The Kiln Coffee Bar on Main Street is always full of coffee and conversation. On Oct. 18, it was filled with novel words and poignant poetry. 

The second installment in the Poets and Writers series featured three writers: Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Librarian Anne Bledsoe, Languages, Literature, & Mass Communication (LLMC) Lecturer Jay Cole, and LLMC Lecturer Laura Mourning. Poets and Writers is an open mic that features CMU professors, giving them a chance to showcase their poetry and other written work. 

Mourning said that Poets and Writers has been a great opportunity for her to share her work. At the reading, she performed a short fiction piece that she’d been working on for about two months. 

“I think Poets and Writers is a great outlet for faculty to present their work in a more casual and comfortable venue. Many instructors face mandated publication requirements that may not necessarily allow them to focus on their own personal writing interests or styles, so the forum gives them a bit more creative license and an engaged audience,” Mourning said. 

Cole read various pieces of poetry from different eras of his writing career, inspired by all of the places he’s been to and all the people he’s met.

“I have known several types of love throughout my life, so there will be a poem about love. And I’ve known some wonderful people throughout my time, so there will be a poem about brotherhood and the value of good friendships. I will also read my most current poem, which is a poem entitled ‘Semi-Colon,’ Cole said. 

Bledsoe performed works of poetry about her life as a mother, her experiences in nature and more. She said that she is very interested in the poetry of everyday life, poetry that often goes overlooked or unseen. 

“I think the Poets and Writers readings create a welcoming sense of community among writers, readers and listeners. I’m honored to be part of that community,” Bledsoe said.