The setting sun's light seeped through clouds, creating a glowing sky visible to the 50 or so people who turned their attention to a flow of words during the most recent Wednesday Night Poetry Reading.
The first meeting held in its new venue, Kollective Coffee+Tea, had attendants of many ages and races listening as poets spoke lines from phones, note paper, folders and books. Each who shared was then bathed in a rain of applause at poem's end.
The airy space, flanked by picture windows, was filled with word lovers perched on chairs and sofas, even standing, with an occasional clatter of mugs and teapots punctuating the poetry.
Both melodic and dissonant, the pieces read aloud celebrated love, lamented loss, drank in intimacy. Topics included marriage, learning to love oneself, survival and vulnerability, among others.
Featured poet Mary Buffington opened the evening by reading "A Shade of Red," an original work written around 3 a.m. Wednesday, then offered her rich, natural singing voice to keyboard accompaniment.
Buffington said, "It's been a long time since I shared in this way."
Though she's been writing since her youth, a decade has passed since she last offered her personal words to an audience. She only began attending WNP a month ago and calls it "an incredible outlet" that "really awakened something very old and special in me." She said joining the community has been empowering, emotional and a great release.
Emotion was a part of several readings, including one from Nita "OVE" Lo Re, who presented for the first time. While vocalizing a written ode to her husband, she endeared the audience with a tearful showing of adoration.
Spoken tributes were also offered to late local poet Keith Franklin, who took his life April 11. Among those speaking of this loss was WNP founder Bud Kenny, resplendent in top hat, jacket and Beethoven tie. He read from Franklin's book of poetry twice during the two-hour gathering.
Poet Sarah Burns celebrated her own 30th birthday by reading on the legacy of her grandmother, who died in the time since Burns turned 29.
Even with moments of palpable loss in the air, all those present had reasons to celebrate -- the new, more intimate space for gathering, Earth Day, National Poetry Month and, as always, each other.
Hot Springs resident Kai Coggin said she's been involved in the local poetry community for two years. She began challenging herself to write a new poem to share each week and has since served as featured poet several times.
"I was really nervous the first time. But after a few months I was writing so much, I wrote a whole book," Coggin said. "I owe most of that inspiration and just the camaraderie and community to Wednesday Night Poetry."
Coggin is one WNP regular participating in National Poetry Month's 30/30 Poetry Challenge to write a work for each day of April.
"We're all just kind of pushing ourselves," she said, adding "poets nationwide are doing it."
This is her third year in a row to take the challenge. Among others pushing themselves to write daily is Victoria Meyers, who will be the featured poet for the last April meeting of WNP.
The person featured each week fills 20-25 minutes with their work of words, then audience members pass a hat to collect donations for him or her.
Host Chuck Dodson said, "We've been passing the hat for as long as I can remember and I've been coming for 20 years. That hat's almost 140 years old, I'm told."
The black antique top hat belongs to Suzanne Tucker. She and her husband, Paul, formerly owned The Poet's Loft reading venue and have long been involved with WNP.
Kollective owners Agnes Galecka and Kevin Rogers are excited to host the weekly readings. Rogers said, "Coffee and poetry make good bedfellows" and he called WNP "an institution for the town."
The couple hope they've created "an intellectual meeting place for the community" and plan to expand offerings to include book signings, lectures and more in the relaxed space at 110 Central Ave.
Coggin feels her fellow writers are kindred and said of the venue change, "It's a family. We're moving to a new house, but we're still the same family."
Though this family may not share bloodlines, they are indeed related by creativity and a need for community. Each strives to find an authentic voice and share with those who will listen. Each is inspired by moments in life that, as Coggin said, must be immortalized in poetry.
Dodson and Coggin both encourage people to attend the 7 p.m. gatherings and Dodson explained the event is open to all ages and any style of reading.
Local on 04/26/2015