss of my best friend. This year I was more contemplative about society, spirituality, and hope. I combined my own photographs with my poems using these central themes. I hope you received my poem. This poetry fest has been inspiring for me. Looking forward to next year!

      Reply

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