After an initial writing foray in
the early '90s culminated with the publication of his first poem, tonight's
featured speaker at Curley's, Danbury-based Jerry T. Johnson, pursued 21 years
of corporate work abroad and picked up where he left off four years ago.
A PA and Stamford Barnes &
Noble Open Mic regular, Jerry has since placed pieces in several print and
online literary journals, most recently “Some Big Dogs of the Street”,
which ran in Volume II of Mad Gleam Press' POST mortem anthology
series; other credits include Catalyst and Burningword Literary
Journal. Good Morning New Year!, Jerry's first chaobook, appeared in 2015
as an e-book and is now available in paperback.
Complementing a range of topics
spanning wistful musings on the everyday and the intractably universal, be it eating a meal at at an airport, or the paradox binding organized power to the powerless, whose passivity enables the former's overreach (scroll down to read “We
Still Live In a Land Of Monstrous Giants”) is Jerry's resourceful dedication to
improving his on-stage presence.
The "Videos--Features and Open Mics”
subheading of his colorfully-illustrated blog offers off-the-cuff recordings from his kitchen where
Jerry refines his presentation style by performing before counter top displays of meat and produce.
As Jerry's unhurried, soulful
delivery of “She Said Kiss Me Like You Kiss Her” at
Three of Cups Lounge from 2015
demonstrates, the effort speaks for itself:
This contribution to the Lounge's
Rimes Of the Ancient Mariner program, his participation in Mike Geffner's acclaimed
The Inspired Word open-mic series and other venues, has made Jerry a growing fixture
in the regional poetry scene.
We
Still Live in a Land of Monstrous Giants
we still live in a land
of monstrous giants
we still live in a land
of grand dragons
we still live in a land
of poisonous vipers
we still live in a land
of terrible monstrosities
of monstrous giants
we still live in a land
of grand dragons
we still live in a land
of poisonous vipers
we still live in a land
of terrible monstrosities
we still quakeat the thought of them
we still shake
in their presence
we still flee
at the sight of them
and when they roar
we still scream
no one stands still
turns to face
the giants
no one confronts
the dragons
no one tangles with
the vipers
anymore
turns to face
the giants
no one confronts
the dragons
no one tangles with
the vipers
anymore
everyone
wants to run
everyone
wants to hide
everyone
wants comfort
everyone
wants complacency
wants to run
everyone
wants to hide
everyone
wants comfort
everyone
wants complacency
who is still willing to overthrow
the giants?
who is still willing to slay
the dragons?
who is still willing to crush
the vipers?
who is still willing to rid the land
of its terrible monstrosities?
the giants?
who is still willing to slay
the dragons?
who is still willing to crush
the vipers?
who is still willing to rid the land
of its terrible monstrosities?
Read his latest work and
observations and learn about upcoming readings in the Manhattan and Connecticut
areas at his Facebook page.