Alex and Ella's First Poetry Reading

All week, I tried to find a babysitter for Alex and Ella so I could go Jarita Davis’ poetry reading/open mic, sponsored by the Robert Frost Foundation. Didn’t think my kids would sit still for it. I mean, poetry readings can be long and it’s tough for kids to be quiet for extended periods of time. Tim was working, and with no luck finding a sitter, I took them with me. The reading was at a Mexican restaurant called Café Azteca, so at the very least I thought they’d get a kick out of eating out on a Tuesday night.

Well, chalk this up to mommy underestimating how well-behaved her kids can be, because they were terrific. I brought coloring books, which kept them occupied the whole time. Ella caught a little cat nap on the way, so she was good to go all evening. But poor Alex did not take a nap (he thinks big boys don’t need naps). After 8 p.m., he started to fade bit, getting restless and anxious.

Now, Jarita is an amazing poet. Her poetry touches upon her Cape Verdean-American background. She also writes about the history of the whaling industry off the Massachusetts coast and the Cape Verde islands. She read for about 20 minutes from her chapbook “There Should Be More Water” as well as some newer poems. The crowd of 30+ people truly enjoyed hearing Jarita’s lyrical works.

Unfortunately, in my huff to get out of the house, I forgot my camera. So no pictures of Jarita (sorry J!). I was lucky to get the shot (above) with my iPhone of the kids before the event started.

After Jarita read, I participated in the open mic. Have to say that I’ve never read to a crowd with my kids in the room. So I read two poems, one about each child. When I told Alex I was doing this, he rolled his eyes and said, “Then everyone will know who I am!” Sorry, kid, everyone in the room already knows your mom.

I read my two poems and after I sat down, Alex said, “I really liked what you read.”

*Pricecless.*