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Lady’s Grandmother reading at her 1st open mic – foto by Smith

Mystery Muse

Poets work from the
edge of darkness somewhere on
the sad side of town

– Steven B. Smith, 5-20-2010

Lady’s 84 year-old Granny read her poetry at her first open mic last night and was quite a hit. She read from a small vinyl chapbook she handmade titled Soul-Mates #1 – Poems by Lenore.


Soul-Mates #1: Poems by Lenore – foto by Smith

Granma & Lady K – foto by Smith

We were at Visible Voice Books for poet Russell Vidrick’s publication party for his latest book Love Poems of the New World Order. You should see the three of us walking along the sidewalk – I’m six foot three, Lady’s a head shorter than I, and Granny’s a head shorter than Lady, definitely under five feet tall.


Love Poems of the New World Order by Russell Vidrick – cover foto by Charlotte Mann

Granny was fearless – she took over the mic, the room, the people and had all the poets watching fascinated. It’s not often they get to hear an 84 year old first time open mic reader.

Here’s the first of seven poems she read.

“Pa” Mein Vater

I did not like using the name “Pa”
That was for foreigners, people from the old country.
We Americans – our children say “Dad”.
Aren’t we the La-de-da?

And Pa did many wrong things in life –
Didn’t pay his bills, sneaked from paying rent – moved at night.
I went to twelve schools – can you imagine?
But Pa – he sang to his little spoiled girl –
In a high falsetto he sang and sang!

And my Pa, he rocked that little spoiled girl;
She said “Pa, rock me some more, rock me some more!”
So he sang, and he rocked, and he sang, and he rocked
So that little girls knew –
Not only God loved her, but Pa loved her too!

– by Lenore Joyce Ireland, 2008




Granny with poets Marsha Sweet and Kimberly Diamond Bones – fotos by Smith

4 Responses

  1. I didn’t realize that was her first reading ever. I enjoyed it a lot – and found her reading particularly meaningful in the wake of recently losing my own grandmother. I also found it very cool that she made her own book. About mid-way thru her second poem I pulled out my video camera just for her. Didn’t film the rest of the evening….

  2. I only wish Granny could have known Mother Dwarf — they are from the same Tribe of the Magic Mothers. Great post, great pictures, great poem.

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