Wednesday Night Poetry Features Susanne Wiley

The 1,773rd Wednesday Night Poetry will be held at 6:30 p.m. today in Kollective Coffee and Tea, 110 Central Ave.

This week's featured poet is Susanne Wiley.

The following is an original poem by Wiley:

Flamenco

by Susanne Wiley

You need not be from Spain

to wear your red dress

The one with magic

sewn into the hem

Loosen your hair

Lift up your skirts and

fling a rapture of ruffles

far into the night

As guitars sing and old men

clap in time to the passion

of your silver heels

against the boards

Be the maker of music

in rhythm with the universe

Send a message that life is beauty..

... Is wonder

Alive with promise

That tomorrow the net we cast will

return full of all the answers we seek...

Of longings fulfilled

And scavengers of the sea

will believe and follow

playing their clawed castanets

In time to the beating of your heart

WNP was established Feb. 1, 1989, by the late Bud Kenny, and has never missed a Wednesday meeting. It claims the title of "the longest-running weekly consecutive open mic series in the country."

Kai Coggin is the current host of the series.

WNP is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome.