Who am I? A creative spirit, a functional fool, a mystic pragmatist, a hard worker. A "nice guy", generous to a fault, and avid reader. Freckled white boy with an easy smile and long curly hair in a ponytail.

The most important person in my life is Felicia, my wife. She is brilliant, beautiful, and shy. She has been a big part of shaping the person I am today, the happiness I enjoy, the future I move toward. I am honored to share time with her.

As for work, I'm a poetry slam emcee, a performance poet, a teacher of yoga and poetry. I've been many other things: cook, options broker, painter, janitor, whatever. Usually, a job was a way to support my love of the arts.

You won't find me talking much about my Yoga practice here. It says in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika that ones practice should be kept secret. Though I am happy to chat about it if one asks, I've learned it's best not to post such personal information all over the internet. Suffice to say it has become a big part of my life, it's wierd and amazing, and I recommend the practice of yoga asana for most anyone.

Most of my 'acheivements' were motivated by a deep love of what I was doing, not ambition or long-term planning. I am convinced you can do most anything if you're willing to work hard enough, but it is worth asking yourself if achieving something beyond natural ease is woth the price you pay.

What I am best known for is the Berkeley Poetry Slam, a project I started because nothing else like it existed: www.berkeleypoetryslam.com It's a lot of fun, popular (from 100-300 attend each week, usually 130 or so), it's been going 7 years, and our poetry slam team (kind of like a speech and debate team) is currently ranked #7 in the world.

I also edit a little newsletter called the NorCal Slam UPDATE, which goes out once a week to 3,400 subscribers. It lists all the poetry slams in NorCal, along with recaps of shows and other fun tibits. You'll find a copy of it here on this site. Let me know if you'd like to subscribe!

Charles Ekabhumi Ellik
Poetry Bio


Charles Ekabhumi Ellik embodies a rare combination of successful published poet, award-winning performer, respected organizer, and popular emcee. He hosts the Berkeley Poetry Slam, which has earned "Best of The East Bay" and many critics' choice awards since its inception in 1999. In addition to The Berkeley Slam, he has hosted myriad other slams and open mics throughout California, attesting to his formidable emcee skills.

After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in '97, he took over the SF slam and touched off an explosion in the Northern California performance poetry scene, resulting in a First Place tie at the National Slam in '99 between SF and San Jose, with Oakland in third. There are now more than a dozen regular slams in Northern CA.

He has featured across N. America and Britain and has been featured in many interviews, anthologies and journals including High Desert Voices (2005 National Slam Anthology), Berkeley Fiction Review, Pearl, Poetry Super Highway, and Clean Sheets. His greatest sense of accomplishment comes from coaching poets and slam teams to their numerous regional and national titles. His most profound sense of peace comes from studying, teaching, and regular practice of Classical Hatha Yoga.

Honors & Awards:

--2007 “Head-To-Head Haiku” National Champion
--Winner, West Coast Regional Slam/Big Sur: 99, 00, 02, 03, 07 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, Salmon Slam/Pacific NW Regionals: 98, 99, 00, 07 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, Battle Of The Bay: 00, 03, 07 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, NorCal “Win & In” Regionals: 06, 07 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, “Best Of The East Bay” (Best Open Mic) 2007 --Diablo Magazine
--"Tribe 25": one of the 25 most interesting people on Tribe.net 2005
--Winner, "Best of the East Bay" (Best Place To Hear Erotic Haiku) 2003- East Bay Express
--Winner, National Collegiate Poetry Slam 2001 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, National Poetry Slam 99 (as Team Coach).
--Winner, "Best Open Mic" 1996- LA Weekly

Performance Venues include: Masonic Auditorium (SF), Starry Plough (Berkeley), Nuyorican Poets Café (NYC), Bowery Poetry Club (NYC), Green Mill (Chicago), Michigan Theater (Ann Arbor), Paddington Arts (London), Cafe Du Sole (Vancouver), Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center (Venice Beach), Yerba Buena Center For the Arts (SF), Ego’s (Austin), and numerous bars, coffeehouses, and living rooms across the U.S.

Radio Appearances on KALX, KPFA (Pacifica), KUCI, BBC, Cool As Hell Theater (podcast). TV Appearances on several Public Access channels in CA.

Charles has shared the stage with numerous renowned “page” poets, including: Maya Angelou, Quincy Troupe, Gerald Locklin, Charles Webb, and Brendan Constantine. He has shared the stage with nearly every notable Slam champion and quite a few underground legends, including: Patricia Smith, Mike McGee, Buddy Wakefield, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Sonya Renee, Anis Mojgani, Staceyann Chin, Beth Lisick, Michelle Tea, Daphne Gottleib, Bucky Sinister, The Suicide Kings, and Marc Smith, to name only a few.

Universities & Colleges that Charles has played:

Boise State University
California Institute Of Integral Studies: San Francisco.
Cal State U Long Beach
Golden West College
Las Positas College
New College (SF)
Orange Coast College
San Bernardino Valley College
San Francisco State
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at Chico
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of California at San Diego
University of Oregon in Portland
University of Michigan Ann Arbor (Big Blue)
University of San Francisco

You can reach me at:

voluptuary at hotmail dot com

or

charlesellik at yahoo dot com

Yoga Bio

Charles Ekabhumi Ellik is a Samaya (entry-level) initiate of Dharmanidhi Saraswati of the Trika Institute, and a graduate of Yoga Mandala’s Teacher Training Program. After a 9-month internship with David Moreno (Abhimanyu Saraswati), and studies of many other styles of Yoga, he went on to teach Hatha Yoga full-time.
At the behest of his guru, Ekabhumi began teaching childrens' Yoga in 2005. Today he teaches classical yogic practices in an innovative Youth Yoga program (also with his guru's blessing) that incorporates aspects of martial arts and dance.
An award-winning poet, teacher/coach, and community organizer, he brings to his practice and classes a rich background in creative and physical arts: poetry performance, public speaking, publishing, painting, music, martial arts, and modern dance. He also has extensive experience in outdoor sports such as backpacking, surfing, sailing, snowboarding, skateboarding, and cycling. In Yoga, he found a practice that combines elements of all these activities. Though relatively new at teaching Yoga, he has been coaching live performance and teaching poetry at schools and workshops for over a decade.

Currently, he is employed with Yoga Mandala (Youth Yoga), Life Stretch Yoga (Hatha), and AFPS (Adult Yoga in gyms).

--Namaste! Traditional Hatha Yoga is my practice and what I teach. I am a Samaya (entry-level) diksha inititate with Dharmanidhi Sarasvati of the Trika Institute. www.trikakula.org

--I've taught in studios, private homes, gyms, and even outside in the park! My experience as a poet, surfer, artist, coach, options broker, janitor and everything else just adds spice to our practice. Let's practice together! Please join me for a public class, or contact me for private lessons!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADULT GENTLE HATHA YOGA --At Yoga Mandala
~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- Every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM, in the main studio. This class is suitable for all levels, but specifically designed for students with health needs and physical demands that won't allow for a 'regular' class. Or anyone who just wants a relaxing stretch in the middle of the day! MMMMM!
---Yoga Mandala.
www.yogamandalastudio.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOUTH YOGA --Every Tuesday & Thursday at Yoga Mandala.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---A fun, playful introduction to Yogic Practice. Excellent for building Self-Discipline, Self-Esteem, and an overall Healthy Self. For ages 4-7 (but we're not strict about it). 4:15-5:15 pm. Parents are welcome to watch or participate, but PLEASE! Do not interrupt the lesson or correct the kids!
--Our kid's class is evolving into a full-fledged Youth Yoga Program with a detailed curriculum to guide kids through childhood and adolescence and on to a harmonious adult Yogic Lifestyle. We have a fantastic bunch of regulars now, all highly motivated and learning a wide spectrum of Yogic practices, including Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha, as well as Anatomy, Health, Philosophy, and Service practices.
---Yoga Mandala.
www.yogamandalastudio.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ADULT HATHA YOGA --Every Monday at Lifestretch Yoga.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
YOGA BASICS
--Every Monday night, 4:30-6:00pm.

--This gentle yoga class is suitable for beginners, students recovering from injuries or those interested in concentrating on form and alignment. Yoga Fundamentals focuses on calming the mind, deepening awareness of breath, strengthening the body, increasing balance and flexibility.

www.lifestretchyoga.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I also teach at private gyms through Alliance Fitness Professionals Services. If you live in a community with a central fitness center and would like yoga classes (paid for by your building association), please contact AFPS at: 877-675-2377

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Berkeley Poetry Slam. --Every Weds.
~~~~
--This is the rowdiest good time you'll ever have listening to poetry. And storytelling, comedy, lyricism, and so much more! We've been going for nearly ten years now, consistently standing-room-only. There's a good reason: it's a great time for only seven bucks!

--STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
$150 Cash Prizes. $7 door.
Hosts: Charles Ellik & Betsy Roll.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice.
www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Contact: voluptuary@hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
San Francisco/ The City Slam --Second Sundays
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----HOST: MONA WEBB & Co-Host: EKABHUMI.
----WHEN: Second Sunday February 10, 2008
----WHERE: MAMA CALIZOS VOICE FACTORY THEATER
----NEW TIME: 7-10:00pm (SIGN UP 6:30-7:30pm)
---CASH PRIZES OF $100 TO WINNING SLAMMERS
The City Slam & Experimental Mic.
A forum for lyrical creativity: layering poetry,
music, dance, & all artistic avenues of expression.
---- MAMA CALIZO'S VOICE FACTORY THEATER
1519 Mission (at 11th a few blocks from the Civic
Center Bart next to Firestone Tires). SF, 94103.
myspace.com/goldengateslam
Info: thecityslam @ yahoo. com
www.voicefactorysf.org
The City Slam & Experimental Mic
Normally Second Sunday of Every Month...

03-16-08
Dog shits in the yard
and the fragrant roses get
back their privacy.

03-15-08
On the new rose bush:
four promising small rose buds
and countless aphids.


03-13-08
After years stealing
roses from other's gardens
finally plant my own.


One must cultivate
a garden of thorn bushes
to enjoy roses.


Even as I plant
a new rose in my garden
its thorns stab my hands.


Stab of pain:
overeager to smell
rose perfume.

03-10-08
Innumerable
noses schoz the MMM of these roses
yet they still smell sweet.

03-09-08
In the fifth storey
fitness center swimming pool
two ducks doing laps.

03-07-08
It's easy to love
a master who teaches you
what you want to know.

03-03-08
Crabgrass & Blackberries
battle for my backyard like a
Japanese monster movie

03-01-08
So silent I hear
my heel striking the sidewalk
through my skeleton.

02-29-08
"THIS SHIT ISN'T REAL!!!"
is a quick way to get kicked
out of the theater.

02-18-08
No force necessary.
Just water the flowers; the bees
can't help themselves.

02-17-09
Cut, and cut again;
pull a weed out by the root
no new weeds to pull.

This pink godzilla
terrorizes the garden
with a giant hoe.

Just as the plum tree
starts her Valentine's dance, the wind
rips her veils away.

All it takes is one
poppy to turn a weed patch
into a garden.

Knarled fist of a rose
tickled by spring’s sun & rain
opens like “hello.”

If a seed takes root
and its flowers bloom, the bees
come uninvited.

Does the sun ever
grow tired of gazing at
this little blue orb?

Men make calendars.
Science makes laws to obey
Spring is never late.

02-16-08
An hour digging.
A few years of nurturing.
A lifetime of fruit.

Camellias would
rather die than turn away
from the burning sun.

Rust on the shovel,
dust thick on the garden shears.
The weeds are mocking.

02-06-08
It is the dull knife
that makes the most painful wounds.
Measure twice, cut once.

Truth is no fixed point
it is a struggle between
fact and perception

Who wants discipline
when there are credit cards and
governments to blame?

Dedicated to
a life of selfless service;
who is left to die?

02-04-08
Where the willow was
fistfuls of fragrant flowers
celebrate the sun.

02-03-08
Awakened before dawn
by her hand on my cock.
Breakfast of Champions!

On my parents' mantle:
faded photos of puppies
rolling in the grass.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!"
Someone wins, someone loses.
My tea tastes the same.

02-02-08
Dreary, rainy day.
Indoors cooking and humming
feeling the sunshine.


01-31-08
Even the homeless
choose not to beg
when it is this cold.

01-07-08
Feeble sunshine.
Pink Camellias scattered.
Hungry hummingbirds.

01-01-08
Eyelids opening
countless gifts unwrapping
New Years morning.

12-30-07
Who owns my name?
The ones who gave it to me?
My friends? Myself?

I may change my name
but who will call me by it?
Must I change myself?

How do I change friends
who know the old me? Can I
die while still alive?

Parents may give names
friends may use them, but Death
allows the naming.

12-27-07
Wrapping paper rips.
Oohs. Ahhs. Laughter. Hugs. Thank Yous.
No one in the bank.

12-23-07
Do the wilting
Sunflowers realize
For what they thirst?

12-22-07
Amongst these boxes
the most subtle gift of all:
scent of a pine tree.

The lowly daisy
has only a bitter root
and heart of gold.

Full moon brings poets
and waves of silver Grunion
to the sandy beach.

Huevos Rancheros!
OJ, tea, French toast and jam.
World on my table.

12-21-07
Cold rainy morning:
A warm kiss on my forehead,
Gone before I wake.

12-17-07
Gazing at the moon
from the deck of a cruise ship,
the warmth of her hand.

12-13-07
Hell is beautiful
when one understands there is
no need to stay there.

In the dark of night
Jasmine feels no jealousy
for the showy rose.

12-08-07
Pixels on a screen:
Do the Crysanthemums die
when I hit "delete?"

12-06-08
Tea as medicine
or tea as ceremony?
What happened to taste?


An ugly teacup
has no effect on the taste
of what it carries.


Should I read a book?
How can one enjoy
tea with no cup?

Crappy organic
tea only tastes good
to my conscience.

12-04-07
From out of the sea,
Rivers run to the mountains
Leap into the sky.

12-03-07
Clouds rushing inland:
No matter how far they roam
the sea waits for them.


11-30-07
I can't be angry;
you need to buy presents too!
Christmas-time mugger.

What a sacrifice!
May you be reborn in me,
Thanksgiving Turkey

11-29-07
Everyone needs to
act STEWPID once in a while.
Hence, college sports bars.

If it don't kill you
just keep taking more until
it makes you feel high.

11-28-07
In a misty field
hunting for a gibbous moon
I caught a cold.

11-23-07
Lovely persimmon
worked hard all year to bear fruit
just to feed the flies.

11-13-07
Twenty years of work
all stored on one cheap flashdrive.
How small I've become!

11-09-07
On the way to Court
sunny blue sky, except the
cloud over my heart.

11-07-07
Wake in the fog,
morning or night?
Smells like breakfast.

11-03-07
Lemon trees blossom,
Halloween and bikinis:
typical Berkeley.



10-27-07
Two blocks off my path
just to visit this garden
and smell the roses.

10-24-07
Which way should I look?
Inferno-tinted sunset
or the Harvest Moon?

10-15-07
Is the Sun jealous
of how deep the daisy's roots
plunge into the Earth?

The rain teaches me
to ride my bicycle slow
and steer with my ears.

10-08-07
When rivers run dry
the ocean does not cry out
for lack of water

Fall won the battle,
big parade blew through town
leaves like confetti.

10-03-07
The mirror-smooth lake:
a cool wind blows across it,
countless Suns shining.

09-26-07
Sitting and chanting.
Wait for something magical;
urgent need to pee.

09-24-07
Stare at a candle
long enough without blinking
two candles appear.

Expect perfection
accept all sincere effort
before class begins.


09-09-07
A blind man asks
a mute woman to describe
how a love song smells.

06-18-07
Haiku written on the grounds of Shinn Historical Park in Fremont, CA.
Evening Sunlight
glowing insects write poems
with their cursive flight

Tourists' heavy steps
cigarettes and cheap perfume
"OH! SSHHHH! He's praying!"

Even a poorly
kept teagarden is better
than a parking lot.

Patient spiders lurk.
Ants search for scraps of food.
busy garden path.

Children throwing grass.
Hummingbird in a fountain.
Wind in the treetops.

Pebbles in a line
March across the garden bridge;
Sergeant wears diapers.

Super burrito:
fuel enough for hours
of meditation.

Leaves rise and shake
like a standing ovation
as a gust blows by.

Must be quite a view:
Northern peak of the farmhouse
always has a bird.

A stream filled with rocks.
A mind filled with thoughts.
Is the water stopped?

No need for alarms.
Just sleep in the grass until
the wetness soaks through.

05-14-07

Dawn Calligraphy:
winshield condensation drips,
the future spelled out.

05-13-07
Isolated Youth
infected by hungry ghosts
Murdered, murdering.

Dawn Calligraphy:
windshield condensation drips,
the future spelled out.

05-03-07
Chattering from High:
King Squirrel allows no one
to play with his nuts.

04-02-07 Transcontinental flight from JFK to OAK

A playground sandbox:
how small are teh mountain gods.
Airbus 320.

White picket fence
between West Coast and the Plains:
The Rocky Mountains.

Great snow-capped ridges
the most desolate deserts
hemmed by empty roads.

Snowy pyramid
peak unseen by human eyes
laid bare by jet fuel.

Viewed from above
cities filled with memories:
dirty childrens' toys.

On a green beast's back
grey blood creeping from a gash:
downtown Modesto.

Angular river;
California Aquaduct:
SoCal's thirsty vein.

Velvet green hillside
sliced open by a freeway
bleeding traffic jams.

Bold abstract painting:
purple green yellow and blue
evaporation ponds.

Sky, mountains, water,
buildings, cars, people, then birds:
descent into detail.

To hell with New York
I'd pay three hundred dollars
just for the window seat!

03-30-07 Elmont, NY

Hiding from the sun
corner of a parking lot
destitute snow bank.

Not just pedestrians:
Squirrels also move faster
in New York City.

Where do I go pee
what ll the bushes and trees
have lost every leaf?

03-26-07
Notice the sky is blue
reach for the white dragon's tail
find another dream.

03-26-07 Inspired by Lorca's "Blood Wedding"

A fish with no scales
cold Earth becomes a knife
to taste astonished flesh.

03-25-07 Berkeley

No need to die:
Cherry blossoms become haiku
and live forever.

03-12-07
Under the oak tree
vows and rings are exchanged
whole world as witness.

02-05-07
Soaked down to my toes
while praying for snow angels.
Just not cold enough.

Came North for snowscapes,
found even more peaceful view:
no headlines of war.

Steps from Puget Sound,
taste sushi from New Zealand
and sip Belgian ale.

01-29-07
Life in the suburbs:
come home when streetlights blink on.
Don't talk to strangers.

01-16-07
"You could make snowballs
from the frost, it was so thick!"
Her tiny face glows.

12-06-06
Tender wet fingers:
The Sky unwraps flower buds
wrapped by the rich Earth.

I'm a skinny man.
Need a warm bed for Winter.
Hence, the wedding ring.

Laughing at my ring?
I love being married while
other poets shiver.

11-28-06
Wiped clean by a storm,
the hard blue winter sky
can make no sunset.

11-22-06
Modern Americans
make ritual sacrifice:
Thanksgiving Day bird.

11-13-06
Tickle down my back:
Jackets can't stop her fingers,
this Fierce Fall rainstorm

11-07-06
Unable to find
Orion, my wife wanders
lost across the park.

10-31-06
Pumpkin guardians
derilict in their duties
become mold farmers.

10-04-06
Fall seems far away
when your favorite baseball team
is in the play offs.

10-02-06
Slain by her lover
Summer becomes cold and grey
while all the trees weep.

Poured onto a page
my haiku waits for the day
you birth me again.

09-27-06
Online Tantra Tribe:
unenlightened know-it-alls
make Something of Nothing.

09-23-06
Downtown San Francisco
endless tourists passing by:
Rock in a stream.

09-19-06
Imprisoned no more,
leapt from the balcony rail:
Suicide cactus.

09-12-06
Stolen from the vine
and hot from the sun, these grapes
taste better than wine.

Sunny summer day.
In the basement rafters:
forgotten red kite.

09-08-06
Sculpted a dream girl
from warm sand at the seashore;
Moon took her away.

Divine paradox:
choose predetermination
and set yourself free.

07-16-06
I was just in Big Sur (a little South of Monterey in California), camping. Here are some haiku I wrote while there:

Batteries run out.
Memorize the view instead
and say "click".

Waves crashing.
A long-dead volcano.
Lone lighthouse.
Empty road.

Wide sandy beach. Offshore winds.
Waves in parallel lines.
Not one surfer.

Mysterious suitor:
sea fog slips his fingers
into her lush canyons.

Redwoods pointing up
up up up toward the stars.
My heart follows.

Holding their fingers
over my warm camp fire
old redwoods, leaning.

06-20-06
No lake smooth enough
to reflect the pure brilliance
of my grateful heart.

Joyous multitudes
muscles of my body flex
hot humid summer.

Under giant waves
boulders roll in the surges
clack like billiard balls.

"NO BIKES IN HERE!"
cute bakery girl saves me
from buying donuts.
06-19-06
Subway station:
the silence of passengers
and howl of steel.

06-12-06
Unable to rain,
the humiliated clouds
spit on passers-bye.

Red squirrel, running.
Busy street with lots of cars.
Patient crows, waiting.

06-08-06
Only in my mind
does water from a mirage
quench imagined thirst.

06-07-06
How many statues
lie in a block of marble?
All of them. And none.

06-01-06
Poems inspired by Soen Nakagawa:

Artificial pain:
zealous monk fasting under
a tree ripe with fruit.

Vow of indulgence:
rest, sunbathe, and eat cookies.
Whose body is this?

Perfume and flowers:
this cactus, quick to forgive
two years of neglect.

What choice is there?
A lifetime of surprises
like it or not!

Recalling the night
melting glacier in moonlight
I shiver again.

God created me
so that I might re-create him
each time I say "OM"

05-29-06
Memorial Day.
Even the most remote hike:
childrens' laughter.

05-24-06
Like waves on the beach
the lives of poets, ending
and the ocean, unchanged.

05-21-06
the squirrels running
acround the roof of my house
imagine monsters...

05-14-06
More flowers inside
than outside in the garden.
Busy, busy knife.


05-09-06
Sunshine on my feet.
Breakfast and news before me.
Simple luxuries.

05-05-06
Chidren build castles
from crushed bones of mountains
while the tide rises.


05-01-06
Sunrise births Sunset
but who gave birth to the sun?
o-o-o-o-o-m

04-28-06
It is not enough
to see, smell, and touch the fruit.
One must consume it.

04-25-06
soft earth is waiting
to soak up every teardrop
and make them flowers.

04-24-06
Claret in my glass
poetry on my deft tongue
your breath in my ear.

04-20-06
silence in the wind.
heaviness in the mountains.
wiggle in my toes.

04-16-06
At the gas station
i make a war donation
and take a joy ride.

Vacations are more
work than staying home seeing
old things in new ways.

04-15-06
Lit from the same flame
church full of tiny candles
quickly becomes hot.

04-13-06
A lover long missed:
sunshine steals through a window
and gives me a kiss.

04-12-06
million years from now
buried bodies of this war
will become more oil.

04-11-06
How lovely, this pain:
full grown tree pruned down
into a bonsai.

what if an acorn
dreamed of being a mountain
and became the moon?

how green are the hills
after weeks and weeks of rain
how pale is my skin

How many trees died
to fill this shelf with dusty
books of poetry?

A sky so open
seeds felt compelled to fill it
with flowers and trees.

04-04-06
messaging my lust:
each day I squeeze the mango
wishing it were ripe.

04-03-06
soft earth is waiting
to soak up every teardrop
and make them flowers.

03-24-06
Politics, war, plague
may evoke no emotion
but this one dead bird...

03-18-06
Hiacynth will bloom
sooner in the hot sunshine
longer in the shade.

Lucky for roses
that camillias don't smell
as good as they look.

Born of the same tree
yet one apple tastes sweeter
than any other.

03-17-06
Music is neither
guitar nor guitarist
it is divine play.

03-16-06
Restless as a moth
mind flutters from one candle
to another.

A river's nature
is to be restless until
entering the sea.

03-12-06
Each day I think the ants:
encouraging my roomates
to keep the kitchen clean.

Schoolyard sandbox game:
by crushing his own castle
boy makes history

"Can we wreck it now?"
pack of kids watch me finish
flawless sand castle.

03-11-06
The moon is disturbed
all Heaven's stars quake, when wind
blows across the lake.

Middle of the street
black satin dinner jacket
crow dines on road kill.

03-10-06
Upon waking up
I forgot what was and found
all that might have been.

03-09-06
bruises her fingers
reaching into the mirror
to give mom a hug.

03-07-06
Inside every rock
the silent buddha waiting
for a stone carver.

03-05-06
In an empty room
one sits in contemplation:
un-struck drum resounds.


03-01-05
whitehouse cheerleaders
playing naked in war room:
prisoner and guard.


02-28-06
One yard, manicured;
one choked with bright blooming weeds.
Guess where the bees go?


02-27-06
Snow?!? In Berkeley?
Our version of bad weather:
drifts of plum blossoms.


02-15-06
Sidewalks of people
pass heaven-scented flowers
born here every day.


02-09-06
Difficult to rush
through fragrant neighborhoods
filled with hyacinth.


01-30-06
always a delight
fellow poet's compliments
funny epitaphs

Cocoon of comfort
withdraw myself from her arms
morning butterfly.

I'm not ready yet!
no amount of pleading helps
wife set the alarm.


01-29-06
Morning butterfly
alights on many flowers
drunk on the choices.


01-25-06
Woken from a nap
by tapping on the window:
passing cloud says, "hi".


01-23-06
Step off a jet plane
sunshine, sea breeze, green hills;
grateful to be home.


01-18-06
Surprise cloudburst hits:
less rain under roadside tree
but bigger splashes.


01-16-06
Heater on the fritz
Means clammy basement repairs.
She kicks me from bed.


01-08-06
gift of a lover
needs no attention for weeks
so many sharp thorns


01-05-06
photo and message;
compliments from a strager.
unanswered questions.

12-30-06
Staring at the rain
drowning in its gray beauty
makes me a turkey?


12-03-05
Countless little fists:
Roiling storm clouds unleash
a week of disasters.


11-29-05
unable to face
their queen empty-handed,
ants search kitchen.


11-28-05
I just feels colder
no matter the temperature
in an empty house.

~~~~~~~~
Texas Haiku November 05

11-04-05
Sitting in stillness
while the world moves around me
Now it is Texas.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pain Suite (written in Corpus Christi 11-06-05)

Pain is a flower
most folks pull from their garden
thinking it common

How precious and rare
to be born in a human body
even angels envy

The easiest path
is seldom the most scenic
time to make a choice

On the longest road
suffering and ecstasy
walk side-by-side, friends.

Some say that Yoga
is soft. Easy. For wimps. Yes.
No. It is a mirror.

Some pain is torture.
Some, pleasure. The difference?
How I ask for it.

In a secret place
the greatest master of all
can hear no applause.


~~~~~~~~~~
Corpus Christi Suite 11-07-05

Corpus Christi's HOT!
What fool would build this city
before conditioning?

Napping in Texas
woken by car stereo:
"Hotel California".

Sitting by the bay
strange lights glow underwater.
Ghosts? Or jellyfish?

Under the dock: mud
barnacles, crabs, fishing net,
Gatorade bottle.

Regal, arrogant
Great Blue Heron claims pier
chases seagulls off.

Even Blue Herons
pause from their fishing to watch
South Texas sunset.

Fish and fried Okra;
front row seat for the sunset.
Where else would I be?

Turquoise, deep blue, black.
Sunset reflection melted
like fire red candy.

First star. Flock of birds.
New moon. Balmy tropic breeze.
Full belly. Heaven.

Two hours driving.
crusty gas station crapper
...like a gift from god.


~~~~~~~~~~
Austin 11-10-05

Who thought there would be
so much water in Austin?
Town of immigrants.

Casa de Luz
garden with a missing gate.
Listen to bamboo.

Down by the river
joggers seek a rustic view
plugged into i-pods.

Canoe full of tourists
scare the local turtles off.
Gentrification.

Every leaf of every tree
has it's own story
its own tragic Fall.

By the river's edge
where the air is cool and moist
that's where haiku grow.

Sit by the river.
City full of things to do
will just have to wait.

Group of birds, swimming.
Look like ducks, act like ducks, quack
with a Texan twang.

Thousands of joggers.
One delinquent smoking pot.
Ripples on the lake.

Under the talking,
radios, and street traffic
Silence is waiting.

Rowing crew sweats
coach sits in Director's Chair
speaking through bullhorn.

Perfect unison
old folks in a rowing scull
laps around the lake.

Crickets are the nighttime
soundtrack of every state
but California.

Like any other operation
birth hurts more
longer it's put off.

Rockstar sings about
freedom from on top a stage
just a few feet wide.

If you close your eyes
prettiest girl in the room
will reveal herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOUSTON 11-11-05

Could be LA or
Phoenix or Dallas, but no.
This time, it's Houston.


Takes the sun longer
to cross that big Texan sky.
...so there's no hurry.

Classic rock station
Country. Tejano and Rap.
Texas radio.

Highrise cloaked in fog
totem of the money god
sends out a search light.

At an Open Mic
staying awake is tougher
than looking interested.

A week in Texas
saw my first armadillo
dead on the highway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DALLAS 11-13-05

Risk your life to save
five minutes on the freeway
end up on a slab.

Counting the hours
until her loving embrace
will prove I am home.

unholy bargain
cold wind blows at the crossroads
musical genious.

Skid marks on the road
smears of pain on a cement wall
wooden cross, leaning.

Flock of black birds
one creature with many parts
dancing by itself.

Bee tapped in the car:
how many lives were ended
by fear of a sting?

Don't hate the player
hate the... Check that. Don't hate.
Cuz hate IS the game.

Glossy statistics
Glossy faces glossy suits
Dallas daytime news.

Once a butterfly
now a green goo explosion.
I-35 South.

Raindrop on windshield
rolling past parched brown landscape
When will Summer end?
~~~~~~~~~

11-06-05
First sign of Winter:
Thermostat clicks heater on,
it smells of burnt hair.


11-03-05
To a red, red rose
buckets of water are more
lovely than poems.


11-01-05
Fragrant denial:
roses bloom this November
in California.


10-30-05
Pumpkin on the porch
lasts a week in the chill air
and two days indoors.


10-16-05
Turn the light switch off.
From darkness a room appears
thanks to the full moon.


10-08-05
Morning toothbrushing:
every day amazed to find
new face in mirror.


10-05-05
Sun sets in the West
snoflakes rise from the ocean
the wind filled with breath.


10-04-05
A rose with no scent.
Fall pulls leaves from the trees.
...A day without you.


09-14-05
Isn't it enough
for the cat to eat it's mouse?
Must it be tortured?


09-07-05
Where a leaf once was
now this tree has a blue hole:
window to beyond.


08-29-05
Fall's Ambassador:
A hungry ant comes searching
across my keyboard.


08-25-05
Wake, dreaming of sex
Wife's hand wrapped around my cock.
Whoa! Wish fulfillment!


08-19-05 (Gallup, NM)
After three hours
pack of cars on the freeway
are almost neighbors


08-19-05 (lyrics from a C&W tune, near Gallup)
Girl wearing nothing
but a smile and a towel
on highway billboard


08-19-05 (near Gallup)
Oldies rock and roll
playing songs from my childhood.
When did I grow up?


08-19-05 (Old Town ABQ)
Romantic dinner
at an old outdoor cafe.
Wish for forever.


08-19-05 (S of ABQ)
Two lines: red and white
rivers that never run dry
meet in the distance.


08-19-05 (rest-stop S of ABQ)
Cloud of moths flutter
around lone truck stop light pole
...lost sight of the moon.


08-16-05 (Painted Desert)
Cloaked in silver clouds
ghostly moon haunts jagged hills.
The Painted Desert.


08-16-05 (Monument Valley)
Twinkling streetlights
Kayenta in the distance
no match for the stars.


08-15-05 (Monument Valley)
Resting in backseat
dirty clothes for my pillow
million-dollar view


08-15-05 (Monument Valley)
Gift I have always
possessed yet never ejoyed:
a sky full of stars


08-14-05 ...(Grand Canyon North Rim)
Double yellow line.
Stuck behind a huge RV.
Anger Management.


08-08-05
Months of Yoga class
behind my back these hands now
can pray in secret


08-05-05
How far I traveled
to reach a place where I could
enjoy the blue sky.


07-28-05
Glued back together
broken bowl is still empty
but won't leak when filled.


07-25-05
Whole world can be seen
on the surface of a lake
that has no ripples.


07-23-05
What flower takes root
and blooms in utter darkness?
A mind unfolding.


07-20-05
Pretty cut flowers
that bloom while stuck in water
emit no scent.


07-16-05
Even the greatest
samauri is forced to cry
when chopping onions.


07-13-05
Open Garden Gate
The world is my garden.
Close Garden Gate
The garden is my world.


07-07-05
The only view
shown by a dirty window
is of more dirt.


06-29-05
The quiet garden:
home of a thousand battles
and one surrender.


06-22-05
A purple lotus
blooms when she opens her mouth
and whispers my name.


06-18-05
How deep must I swim
to find in the ocean
a place that is not wet?


06-14-05
Scent of burning hair:
it doesn't smell so awful
if you aren't attached.


06-12-05
Should this sprout be pulled?
or allowed to grow until
I know what it is?


06-08-05
When I close my eyes
a light that leaves no shadows
guides me on my path


06-05-05
Flower in my hand
that wilts as I'm walking home
still blooms in my heart.


06-04-05
Snuffing a candle
becomes easy when you have
grown thick calluses.


06-03-05
Though the candle burns
in this bright morning sunlight
I can see no flame.

UPDATE -- OAKLAND SLAM EXPLOSION!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1)Tidbits. (2)Berkeley WEDS. (3)Monterey WEDS.
(4)OAK/Tourettes THURS. (5)Sacto/Life TUES.
(5-11)UPCOMING EVENTS.
(12)Recap Of Youth Speaks' Finals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: NorCal's Poetry Slam Fanzine.
04-02-08 Vol. 11, No. 14.

~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) NEWS & TIBITS
~~~~~~~~

----TOURETTES WITHOUT REGRETS is back! The biggest
and most notorious regular spoken word event in
NorCal returns THIS THURSDAY. They've been on
hiatus due to the move of their long-time venue,
but return this week to a warehouse in Oakland.
If you've never been, be prepared for flying meat,
profanity, hard-core battle rap, and even some
poetry! Details: (4).

----OAKLAND SLAM is back! This is the venue that
qualifies & sends the team to Nationals that
represents Oaktown. You wanna go? Go slam. This
show is FREE and ALL AGES! Details: (7).

----TOURING POETS: Cheryl Maddelena is in town with
the Boise Slam Team. Long-time fans may remember
her from the 2004 Berkeley Team that finished 4th
in the nation. Details: (2). Providence RI's fierce
Bernard Dolan will be at Tourettes this Thursday.
Details: (4). Mark your calendars for next week, as
Boston's svelte Iyeoka will be in town.
Details: (2,9).

----BIG CASH PRIZES: The Modesto slam is teaming up
with local non-profits to produce themed slams with
$350 in cash prizes! They are even offering to
save spots for poets making the long drive out.
Details: (6).

----CONGRATS to the gang at Youth Speaks, once again
selling out the Operahouse and blowing the minds of
3,000 people! For a full recap, including who made
the team: (12).

----GEEK GLORY: freely streamed episodes of awesome
retro shows, movies, all that. www.hulu.com
---A blast from the past, a website everyone (but me)
enjoyed, now defunct but haunting the internet just
the same: www.suck.com
---Another classic, but one which never grows old:
www.theonion.com/content/node/76782

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2)BERZERKELEY POETRY SLAM -Every Wednesday.
*2007 West Coast Champions * Best of the E.Bay*
Ekabhumi checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----THIS WEEK: OPEN SLAM! $150 Cash Prizes, Hot
Pizza, Irish Beer, & FREE WiFi! Joshua Walters
Emcees, Three Blind Mice provide the tunes.
----FEATURING: Scorpio Blues; Cheryl Maddalena &
the Boise Slam Team.
--Scorpio Blues is profound and sassy, with a nice
touch of soul. This Oakland native can magically
weave the most soulful songs with strong soothing
words. In 2003, she assisted the Oakland Slam team
in placing 4th in the Nation, was the 2004 Harlem's
Hottest Poet champion, and in 2006 the Ill List
(Pronounced Illest) Poets Champion. She appeared on
HBO's Def Poetry - Season V, was nominated for the
2007 Spoken Word Artist of the Year Award (Female)
by the Bay Area Music Awards and has shared stages
with the likes of D'Wayne Wiggins, The Last Poets,
Les Nubians, Felicia Rashaad, Mos-Def, Smokey
Robinson, Goapele, and many other entertainers. She
is also the CEO of Hot Water Cornbread, a spoken
word management company dedicated to providing
platforms for artists from across the globe.
www.hotwatercornbread.org
www.myspace.com/officialscorpioblues
--Cheryl Maddalena is the current slaminatrix and
Indi champion of Boise, ID. A former Bay Area poet,
she cut her teeth as co-host of the imitated but not
duplicated Birth Of Verse slam/workshop in 2001.
Cheryl was Grand Slam Champ of San Jose 2002, and a
member of the legendary Berkeley Team 04 that
finished 4th in the Nation. Featured across NorCal,
she uses intensely personal work to speak to larger
social issues. She received her doctorate in
psychology with dissertation on "Bringing The
Darkness" at poetry slams! Joining her will be
members of the 08 Boise Slam Team!
----LAST WEEK: It looks like the big gamble of re-
arranging the Berkeley Slam has been a tremendous
success. The venue has been packed every week, the
slams have been GREAT, the audience has been hyped,
and the bartender has been busy.
---It was Jamie DeWolf's first night as one of our
regular roster of emcees, and for the first hour,
half the audience had their hands over their mouths,
ashamed to be laughing at his foul humor. But they
DID laugh. And they stayed for the entire night.
Jamie also experimented with using two beatboxers
as his backup, rather than a DJ or band. The
audience LOVED it!
---Round 1: Judges were TOUGH, and score creep was
ghastly. Basically, the judges were scoring con-
sistently under 25 until Jen G's strong scores for
"Bullwhip" gave D.Silence a lay-up for what would
have been the high score of the round...except for
a 7-point time penalty! The random lottery arranged
most of the Veteran competitors in the 2nd half of
the round, but it was also clear they rode D's
coattails. Andrew, Renee, Abe, and Bullwinkle all
score in the 28 range, with Lucky 7 taking top
score for "Stud Whore".
---Team Santa Cruz turned out IN FORCE, packing out
an already full house. They rose to the occasion,
rocking team piece after team piece, mixing comedy
and sharp social critique with shameless emo
anthems. Excellent work.
---Round 2: Jason Bayani and The Poet "I" both
sacrificed, setting the bar a full point higher
than the last round. Newbie Renee Rose would have
earned the high score of the NIGHT for her swan
song to the Bay Area, but took a 4.5 time penalty.
Dre earned a 28.7 for "White Picket Fences", but
that was only enough to earn him 4th. Abe absolutely
KILLED it tonight, earned a 29 for "Talk To My Dad"
and 3rd. Andrew Lowe was on a mission to impress his
team (he's coaching Santa Cruz) and pulled out all
the stops to earn a 29.4 for "Children of Queer
Couples" and 2nd. Making it look easy, Lucky 7
cruised to the big win with "Henny Penny".
----TOP 16 POETS: NOTE: there is currently a 10-way
tie for 14th! This means MANY poets may drop off the
standings very soon! Xian:19 points; Baraka:17; The
poet "I":13; Andrew Lowe:13; Lucky:13; Laura YY:13;
Abe:11; Kevin H:8; Dre:7; Mona W:6; Deshone:5;
Ekabhumi:5; Stephen M:5; Matt B:4; Miss Ashleigh:4;
Jason B:4; Kris G:4; Alvin L:4; Mocha:4; Sammy O:4;
Alma:4; Dusty:4; Joshua:4.
------STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. ALL AGES before 9pm.
Hosts: Charles Ekabhumi, Betsy Gomez, Jamie DeWolf,
Christian Drake, Lucky 7, & Joshua Walters.
Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
www.myspace.com/berkeleypoetryslam
www.berkeleypoetryslam. com
Contact: voluptuary @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) MONTEREY --Every Wednesday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--EAST VILLAGE COFFEE LOUNGE. 498 Washington St.
(@Pearl St.) near Downtown Monterey.
Show: 8:00-10:00pm. $3 donation.
Open Mic & slam every Wednesday.
Host: Garland Thompson.
Booking: gtpoet @ gmail.com
The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic
www.westcoastslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) OAK/Tourettes --Next Slam: THURS, April 10.
The organizers are waiting for their long-time
Venue (The Oakland Metro) to finish construction &
re-open at a new location. They promise the show
will be bigger and better than ever!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THURSDAY April 3rd!
THE THREE ARENAS OF OPEN COMPETITION:
$100 FREESTYLE RAP BATTLE * $100 OPEN SLAM
The DIRTY HAIKU BOUT: TAG TEAM FACEOFF!
Featuring B. DOLAN and TEAM LEXINGTON and
MANY ELEMENTS! PSYCHOTIC EROTIC VAUDEVILLE and EVIL
AUDIENCE CONTESTS!!
----Mmmm. I love me some outlaws. The city dropped
the gavel and decreed it illegal for us to get down
this thursday at the soon to be opened Metro so we
quickly shifted gears and are now going OUTLAW for
a TOURETTES UNDERGROUND WAREHOUSE show! Yeehaw! The
show will be full force with wild games, ferocious
feature performers, our anything goes slam, the
furiously funny freestyle battle, blazing beat-
boxing, and to-the-hilt interactive mayhem. It'll
still be All Ages, full bar, the works. But we're
moving the circus down the street (close to Lake
Merritt BART) and would love for you to join us at
our not-so secret location (undercover cops not
invited!) for the return of the strange loud beast
known as Tourettes, a show that started three cities
ago and has grown to a movement of nation-wide
notoriety, a controversial playground for the best
performers who are too raw for regular stages. Come
support the underground at it's finest in it's pure
element!
----This show will be a powderkeg due to the
immensely talented featured performer B. DOLAN
(Providence, RI), a gritty, darkly funny, brutally
intense emcee, poet, clown and vicious performance
artist. Since signing with Sage Francis' label
Strange Famous, he's been touring the country and
just opened up for CHUCK D and KRS ONE. Live, he's
an unstoppable force, I've been trying to get him
to Tourettes for a long long time and he promises
to up everything up a notch for our notoriously
rowdy crowd. he's no joke:
www.myspace.com/bernarddolan
----We'll also be bringing the beatboxing mania with
triple tag team troupe MANY ELEMENTS, the creators
of the hugely successful Speak the Music shows that
have been selling out Ashkenaz and La Pena who warp
minds with rapid fire spinning rhythms. Dirty haiku
fans will lose their minds to a legendary showdown
moved from the last show between international dirty
haiku champs TAZUO and HENZBO and
our resident haiku whores D SILENCE and CHRISTIAN
DRAKE to a seven round filth fest! We'll also
showcase the bizarre TEAM LEXINGTON, a surreal
collective of burlesque and freaky folks who call
themselves an "intergalatic amorphous blob of idle
fury" who will be presenting "The Tiny Toy Burle-Q
Extravaganza, a Dazzling Ravagement of the Senses".
And resident madman THE SCALESMAN may be persuaded
to hop on and offend everyone with some of the most
vulgar comedy since Richard Pryor torched his face.
A mish mash of the crazy and carnal and comedic,
it's a classic Tourettes blend of brilliance!
----Your loudmouth lothlario host barrelled through
the show at Merchants and forgot half the props of
drilled fruit and box of gooey stuff so has vowed
to make this show prank and mayhem intensive with
such audience interactive games with mysterious
titles as RED ROVER RED ROVER NO ONE' S SOBER,
TOSSING SALADS TAG TEAM, and the ominous sounding
EXTREME ROCK PAPER SCISSORS. Let's just say we put
our creativity to dark uses for this one! I really
hope you come check this one out, I think it's
gonna be a doozy, a dizzying array of anarchic high
brow low brow antics! SEE YOU AT THE FREAKFEST!
= - = - = - = - = - = - =
Onstage Freakin' by Queen Blankety Blank
Battle Beats by DJ F*ck Off!
Hosted by Jamie DeWolf and D Silence and Christian Drake
- = - = - = - = - =
----TOURETTES OUTLAW WAREHOUSE PARTY!
832 East 11th St @ 8th Ave. Sign up 8pm.
Show 8:30pm. ALL AGES. FULL BAR. $8 Door.
Info: tongueartillery@ yahoo .com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5)Sacto/Life Sentence --Next Slam: TUES, April 8.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
----3rd Eye Collective Presents: Life Sentence
returns February 12th! New location, time & format.
Life Sentence will be the new home of the Sacramento
Slam Team. Competitions will begin March 4th, with
four weeks of qualifying competitions for Finals.
Open mic, two round Slam and featured Poet. Tuesdays
at Coffee Garden, 2904 Franklin Blvd. in Sacramento
7-10pm. Open Mic and Slam Sign-ups at 6:30pm. We're
already got Poets from across the Nation requesting
spots during their Cali tours, so there is no doubt
this will be a hot year. Don't miss out!
----Upcoming Features: 4.8 - Random Abiladeze,
4.15 - The Poet Chosen, 4.22 - Ike
Torres, 4.29 - Chicago the Lyricist
----Slam Season is in full swing as we've got finals
right around the corner (April 8th). These 11 poets
have earned spots in the finals and will be
competing for the 5 spots on the Sacramento Slam
Team:
Supanova
ForWord
-GO
Miss Ashleigh
Nosakhare
Live N Direct
Tony
The Poet "I"
David Scott
Word Play
Once and Future Poet
----Also, remember we are a live-
webcast show meaning, I don't care if you are in
Texas or Timbuktu, make sure you're tuning in every
Tuesday at 7pm to www.artisticinsomni a.com.
Hosted by: -GO. More Info: ailive@tmail. com or
conocida_3ec@ yahoo.com
OR CALL -GO at (707) 803 3393 or Conocida
(925) 565 3579
www.myspace. com/lifesentenceshow
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
A.I. Live -- NOW ON DEMAND FROM MONTEREY
TO VACAVILLE!!!
~~~~~~~~
----3rd Eye Collective presents: A.I. Live has hit
OnDemand! Northern California's showcase for the
audible arts is now available in over 1 MILLION
HOMES!! The more views we get, the more episodes we
can put up so make sure to click and click often
OnDemand>>Bay OnDemand>>Local Events>>3EC Presents
AI Live
---Every episode on t.v. you will see 2 open mic
acts, 1 feature and the next round progression of
that months freestyle battles.Currently we have an
episode featuring Crazy Ballhead up. More to
come soon!
Hosted by: Lucky 7. More Info: ailive@tmail.com
OR CALL -GO at (707) 803 3393
www.myspace. com/3rdeyecollective
www.youtube. com/3rdeyecollective

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6) MODESTO --Next Slam: WEDS, April 9.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----POETRY PAYS IN MODESTO: $350 IN CASH PRIZES!
----During the months of April and May, Slam On Rye,
Modesto's monthly poetry slam, will be hosting
"themed" slams, so poets will be challenged to
write about specific topics.
----On Wednesday, April 9th, the HAVEN WOMEN'S
CENTER of Stanislaus will be our sponsor, awarding
$150 in cash prizes ($100 for 1st & $50 for 2nd) to
the best poet. April is National Poetry Month and
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
---Theme: Honoring Women, Sexual Assault, Domestic
Violence, Violence Against Women, Sexism, Healing,
etc.
----On Wednesday, May 14th, the CENTRAL VALLEY
DEMOCRATIC CLUB will be our sponsor, awarding $200
in cash prizes ($150 for 1st & $50 for 2nd) to the
best poet.
---Theme: Social Injustice, Peace, Freedom, Poverty,
Citizen's Rights, Environment, Democracy . . . you
know, Politics!!
----Out-of-town poets (50 miles or more) may email
me (pierstorffs@mjc.edu) for a spot on the sign-up
sheet. I will ONLY reserve up to 5 spots, however,
on a first-email, first-served basis.
SLAM ON RYE happens on the 2nd Wednesday of Every
Month
LOCATION: Prospect Theatre Project, 520 Scenic Dr.
SHOW STARTS: 7:30 PM sharp!
COST: $5.00 for general admission & competing poets.
Admission is limited to the first 100 people.
----NOTE FOR POETS: There is a TWELVE (12) poet
limit per night. The first 7 poets to sign up are
in and the last 5 poets are drawn at random from the
remaining poets who signed up to read. Cash prizes
are awarded to the top 2 poets.
----NOTE FOR ATTENDEES: The theatre seats 75 with
room for 20-30 more on the stage and in the aisles.
Be there early for a seat or bring a blanket,
pillow, or comfortable attire for a seat on the
floor. Seriously. It gets very cozy inside
WEB: www.slamonrye.com
--PROSPECT Theater. 520 Scenic Drive. Modesto, CA,
95350. 2nd WED MONTHLY. 7:00pm. Sign ups @ 6:45pm.
Regular Admission: $3.00. Poet's Fee: $5.00
Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff.
Info: www.slamonrye.com
Contact: pierstorffs @mjc. edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(7) OAKLAND --Next Slam: TBA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Gentle Readers:
----The Oakland Poetry Slam is BACK! That's right,
folks, the Town's favorite li'l ongoing poetry
competition returns, after an extended hiatus. You
might wonder just what the heck we were doing all
that time - well, life goes on, doesn't it? We
were off living so we'd have interesting new stories
to tell you. As well as a place to tell stories in
- our new venue is KTOP Studios in downtown
Oakland.
----KTOP documented the Oakland Poetry Slam over
the summer of 2007 for a film entitled, "Free Verse:
Voices from the Oakland Poetry Slam", a mix of live
footage from the Slam and candid in-studio
interviews with local spoken word artists Nazelah
Jeffries, SweetnShameless, Aaron Gardner, NerCity
and Dahled Jeffries. The film will air today, April
11th, at 5pm on KTOP Cable Access Channel 10.
----So, come on down(town) to the Oakland Poetry
Slam, and check out what your hostess wit' the
mostest, Nazelah, has been up to lately. Pull up a
chair, and discuss political competition with co-
host Dahled. Come hear some amazing new work by our
good friend & feature, Oakland's own Nercity (Team
Oakland 2007). Meet an old acquaintance there you
haven't seen in awhile, make a new companion you
haven't seen before. But mostly, come enjoy the
poetry of it all. Don't call it a comeback - see
you at the Slam!
----KTOP Studios, 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza - 14th
& Broadway, Oakland. Next Show: Friday, April 11,
2007 - featuring NerCity (Team Oakland 2007)
Hosted by Nazelah & Dahled
Show Starts @ 8:00 sharp!
Free Admisson! ALL AGES!!!!
More info: Dahled
djefreez @ yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(8)Santa Cruz/Verse & Verses -SAT, April 13.
Elliott Kuhn checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----Hey there- We had a great "slam" last time. It
was unconventional and all together appropriate for
what needed to be done. Lyrical I and Nancy G
walked away with a little jingle jangle in their
pocket, and a whole bunch of smiling faces flooded
the poets rustic interior. Crowd members took upon
themselves to hop up on the mic and offer up
impromptu poety--most notably a wicked monologue
offered up by Ms. G and the redundancies of Middle
School class management. The evening ended with
guitars and sing a longs, and in my book the first
step in the right direction for this second coming
of the SC Poetry Slam. There was a realization that
occurred, and it was monumental. This isn't about
packing in the seats and lining the pocket books.
This is about family, friends, fellowship, life!
----We are going to be getting together again at
THE POET & THE PATRIOT, and throwing back some
brews, and reading some poetry. China, Norway,
Madagascar, Brasil, and The Nation State of Don
Juanson will be there! As always they will be
having nice thigs to say about a