3 – 12 – 2026     Sacred Grounds Newsletter                Contact Dan

 

Some of the more common links related to Sacred Grounds

Sacred Videos from the Zoom Room         Cafe Days Videos


Just something to wander through, a chance to see a variety of events that happened

at Sacred during the years prior to my becoming host. Poetry Circle at Sacred Grounds Cafe

 

______     Plans for the future      ________

 

Update regarding the live mic on March 15th and Zoom on March 18th

 

       Sacred Grounds will be continuing on! This newsletter will be the primary source of information about how Sacred Grounds evolves during the transition to new hosts and scheduling. The link to this newsletter will be in Facebook postings as well as a series of emails sent out during the transition. One can also email me, see the link at the top of the newsletter, should that be necessary.

 

March 15th

 

      There will be a live open mic!

 

       On Sunday, March 15 a pilot event will take place at the CafŽ.  If you are interested, arrive before 12:30 when it starts and it will conclude at 2:30.  Karen Pierce Gonzlez, Antoinette Vella Payne, and Brett Benson are part of this effort. A description of the debut live event follows on:

 

       Antoinette Vella Payne (host of 1428 Poets) will host this event at Sacred Grounds Coffee House (2095 Hayes, SF 94117) Antoinette will be reading from What Happens When You Live on Haight Street and from her latest work in progress, The Way to Brave Things; a View from Grace to Bliss. The open mic sign-ups will be available at start time – 4 min. max including commentary.

 

March 18th

 

      There will be a ZoomRoom!

 

      Richard Ivanhoe will be hosting a zoomroom on the third Wednesday of every month. The first show is slated for March 18 at 7 pm PST. The usual zoom information will be used for this meeting while Richard will create new zoomrooms for all those that follow. The zoom information will be posted on SacredÕs Facebook postings and you may contact him via his email which is: richardivanhoe@sbcglobal.net

 

    Feature - Alan Harris        Mini-Feature - Tommi Avicolli Mecca
    Keynote - Antoinette Vella Payne        Theme - Rebirth or Renaissance or Resurrection

______  Notes from the Grand FinaleÕ  ________

 

The Wonderful event at the Page Street Library on February 25th!

 

     This is just a bit of a summary of the evening with some important updates. We began setting up at 5pm; the library staff was very helpful, as was Karen Melander Magoon, the first to arrive. Wendy Wolters and Richard Ivanhoe also helped get the venue ready. I did not record the event wanting to keep things easy and simple.

 

     I had a chance to talk about why I chose to retire, essentially it is a part of my trying to simplify my life, free up more time, allowing for more possibilities, a focus on my personal life as well as the health and well being of myself and my family. I spoke about the nature of poetry, the spoken word, Truth, eternity, and infinity all in but a few minutes. Hear Ye; hear ye, indeed!

 

     David Erdreich then came to the mic and read a special piece honoring the venue and how I managed things. He also presented me with a communally funded set of gifts, some very tasty chocolates, I mean to say wow— as well as a gift certificate to Chez Panisse, a high end establishment in Berkeley, did I say wow? Wow! I will be sending out my thankful regards to everyone involved with that effort, David you were the utmost in considerate graciousness.  Wendy Wolters followed on presenting a fine piece of poetry honoring poets, poetry, SacredÕs Community and myself – perfect!

 

     Then we began the poetry. Antoinette, the eveningÕs keynote, read from one of my books, a collection of Sci-Fi short stories, Tales of Earth, which also has some poems in it. She selected a favorite poem of mine, ÒYou mustnÕt be afraid of Death.Ó I couldnÕt have been happier, well done, my friend.

 

     There then followed the open mic where many fine moments blossomed, infusing us all with inspired examples of compassion, caring, love, warmth, memories, gratitude and more. Attending the evening and or reading:  DavidE and NicoleM, MartinJ, JackM, AntoinnetteVP, MelodyAB, via zoom, RobertR, TommiAM, via zoom, ClaraH, BarbaraS,  DanO, who wanted to listen, DanielB, WendyW and  RichardI who all read before the Mini Feature Kitty Costello who honored Leonard Irving, Richard Sanderell, Marsha Campbell and one of hers about Carlos Ramirez called "St. Carlos the Melodious: A Found Poem." The other poem I read of mine is called "Who Has the Mic?" - After her we heard from Don Altadena, CarolB, and Revolt who gave us a beautiful rendition of ÒWhat a Wonderful World. NicoleA attended but wanted to support and listen on. 

 

     Somewhere in the mix I read a couple of my favorite pieces, ÒYou are not BrokenÓ  ÒWhere is your Heart?Ó and a humorous haiku.

 

     All in all, it was a memorable event and we were able to conclude in accord with the needs of the library. Richard Ivanhoe actually read the final piece, having had the Last Word as a door prize from the last zoomroom event on February 4th.

 

 

______     Prior Posts     ________

 

     The next event will be on February 25th - we will gather in the meeting room of the Park Branch Library, 1833 Page Street and begin setting up between 5 and 5:30pm. While this is not a Library sponsored program, it will be one where those interested can share their thoughts, poetry, music, and we can have some conversation about what is to come. The evening will conclude at 7:30pm. Nicole Azalee, who lives in the east bay is willing to give disabled poets a ride to the event, please contact me, via email and IÕll send word to her. This is a link to the Park Branch: https://sfpl.org/locations/park

 

     Because I am retiring, IÕd like to say something about SacredÕs future. For some time I envisioned a process for this change would be similar to what happened before I became the host of Sacred Grounds – when Johanna Wedgwood, the long time host, passed on. Back then a group of poets, met, talked, and, eventually, I volunteered. This time, having time to plan, IÕve been talking with many of those who have co-hosted or helped out in other ways so as to make this transition easier. There are some plans being discussed and between now and February 25th, IÕll keep the community apprised of developments via email, this newsletter, and the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/203539673028715/