Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and Girls
Janet Kuypers
4/20/17
Running a poetry open mic for years,
I started every open mic by saying
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls —”
because everyone was welcome at the café.
Even after my Chicago open mic
moved to a bar with a stage
and anyone under 21 wasn’t allowed,
I still started every open mic with
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls —”
because I believe to this day
that sharing your poetry, sharing your art
can bring out the kid in all of us.
Creativity’s on our side,
so it takes us to a mindset
that although we may be small,
we can still take on the world.
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