Remembering a poet friend through poetry

Welcome to March! It’s the start of spring and home to several important awareness days, including: Zero Discrimination Day (3/1), World Teen Mental Wellness Day (3/2), World Wildlife Day (3/3), International Women's Day (3/8), Global Recycling Day (3/18), International Day of Happiness (3/20), World Storytelling Day (3/20), World Poetry Day (3/21), International Day of Forests (3/21), World Water Day (3/22), Earth Hour (3/23), International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (3/25), and International Transgender Day of Visibility (3/31).

With World Poetry Day happening this month, here’s where you can find me reading poetry this month.

DiVerse Gaithersburg Poetry Reading and Open Mic

March 7, 2024 | 7:00-8:30 p.m. | Casey Community Center, Gaithersburg, MD

I’m thrilled to have been invited back to be a featured reader at DiVerse Gaithersburg Poetry Reading and Open Mic. I’ll be reading along with Philip Wexler, who’s had over 190 poems published in magazines and hosts Words out Loud, a monthly spoken word series in the Washington, D.C. area. His collections of poetry include: The Sad Parade, The Burning Moustache, The Lesser Light, With Something like Hope, and I Would be the Purple.

We’re going to be honoring Reuben Jackson, a great poet and soul who passed away on February 16. After Philip and I read, DiVerse will share a recording of Reuben reading. Join us in honoring Reuben’s memory by bringing one of his poems to read at the open mic or reading one of your own, based on his themes of interest — music, being black in America, poetry, and more. Hope to see you there.

If I don’t see you at these events this month, I hope our paths cross again in the future.

Sending with care,

Marlena