PoetsSpeak, an annual poetry reading featuring Missouri writers and sponsored by ArtsRolla! at The Centre on Saturday evening, had everything a religious of language could possibly desire: a variety of styles and subjects; a surprising array of poets, each sharing an individuality of technique and device, and each offering up their creations like tithes to a starving church.

  The event even hosted a banquet of goodies, for those few members of the audience who did not dine exclusively on words alone.  The food was provided by Panera Bread and other loyal friends of literature.

  The one element missing at the event was a large turnout, although the 20-plus members of the audience (mostly the poets themselves) did not allow the small gathering to detract from everyone’s enjoyment of the poetry that was shared.

  Fourteen poets read selections from their work.  Some were professional poets; some were not.  Nonetheless, it was difficult to differentiate between the two, because most of the poetry shared by the authors was big, big enough to hear and feel resonating within the quiet assemblage.

  Poet Greg Story read three of his poems, “Roman Wheels,” “View from a Microscope (The Ballad of Steve & Bob” and “Twinkle.”

  “Twinkle” was written by Story after observing sunlight on moving water.  An excerpt follows:
 
    . . . A twinkle just there
    just there and then gone
    a moment of brilliance
    of beauty and grace
    a moment’s remembrance
    in eternity’s embrace
    then fall away
    fall away
    fall away
    all . . .
    the moments all fall away

    fading and following
    trunk to tail elephants
    ponderously plodding
    in summer dust pondering
    the twinkling brilliance
    and shimmering sun . . .
 
  It was no surprise to discover Story is also a musician.

  Other poets reading at the event included Michelle Boese, Larry Cunningham, Deborah Dunstedter, Bob Gerson, Melinda Griffin, Debbie McGrath, Lee Ann Russell, Kenneth H. Williams and Donald G. Woodcock.

  Contributing poets who submitted poems but were unable to attend and read their selections included Roberta A. Higgins, Larry Stout and Jim Thomas.  The poems were read by members of the audience.

     Support for Arts Rolla and this event was provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a Missouri state agency, the National Endowment for the Arts and Missouri S&T.