An introduction to my open mike poetry set by S. Craig Renfroe, Jr.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, this is an introduction to my open mike poetry set. I will very soon be reading you two to three poems. The number depends on the rate of speed at which I read and the length of poems I choose. I have not chosen yet but will, immediately following this introduction, produce a number of sheets of paper-some notebook paper with my hand-scrawled thoughts, perhaps even a napkin. Did you know that the Beatles composed "Strawberry Fields Forever" on a napkin? I'm not inviting any comparisons. I will rifle through these pages, affecting disarray and a creative sense of disorder until I arrive at my set. What will the subject of these poems be? Alien sex? One will certainly be about a relationship I'm currently in or have recently left. These poems will have insightful comments on the dating scene. I may get political. You'll know that one probably by the way I bring up the war. I will be critical of the war, but know I support the troops. How can you not? Like I would say I don't support the troops. Because I do. Support the troops. Whatever that means. I mean, I guess it means I'd loan the troops some money. Help the troops move out of their old apartment to a nice suburban house. I'd let the troops bum a smoke, if I smoked, though come to think of it the troops really shouldn't smoke, nasty habit. I'd let the troops date my daughter. Well, to be honest, I'm glad I don't have a daughter. Perhaps it's a kind of tech support. But I couldn't really support the troops in that case because I don't know much about technology. Which may be the subject of one of my poems tonight. I might lambaste cell phones. Silly old cell phones. Don't get me started on the Internet. What with those web sites, you know the ones. And I have a whole slew of poems on the SUV. If you drive an SUV, you can still enjoy this set. Don't worry-hypocrisy is fine with me. I hope you will be a good audience. I like it when audiences are good. I find that some get me more than others. You people get it. You people have had relationships, have supported some troops, have had sex with aliens. I look forward to reading my poetry for you...at some later date as this intro has taken up a good portion of my time and I'm being signaled to sit down. It has been my pleasure.


Hello Fuji Boy by Oh Astro

S. Craig Renfroe, Jr. is the author of the short story collection YOU SHOULD GET THAT LOOKED AT and the poetry chapbook FLIRTING WITH RIDICULE. Currently, he teaches writing at Queens University of Charlotte. He blogs at I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

Photo by Adam Lawrence.
Vaguely Carebearesque sticker by c_damage.


Husband and wife Hank Hofler and Jane Dowe create expiremental dance tracks from samples they collect from sources as diverse as Busdriver and Gnarls Barkley to Bing Crosby and Olivia Newton John. "Hello Fuji Boy" for example contains samples from Hot Chip. Lionel Richie, and Fujiya & Miyagi. Their latest album Champions of Wonder was released last November and can be stream here. For more information about Oh Astro please visit their website and read their interview with What To Wear During An Orange Alert.