Poetry Connection: Connecting with a Santa Barbara Institution

 

Poetry Connection: Connecting with the Poetry Zone, a Santa Barbara Institutuion

Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025

Suzanne Frost, Virginia M. Dale, Björn Birnir,  

The Poetry Zone still meets at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum though these days, only a few gather around a patio table in the museum’s atrium. During Covid, Bjorn Birnir kept the series alive through zoom. Last week, the featured reader couldn’t make it but regular Virginia Mariposa Dale was in attendance, along with Suzanne Frost. Virginia Mariposa Dale also ran the series for several years and assists Bjorn when he is unavailable. The intimate group is very dedicated to keeping the series going. With the Karpeles Museum up for sale, perhaps there will be a new chapter or new location for the poetry reading that’s been in Santa Barbara for over half a century.

Walt Hopman founded the Poetry Zone in the 1970’s with his wife, where the readings were held at the storied Earthling bookstore on State Street. Bjorn Birnir started attending in 1985. The readings are always held on the second Sunday of the month at 1:30 pm. On March 8, Mary Freericks will be the featured poet. Bjorn mentioned that Walt Hopman would collect poems from the open mic readers and make Poetry Zone chapbooks. Virginia and Dale still have copies of Hopman’s Poetry Zone chapbooks.

I have fond memories of the time when Sojourner Kincaid Rolle ran the series, in the early 2000’s, upstairs at the Karpeles, the large room was often filled with poets eager to participate in the open mic. I’ve even had a short go at running the Poetry Zone. David Karpeles was very kind with his support for poetry. He provided the large room upstairs, a sound system and tables for selling books and providing snacks.

Bjorn, Suzanne, and Virginia took turns reading into Bjorn’s computer for the benefet of poets tuned in on zoom, a tradition from Covid days. They asked me to read. I, at first declined, but ended up reading a poem. Poets always have poems in their pockets, or phones.

This week’s poem comes from Bjorn Birnir, Professor and Chair of Mathmatics at UC Santa Barbara, and keeper of the Poetry Zone.

Girlfriends

Björn Birnir

They move over the dancefloor

In unison  

So different and yet so close

Two friends from a distant island

In the old roman city

In the dance studio of the opera 

And their whole past materializes 

To dance with them

They are distinct

One is tall and quiet 

The other spontaneous

One a singer 

The other a nurse 

But when they look at each other 

They form a whole 

A common experience 

With two outlooks 

And now out in the world 

Exploring the legacy of that empire

By the campfire together 

In the small tent listening

To the rain 

They sing the songs on the dancefloor

They feel each other’s

Hurt and joy 

Their hearts quicken together 

And they are immediately aware 

Of what is going through

The other’s head

But they also know 

What it signifies from way back

And how it will play

In the future

And how gracefully and swiftly 

They move 

To protect each other’s psyche

To protect their girlfriends

But themselves at the same time

Their part of this holy trinity

Of two girls 

And their friendship

 

 

This column was previously published in the Independent