Belated

Late for the Protest

I was late
for the revolution,
damn thing started
without me,
protests and the water cannons,
mass killings and the bloody streets.

I hated being late
to the Sandy Bland rally,
the Eric Garner march,
with bullhorns and the indignation,
evidence tampering and the corrupt,
murdering cops.

I remained late
to Cecil’s murder,
the dentist and his white insular
privilege, the pain
of lions, rhinos, elephants,
losing the fight before
it starts.

Far too late
to save those nine souls
in Charleston’s church,
to stop the hate of race,
color, history,
of the Klan.

I will be late
to my own funeral,
catching up
on all the other things
I’m late for,
must get done,
before jumping
in that urn,
ashes singed and content.

And late.

by
Rod C. Stryker

Antelope Chronicles

There’s an antelope
in the road,
spitting curses
at passersby
and dinky little
pug dogs.

The road with the
antelope
twists under the weight
of epithets and sailor speak,
creating pot holes
the size of small cars.

An antelope was
hit by a truck,
and good news,
the truck was totaled.

The antelope is
still in the street,
cursing,
and spitting.

Pug dogs in tow,
still…dinky.

by
Rod C. Stryker

Sane No More

Muse Stares at Sanity

Sanity came home today,
it was a brief visit.
Offered her tea, coffee, a brontosaurus rib?
She demurely declined all.
I tipped my top hat
and gently offered the

keys

shaped in laughter and fear.
She accepted them,
hesitantly, excused herself,
then ran out the door.
Didn’t know anything
sane could scream such octaves.

Turned a kiss to my muse,
glad she decided to stay.

And, I’m much happier,

now.

by
Rod C. Stryker

Shade

 

Shadow

It stays by me in daylight hours,
mostly,
at night,
it creeps
under or around,
depending on
lighting,
a lifetime companion,

a presence I take for granted,
even as I sleep.
But during slumber,
does my shadow
leave me,

spend the wee
hours at night with
other shadows?
Does it have
its own
Facebook account?

Is it joining
protests or clubs or other
favorite causes without
my knowledge?

Does my shadow
break hearts?
Does it hurt?

Is it planning,
in the dark recesses
of its mind,
to take over
the world?

And if I found out,
would I want
to be its shadow
as well?

Would I have
a choice?

by
Rod C. Stryker

 

 

 

A “Brief” History of the San Antonio Sun Poet’s Society

Although I’ve been writing poetry since I was 15 years old, I entered the poetry scene here in San Antonio in 1992 after returning from a US Military 3 year tour of duty in Germany (England, and Saudi Arabia). I spoke to my first San Antonio poetry crowd gathered at King William Bookstore (now defunct) for Ed’s Poets Society. I met such influential poets like Darrell Pittman and Trinidad Sanchez, Jr. Their performance styles and their words inspired me all the more to continue expressing and promoting poetry in San Antonio. Many poetry venues came and went in those early years including Stone Soup, Excalibur Poets Society, and Clipper Ship Bookstore. The Excalibur Poets Society was also a very influential venue thanks to the host, Will Person. He allowed me to guest host the poetry reading a couple of times and it inspired me to consider hosting my own poetry reading.

Formerly Cafe Gaea, now a tax and bookkeeping office

In 1995, the Sun Poet’s Society started in a small coffeehouse called Cafe Gaea (now a tax and bookkeeping office). Brooke Mazella (the business owner) approached and asked me to take over a poetry reading on Thursdays. I decided to try my hand at it and when Brooke asked what I wanted to call it, I thought of the magazine I was publishing at the time called Sun Poetic Times (1994-2005) and chose the name: Sun Poet’s Society. The poetry reading lasted about 9 months before Cafe Gaea closed. I didn’t want SPS to fold like many other poetry venues in San Antonio so I decided to move the whole venue to Java Junction (now a sports bar). Coffee shop after coffee shop where the SPS poetry readings were held closed and I kept moving the venue so it would survive. SPS had its weekly open-mic readings at Barnes and Noble (321 N.W. Loop 410, across from North Star Mall) for 14 years.

Since its humble beginnings, the Sun Poet’s Society now sponsors events in San Antonio that include, Writer’s Take a Hike (a hiking workshop) as well as a monthly writers workshop called the Sun Poet’s Society Writers Workshop. SPS members routinely speak at local schools (i.e. Luther Burbank High School, Lanier H.S., McCollum H.S., Cooper Middle School, Bexar County Juvenile Justice Academy, Jackson/Keller Elementary). We’ve had interviews by the San Antonio Current, articles in the Mesquite Review, and we were awarded the San Antonio Current’s Best Performance Art Event of 1998. We’ve also traveled to the Texas Bookfest (98-99, 2003), the Austin International Poetry Festival (1996-2015) and Forrest Fest (Lamesa, Texas, April 2006, April 2008). What Keeps the Sun Poets going? -Desire to keep the spoken word alive.

Rupert Hopkins (England) at Sun Poets

Rosemary Nissen-Wade (Australia)

Trinidad Sanchez, Jr.

In the 20 plus years that the Sun Poet’s Society has held our weekly poetry readings, poets from every corner of the world crossed the Sun Poets stage. Poets from countries like Singapore, England, Australia, and Germany have shared their words with the Sun Poets. We’ve also had city and state poets laureate (like Dr. Carmen Tafolla, Larry Thomas, and Nathan Brown) perform for the Sun Poets. It has truly been an honor and privilege to have so many grace our poetry reading and our fair city with their unique words and voices.

Nathan Brown (Former Oklahoma State Poet Laureate) at Sun Poets

After providing 20 years of poetry to San Antonio, we currently hold our open-mic poetry readings at Olmos Pharmacy Diner, 3902 McCullough Ave. and we hope to continue inspiring poets, poetry lovers, hobbyists, writers, singers, artists, and more for many years to come.

Olmos Pharmacy Diner

Surfing the Internet one day, I stumbled on a web site for Local Guides listings of San Antonio arts events. The Literate Lizard Writer’s Workshop (Now the Sun Poet’s Society Writers Workshop) was listed. Jennifer Wehunt reviewed the now defunct Calcutta Coffeehouse (where the workshop was held) and referred to the Sun Poets as “knights of serious spoken-word.” I was pleasantly surprised, but decided that is what keeps the Sun Poets going, its reason for its existence: knights of serious spoken word, champions for writers and artists the world over. The Sun Poet’s Society can do no less.

Dr. Carmen Tafolla, Texas State Poet Laureate 2015, at Sun Poet’s Society 20th Anniversary Event