"Fishing is Poetry"

I like to think that I'm a fairly cultured guy. My parents took us to various museums, historical sites, symphony performances, Broadway shows, etc while we were young, and I've enjoyed these things ever since. In the home, we were taught, most often by example, the importance and value of literature and poetry for a well-rounded education (readings from Shel Silverstein's "A Window in the Attic" are still some of my favorite memories from childhood).

Anne Sidwell and friends planned a poetry night and invited everyone to memorize or bring their favorite poem(s) to recite. There was a really good turnout and many insightful poems were shared. They ranged from lyrical to actual lyrics, from fanciful and funny to cranial and thought-provoking.

Some of the highlights included Anne Sidwell and Megan Stevenson performing their Beauty Pageant piece, Dustin Currie's guitar-fused gas pump escapade, Becca Haynie's journey into the Jabberwocky's lair, and Grayden Ridd's impromptu poetic stylings of words we don't like. My contribution was a tastefully-profane recitation of selections from "A River Runs Through It".

Instead of clapping, we snapped our fingers with delight at the end of each poem. It was a lot of fun to see the type of poem individuals picked. Some fit what we expected and some didn't. It was a wonderful, cultural, and jovial evening.