CARNIVAL--a poem looking back at one corner of the 90s poetry scene in Los Angeles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiVaG86aZYo

An explanation of the above poem: This covers a period in the late 90s when I began reading at open mikes--and the poem describes the raucous anyone-can-be-a-part-of-it portion of the scene (less exclusive in some respects than the more sedate, MFA-coveting, prestige-press-loving scene of today). Of course, there were people who were either "in" or"out" ; banishments, tantrums and hierarchies existed, too.

The poem is true to my perception of the period as I lived it. And, as I have said before, it's an opinionated piece. And the opinion is solely that of the author.