Gordon Gilbert - Poem "Don’t Turn the Lights Off ’Til the Poetry Is Done!"

Don’t Turn the Lights Off ’Til the Poetry Is Done!

Don’t know where to go tonight
To hear some poetry?
Can you spell poetz with a “z”?
Let Jackie show you at poetz-dot-com:
Select the calendars, then NYC.

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


Monday at the Yippie’s where
You’ll often find Big Mike and Puma
Stripping words down to their bare essentials.

And Gordon monthly celebrates the Beat Gen there,
Ensuring that what’s read is consequential.

First Monday of the month, for something different,
Not usually poetry, but lots of fun,
Tulis hosts at Monologues & Madness,
Downstairs at the Cornelia Street Café,
Always entertaining, without fail.

And every Monday now for many years,
With mostly poetry, but sometimes music,
Su keeps the Saturn Series going at the Nightingale.

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


Then once a month on Tuesday,
Pattie does her Brownstone thing at Tillie’s.
(You take the train across the bridge to Brooklyn.)

In that same boro, once a month, on Wednesday,
Cindy joins with Evie hosting at the Green Pavilion.

Other Wednesdays (first and third),
You can find Ronnie hosting
On the west side, uptown, at Tract 187.

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


On Thursdays, you will find the Word Inspired
(And Tuesdays, just as well, as I’ve just learned)
At One and One, downstairs with Mike,
Where poets go to get their kicks.

And at Cornelia’s, also on a Thursday, once a month,
Brant and the Ne’er DoWells do well.
Drop a quarter in the Jukebox
For poetry with music in the mix.

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


Third Thursdays are when Jack and Evie
Host below Canal at Poets on White.

On Fridays, first and third, down in the village,
You’ll find Kat’s riding pony at Cornelia’s:
An open mic with crickets and a feature,
As well as someone special to spotlight.

Every Friday, Viviana keeps it STARK in midtown,
And Saturday’s when Josh Meander’s monthly with the Choir.

First Saturdays in Brooklyn Heights
It's Pattie's Brownstone once again,
At the Park Plaza Restaurant this time.
Order lunch with poetry, if you so desire.

Sadly Lee is gone, and Smalls poetry on Saturdays as well.
We need someone to take his place, somebody good,
Who has the time to give hosting a try there.

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


Every Sunday on east 4th, David does his Jujo-jitsu:
Watch the features read, each playing off the other,
At this Mukti lounge and tea saloon.

And usually the second Sunday, each month, in the afternoon,
Alan hosts along with Robin (welcome back) at Kairos,
And if Paul is there, you’ll hear him tickling the ivories
After he reads a poem, improvising jazzily
Upon a Gershwin tune.

Finally, in Washingon Heights, another once-a-month event:
Patrizia hosts Sunday Best with Peter’s help (and others),
No open mic, but you will hear good writers read their stuff!
A lovely way to spend an afternoon!

Don’t turn the mic off ’til every word is spoken!
Don’t turn off the lights ’til the poetry is done!


Now these are just the people and the places that I know
For spoken word performance, all the places where I go,
But this is only my third year of digging this cool scene,
And the calendar lists many places I have never been.

Some place is always cooking ’cross the river from Hoboken,
So don’t turn the mic off ‘til every word is spoken!

Please use this info I’ve mapped out, you’re sure to have some fun!
And don’t turn the lights out ’til the poetry is done!

- Gordon Gilbert, June 14, 2011, NYC