The open mic must stay Open!!

So few places
Anymore
For people to gather
That are not already designated to
Jesus
Or a business
Or the next trendy restaurant
That will be the next scene
That will complete the takeover of that part of that town
But when I first started
Being a spoken word poet, there weren't many women on mic
And I was lucky to be featured more than once
Part of a genre and a counter culture
That was the heartbeat of the city at the time
And elitist groups who missed the whole point of our gatherings

and philosophical musings started mingling at these spoken word venues
Until before I know it
I'm being told you must "audition" for a place at this hosts open mic
And I don't know whether to laugh or cry
Because the whole spirit of these events is dependent on the ability

to walk in off the street an unknown
And sign up on the sheet
And when you are called
Pour out a stream of consciousness river
Your life love loss redemption
And walk away still an unknown
There are plenty of places for people to get known  and to make money
The open mic has a sacred vow to the

deliberate passionate random poet singer comic freestylist
To preserve a place to be
Off the beaten path
Reserved for those who question
Mainstream values and who perpetuate the questioning of reality as it is dictated to us by who ever is dictating it these days
And having to audition for the host kills the point murders the purpose!
Now it becomes a chance for him to shape the whole look and energy of anyone who takes the stage
A type of censorship
And I can't get with this

so I implore you to

Question everything

and keep open mics open

for ideas to flow

for people to grow

elitism has to go!!