dear diary

confirmed respondent got notice to prepare and transmit recordingstranscripts of four devastating calls, and out of nowhere was a poetry reading with cash prizes. it was about fifty people in audience and when i got up i said, with the world spinnin so fast, that there's this many here for poetry--hope is alive. it was mostly old dudes sayin nothing and young women saying men suck. comedy and tragedy at once. my poems are about saying what's true for all of us, and my final lines (two poems allowed) brought a hush before applause--what the fuck is he here making sense? did bring 8x12" folios and made an announcement be happy to gift any participants a piece, back there on the chair by the bar (little wine/beer thing). i gave away a couple and sold a couple. but yeah, i'm John Merrick.