Poetry Connection: Connecting with the Poetry Zone, a Santa Barbara Institutuion
Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate 2023-2025
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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.
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
