New Poem: AFTER THE POETRY BALL

 watched some of it remotely 

 then saw some of its faces on, of course, Facebook 

 some have aged notably

 one person now carries a blindness cane

 two people I unfortunately remember from when I was younger 

 and starry-eyed and quiet and wanting to belong

 >

 some accepted me and others did not

 and it didn’t help when I rowed the perceived Wrong Way

 I was bullied—people said they were defending themselves 

 then I lost myself and responded with retaliation—

 thinking I was standing up for myself—

 plus there was anonymous hazing where others knew

 but chose to be silent, perhaps thinking they were friends

 or worried over offending a flawed totem they chose to enable 

 >

 I was treated for Multiple Myeloma last year

 and, upon transplant recovery, realized how big the world was

 also how small today’s celebrated poetry scene is

 (remote viewing when I checked didn’t go past mid-two digits)

>

 I can’t do anything about a past that, thankfully, is now distant 

 I can only write hoping someone might read someday

 I can watch remotely and appreciate what is good

 but I am still painfully aware of who my friends aren’t 

 and I saw too many of them gathered in Facebook photos

 on the grounds of the Los Angeles Central Library

 

Via CULTURAL WEEKLY: ALOUD Ad Hoc Committee Update Statement

Disclaimer: I haven't been to literary functions at the Los Angeles Public Library's Downtown location since the Newer Poets readings ceased.  But I've followed the ALOUD purgings (apparently due to wanting allegedly less staid, younger and/or larger-attendance author interview gatherings similar to those sponsored by Skylight Books and Live Talks Los Angeles) with interest and concern over marginalization of a significant segment of the local literature community.

Here's a link to an ALOUD Update statement published today on the CULTURAL WEEKLY site:
https://www.culturalweekly.com/aloud-update-ad-hoc-committee-statement/

A relevant paragraph:
Three people testified before the Library Commission on November 8, but were told the Commission could do nothing about the Foundation’s personnel decisions. At that time, we were informed that the Foundation had hired a PR firm specializing in crisis management. The week before Thanksgiving, we began to see the results of their campaign. The Foundation issued a statement saying that they had asked for and gotten a temporary restraining order against one of the group of people who had been protesting at ALOUD events. The statement claimed Foundation President Ken Brecher had been “attacked” by this protestor; the statement then quoted Board Chair Gwen Miller as saying that we petitioners had also been attacking and intimidating the Foundation by sending emails to members of their board and to their supporters. This attempt to portray the Foundation as the victim and those protesting their decisions as out-of-bounds illustrates the mindset of those in charge.