Dear Ann Arbor Poetry Slam Fan,

I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the bad poetry slam allyear.

Here’s the way the night works.

1. Open mic. We are looking for your GOOD poetry in the open mic. Please. There will be enough groaners later on.

2. After a little break, Larry Francis, the traditional host of bad poetry night, will get us started with the traditional offering of the evil muses who bring us the schlock-verse.

3. The contest will progress poet-by-poet. Judges will award scores but on this night only, the lowest score wins.

One poem per contestant. May the worst poet win!

And what do they win, you might ask. I’ll tell you: $50 American (and that’s a whole lot more than we pay the winner of a “good poetry”slam!) a T-shirt proclaiming the wearer to be TWPIAA (The Worst Poet in Ann Arbor) and the heady adrenaline rush that accompanies victory.So write something stinky, or dig through that old journal you kept in high school, or show us that old love letter you wrote but didn’t send. The rules are simple: it must be original work, it must bereasonably short (we reserve the right to gong you and gently remove you from the stage), it may be racy, suggestive, naughty or indiscreet…but please don’t be vicious, disgustingly crude or engage in hate speech. Those are conditions that take the fun out of the night.

Remember, we’ll be video taping, and this might be your shot at immortality! If you want a sampler from last year, the video is for sale at www.thewordsmithpress.com for not too much money.

But, for the live show, come early, this is one of our most popular nights and seating is limited. See you there.

Now, what rhymes with “nasal polyp?”
Steve D. Marsh