Sunday, February 10th, at Tidewater Winery in Drumright, an informal poetry reading took place in the oldest part of the original schoolhouse. There in the whitewashed room, light glowing in the tall windows, the host and originator of the event, Sharon Martin, spoke about the success of the program over the past several years and through three recent owners of the winery. Martin is a poet and writer herself, and looked for a venue for poets from Drumright, Sapulpa, Enid, Edmond, Oklahoma City and Tulsa to meet and share their ideas.
She invited anyone with a poem to sign up for “open mic” and eight other poets signed in, not counting the guest poet, Julia McConnell. There were several others who observed and responded enthusiastically to the readings.
Julia McConnell is a poet and librarian from Oklahoma City. She has a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, and wrote a book of poems, ‘Against the Blue’, that was published in 2016. She read several of her poems, including a favorite, “The Foreman of the Detassling Crew.” She has traveled often to Ghost Ranch, NM poetry workshops to explore her work. She says, “Everything’s an excuse to write a poem.”
Poet Yost Smith wrote about soldiers, about children who couldn’t sleep, and a Valentine poem, “to the love of my life sitting right there.”
Others celebrated the poems of Mary Oliver, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, who passed away in January. Among those selections were readings from Edna St. Vincent Millay and Theodore Roethke.
Those who took advantage of the open mike were Dr. Mike Vaught, Yosh Smith, Steven Long, Bill McCloud, Rick Reilly, Lottie Wilds, Dee Monetowa, and Stephanie Theban, who all contributed original poems (and some song lyrics.)These events occur on the second Sunday of every month, so the next poetry event will take place in the same historic building (across from Joseph’s Fine Foods at 54560 W. Highway 16), on March 10, 2019, beginning at 2 p.m. The vineyards may be budding out by then.
Wine and gifts are available for purchase from a shop next door to the main room
