Poetry reading features UAA, Valley poets

By Travis Rogers

For the Frontiersman

PALMER — I’ve written poetry for years. But until this week, I’d never found the courage to share my work in public.

That changed Monday when I joined poets and poetry fans from around the Valley and Anchorage for a reading featuring Alyse Knorr and Kate Partridge in celebration of April as National Poetry Month at Vagabond Blues.

Organized by the Palmer Arts Council in association with the Alaska Council on the Arts, the event included an open mic segment that welcomed an assortment of Valley poets to the stage.

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air at Vagabond Blues in downtown Palmer where about a couple dozen folks were clustered around tables waiting in the cozy café for the live show to begin. Knorr and Partridge, seated with members of the Palmer Arts Council at the large table nearest the stage, are new faculty members at University of Alaska Anchorage who earned their masters of fine arts degree from George Mason University, and who both have extensive publishing records.

Throughout the evening, the audience was treated to a diverse array of poetry, with local poets sprinkled between readings from the featured poets. Some shared poems written by poets they admired, and a few young ladies recited original pieces. One in particular spoke of love in a way that only the innocence and wonder of youth can capture.

An impromptu performance by two women was my favorite from the evening.

Watching the poets take the stage, one after another, I grew anxious knowing that too soon my turn would come. I drew inspiration and courage watching young poets take the stage and speak.

Eventually, it was my turn. As I awkwardly adjusted the microphone stand to match my taller stature, I could feel my face flush. Turning to the audience, I introduced myself. My heart is racing now, my pulse thundering in my ears.

“This is it. No turning back,” I told myself.

As the words began to tumble free at last, they threatened to catch in my throat. But I pushed through, determined to finally accomplish something I had always intended to do, but never found the courage to try.

As the last words slipped from my lips, I felt a connection with the faces in the crowd and a rush of understanding. For however brief, that connection is exactly why we write, why we create and why we share.

We all as artists do what we do for others as much as for ourselves. We hope that people will find something personally meaningful or inspirational in our work. We hope to challenge their way of thinking, of seeing the world. We seek to share our experiences and insights. And in this act of sharing our creations, we often find a greater sense of purpose.

Travis Rogers is an aspiring poet and writer who lives in Palmer.