The Poets

Hello dear person! My name is Ezra. I’m an old soul born in Bailey, Colorado where I grew up with one older brother and a single mom. 

I was first introduced to poetry through my mother’s brother, Andrew Medan Karp. After Andrew took his own life in 1977, my grandmother consolidated his journals of writing into a poetry book entitled Winds of Silent Mystery. I read it cover to cover many times when I began entering my own escapade of depression & anxiety. I still find comfort & understanding in Andrew’s words, even though I’ve never met him.

Up until the pandemic, I didn’t realize how deeply generational trauma had impacted my life. When I was forced into solitude, I began confronting the deep shame and confusion I felt about my anxiety and depression. I processed much of my pain through daily walks with my film camera and the guidance of Andrew’s writing. This season morphed into my book, entitled Walking from Home, that combines my photos and Andrew’s poetry. This time also inspired the creation of what I call “Therapeutic Portraits” where I aim to provide a safe contemplative space for people to see more of themselves with grace, dignity, and love. You can read more about both these projects on my website. 

My interest in mental health has now lead me to graduate school where I am currently studying to become a licensed clinical counselor. I am passionate about destigmatizing conversations around mental health, suicide, and depression, because no one deserves to suffer alone. 

Funneling my experiences into words has helped me to process how paralyzing pain can be and how miraculously love can heal. My hope is that my photography and my writing can offer some comfort as you navigate your own journey of life, from pain to wonder. Remember dear person, you are not alone and you are loved, always and again. 

Mad love, 

- Ezra  

Find more about Ezra and his work at his website, whathappenedezra.com and also on IG @what_happened_ezra

In this episode:

—

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

My name is Jeremy Muriungi. I'm Kenyan. I moved to Spokane, WA from Nairobi, Kenya in 2014 to pursue my bachelor's degree. My academic journey has been 8 years in the making. I finally got my B.S. in Computer Science in Dec. 2022. I moved to Denver in August 2023 to start a new job.

I rekindled my poetic fire/spark in 2019 and found community at Neato Burrito in Spokane where Broken Mic, a weekly poetry open mic, which happens every Wednesday. I was an avid reader in my younger years. My formal introduction to poetry came in high school in Kenya in 2011 and I fell in love with the form. Most of what we studied was structured poetry. I found it fun to try and fit the form, so most of my compositions back then rhymed and fit a specific structure—mostly quatrains.

My poetry took a hiatus in 2013 when I went to university until 2019 when a good friend (shout out to Tiana) encouraged me to go to Broken Mic after finding out I used to write. I read/performed for the first time a month and a half after attending Broken Mic and getting inspired by my fellow poets there, most of whom became good friends. I've been writing and reading ever since.

I make sense of my emotions and ponder my place in the world through poetry. Most of my pieces are introspective and personal, with a hint of social commentary. I like leaving interpretation to the audience/reader so I often write vaguely using metaphors and references. I'm learning to break structure and write more freely. Lately, I've been exploring musicality and flow in my pieces.

—

Follow Jeremy on IG @jeremymcambroze

—

Rae Monet, the eclectic muse creates spiritually, sexually, sensually; activating the collective “Inna G”. Her soulful, psychedelic sound coalesces stimulating textures and bluesy melodies with sultry vocals to soothe the aching soul. As a poet, the same applies, as her music is riddled with flows rooted in prose. Catch Rae at open mics across Denver to hear her sing, but tonight she shares poetry that she's never shared before. Welcome Rae Monet to The Poets.

Follow Rae on IG @raemonet_ and find links to more of her work here.

1. From Swaddle to Straitjacket 2. Calm 3. Bird's Eye View 4. Today 5. Rock, Paper, Scissors 6. I Been Healing 7.Foul

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Friends of the show and previous feature poets Q and Philip Tran reappear together for a conversation full of laughter, deep thought, and tough questions. Q and Philip are two of the recurring hosts of the Friday night open mic at the Mercury Cafe in Downtown Denver. Q also hosts a music and poetry open mic at the Corner Beet on 14th and Ogden every Monday (doors at 6pm), and Philip hosts his own podcast, “From My Open Mic”.

Follow Philip on Instagram @invader_4 (SFW) and @invader__4 (NSFW = 2 underscores)

Follow Q on Instagram @qtherevolutionary and hear his spoken word album on Bandcamp.

—

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Dennis Mulherin is a Colorado based poet whose work deals with themes like love, pain, existential crises, and making furniture. Dennis' collection of poetry, An Edge Over End Grain, based on his work as a furniture designer and craftsman, is forthcoming, and he is currently close to completing a novel, which we discuss in this episode. Follow Dennis on IG @make_climb_write and find his spoken word album, Days Like Today on Bandcamp.

In this episode:

—

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Follow BarZ on Instagram @barzbrown and @barzbrownmusic

Find more about BarZ and his work on his website, barzbrown.com

BarZ Brown is an Independent Artist from Lawnside, NJ.

Starting out as a producer, BarZ was introduced to the music scene working with 754/Raw Connection in South Jersey at the age of 14. Since then, BarZ has continued to master all parts of the craft by developing his writing and performing skills as well as becoming a certified audio engineer, graduating from SAE Institute in Atlanta, GA. 

​As an Independent Artist, BarZ has been featured in Hip-Hop Weekly, Unkut Magazine, Secret Society Magazine and has had guest appearances on "Sypher 360 Show", "Destination Hip Hop", and "Lit TV" with Lex Luga shown on Comcast TV. BarZ has also been interviewed by countless internet and fm radio shows, including "Heat Seekers" 107.9fm, and "The Show ATL" WRFG Atlanta 89.3 fm.

BarZ has been making a name for himself performing at major events such as "Atl Hip-Hop Day", "Sweet Auburn Festival", and "The North West Philly Spring Festival".  As founder of The Wavverunners brand, BarZ has also curated multiple events spanning across cities and states such as Atlanta, North Carolina, Philadelphia, and Louisiana.

Most recently BarZ partnered with YUA International and MET Atlanta to bring a full outdoor art festival to the city of Atlanta called "The Wavve Festival". 

BarZ has also worked as a Radio Producer at Instinct Radio, now known as Status Network and a Radio Manager at Highly Unique radio where he was responsible for booking shows, special guest, and even had a show of his own called King Wavve 'Radio".

With all that he has done in such short time, BarZ truly believes in paying it forward. BarZ has always utilized his company and network to uplift the artistic community specifically in Atlanta. These efforts allowed BarZ to win the nomination and award for "Movement of The Year" at the Atlanta Hip Hop Awards for his company Wavverunners.

In this Episode:

—

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Lottie Dammit is the pseudonym of a Denver local with a lot of opinions about her own shortcomings. She assembled the moniker from the comic book character "Lottie Person" (protagonist of the social media mystery comic "Snotgirl") and her own mishearing of the name "Robert Emmett," an Irish Liberationist.

Lottie has always loved writing and making art but was admittedly averse to poetry until a friend invited her to an open mic so he could read his own in public for the first time. The open mic turned out to be a slam competition and afterwards, she spent the entire rest of the night mentally spinning poems until sunrise. She now writes poetry to make something artful out of her attempts to be vulnerable with herself and others... and then poke fun at those attempt. Just a little. As a treat. Being vulnerable is hard, okay?

Pictured: a self portrait painted by Lottie

Find more and follow Lottie on IG @lottiedammit

In this episode:

—

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Girl Harbor writes haiku. Anime fan, haiku-ist, poet. Welcome Girl Harbor to The Poets.

Find more of her on IG @er5in_

Tony V is a streamer, stoner, and self-proclaimed local poet based in Denver, CO. Tony appears at the Friday night open mic at the Mercury Cafe, and has two collections in the works, one of poetry and one of short stories. Find Tony on Instagram ⁠@tony_v_poetry⁠ and TikTok ⁠@zanaro420⁠

1. Cyclical in Motion 2. Tired (part 1) 3. Grammar 4. Why does my poetry... 5. I Wouldn't Call This a Poem 6. Here I Am 7. Tired (part 2) 8. The Change 9. Definition of Bliss 10. When Leaving Tastes of Garlic 11. Untitled Short Story

Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

There are many names, and really none of them fit perfectly, and even in combination, they only loosely hold the ideas that have so far reflected me in this lifetime.

Christian Lewys Carson, Courageous Grizzly, Street Preacher, Comfortable Monk, Raven-Heart Bumblebee, Sacred Bull…

While struggling to accurately describe myself, I find energetic nuances and abstractions closer to the truth these days, than the roles, titles, and history more common in such bios. So with that said: I’m a servant, aspiring to be whole, humble, helpful, and real, through the portal of this lifetime, bringing my unique gifts of leadership, motivation, and passion to relationship, community, and business. 

Two mission statements, that have come through over the last 10 years are:

I create a world of peace and love by compassionately connecting.

And

I harmonize world systems, illuminating our fundamental human sameness.

Thanks for listening.

Find Christian on Twitter @comfortablemonk

In this episode: 1. Remember 2. Ego Death 3. The Renaissance 4. Change 5. Untitled 6. A Poem by Rumi (I couldn't find the title anywhere, sorry)