FLOOD FLOTSAM: This is a poem I found in the flooded basement debris.  I wrote it in high school.  I like it because it’s about finding love but not necessarily romantic love.  I’ve always found incredibly deep love in friendship.

Someone Special

Someone special in your life
is what every somebody needs,
even if they’re kept deep inside your heart
and only come out in your dreams.

When all the others shake their heads,
turn their backs and walk away,
there should always be somebody standing,
someone special left to stay.

Through all unhappiness,
for all the times you cry,
someone special is there with a smile,
to dry your tears, to be on your side.

I’ve found this someone special in you.
Who else could there possible be?
You’re the only one in this whole wide world
Who makes me see someone special in me.

Wishing someone special for all…

Hey all – a bit late on this one today as I needed to sleep in and get to the early matinée of Moonrise Kingdom – more on that in tomorrow’s post.

Last night I had not only the pleasure of dropping by The Central (http://thecentralbar.ca/) to hear Meghan Morrison play, and in the company of some good pals like Lizzie Violet, Kat Leonard & Laurie, but I got there early enough to be the first to sample one of Meghan’s lemon poppy-seed strawberry-topped cupcakes. And it was delicious!

Morrison was the first set of the evening downstairs (opening for The Alter Kakers, which I wasn’t able to catch – next time), with bass player Stuart Everitt and Morrison’s bro Evan LeBlanc on guitar, with Morrison switching up between keys, bass and even guitar as they played tunes from her We Are All Born Naked CD – including…

Out again with my lovely friend Lizzie Violet last night, this time for the PÖtea & Jam poetry/spoken word readings at Harvest Noon Café. Upstairs from the GSU pub at UofT (16 Bancroft Ave.), Cassandra Witteman greeted us as we arrived, offering freshly brewed mint tea, among others, and croissants right out of the oven, smelling so good and giving a homey vibe to the place. Harvest Noon is a co-op café – a cozy space with a laid back atmosphere, nestled among some gorgeous old university buildings; you can see the red brick and ivy from a set of large windows facing south.

Lizzie read some of my favourites: two of her zombie pieces (one on being attacked & the other a transformation piece) and two inspired by her mom (including the tongue in cheek one where her mom tells a friend she thought Lizzie was a serial killer…

Okay, so right off the top, I have to admit a certain amount of bias – okay, a whole lot of bias – when it comes to Lizzie Violet. She’s super smart, funny and has an incredible way with words – and is brave enough to get up in front of a room full of strangers to read them – and she’s a really good friend. She’s also the reason I’ve been getting out to see so many amazingly talented poets and spoken word artists over the past year.

Last night, I had the pleasure of dropping by open mic night at Free Times Café to hear Lizzie read some of her work. Pretty sure this was her first time reading there – and, despite TTC challenges causing her to be running a bit late, she arrived looking fabulous, checked in with host Jeff Kahl, then hung out with Brandon…

Had a good night at Plasticine Poetry Sunday. Sizable house, sold some chap books, signed a couple of them, got cash in hand (which I always declare), had my set recorded by Myke Mazzei for a future cd. Charlie Petch always the perfect host (except when they aren’t there & I end up as the imperfect host).

Heather Wood had the first feature spot. She read a story that will be in ‘The Anthology of Modern Fables’ – a fun piece about a cell-phone with telepathic abilities (I wish I had one with pre-call warning). She then did a stroll through ‘Roll With It’ – following one specific plot thread to it resolution in an Olympic figure skating routine. A well structured set.

I was up next with my raunch attack. Pacing is key for me to keep flow of a set natural and to take, I hope, listeners with…

I don’t know if you noticed, but the days have started to get a bit cooler, less humid. The sun is setting just a bit earlier every day. The festival season is starting to wind down. And the poetry in Toronto is really starting to heat up! It’s a great week for spoken word and poetry slam in the GTA. Here’s what coming up over the next seven days:

Monday

The Mississauga Arts Council invites local youth to the Youth Writers’ Guild August Meeting in the Reader’s Den on the ground floor of the Mississauga Central Library (301 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W.) at 5pm. There will be a workshop led by Cheryl Antao-Xavier. Contact MAC to reserve a space at 905-615-4278.

R.I.S.E Poetry Movement is back in business at the Scarborough Youth Resource Centre (Scarborough Town Centre, second floor) for an evening of youth singers, rappers and poets expounding on the…

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending Smash Words at the Press Club (http://www.thepressclub.ca/) for an evening of queer poetry and cabaret, with a great group of friends. The evening included poetry, spoken word, music and dance, featuring readings and performances by David Bateman, Philip Cairns (who was also our hostess with the mostess), Kirk DeMatas, Brock Hessel, Frank Hull, Kat Leonard, DM Moore and Lizzie Violet. An incredible evening of friends and art. Here are some impressions and photos from the evening, in alphabetical order.

David Bateman – travels and travails with mother, beautiful imagery, with extremely funny and moving moments.

Philip Cairns – a connoisseur of beautiful young men, we’re invited along on his flights of fancy and moments of joy, as well as the darker corners of life as a gay artist/performer.

Kirk DeMatas – poetry of a young man of colour’s struggle, anger…

Back at the lovely Celebration Square in Mississauga last night, this time at the Amphitheatre, located near a really cool – and gorgeous – fountain/wading pool. When I was there about two weeks ago, I trekked with my pal Kat Leonard and her aunts picked us up at Kipling Station. This time, I travelled with pals Lizzie Violet and Janis Tipping – and we made the trip on MiWay transit from Islington Station. It was quite the bus trip – a bit of a schlep – and we had a really nice, and funny, driver helping us out with which stop to get off. Downtown Mississauga loops and mazes around, and you gotta watch where you’re going if you’re a newbie like us gals. And thanks to Janis’s friend Paolo for the drive to the subway at the end of the night.

This evening’s festivities was the concert portion of…