Need a little encouragement?

us poets need to stick together!

Hello dear Soul Friend,

In my last letter, I forgot to add a quick shout-out to my friend Teri Petz who also writes here on Substack. It’s called Poetic Encouragement, and I love how it’s both encouraging and real (no treacle-y Hallmark sentimentalism). You can find it at

my friend, Teri Petz. Photo credit to Grace Huszar, Liberty Blair Charissage, or Cat Charissage.

I’ve know Teri for maybe a decade now. She was part of my monthly small Poetry Circle. At the end of that first year of meetings, she phoned me to say that she didn’t want to stop poetry even for a couple of months, and asked if I thought having an open-mic for poetry would be a good idea. I said “Sure!” I was thinking she’d organize a one-off event at the public library, or something like that. I expected that maybe 10 people would show up, mostly the participants and families of those involved in my Poetry Circle.

Well, a few days later she told me we had a date for the open mic at THE most interesting bar/restaurant in our city, The Owl Acoustic Lounge, known for its live music. Holy moley!! Teri and I rounded up a few poets and friends, and by the end of that first night, the owner of the Owl asked if we wanted a regular monthly gig.

That was almost 7 years ago, and the Open Mic attracts a huge diversity of local poets. Different styles, from beat to cowboy poetry; different ages, from 8 years old to 88 (that’s not an exaggeration!); different backgrounds, from economic situations to cultural/ethnic backgrounds. Teri hosts, and I’m her co-pilot. I help deal with all the fall-out from such an event — complaints, suggestions, and assessing suicide risks from the poets who share their most painful and existential experiences!

Before the end of the first year, the local tv station was filming every session, and Owl Poetry is shown at prime time here in Lethbridge and most of Alberta. If you’re interested, the recordings can be found at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tell+it+like+it+is+poetry. (I’m reading my own poetry in each episode, too.)

And I was so proud to witness her receiving an award from the Mayor and city of Lethbridge last February for her contribution to the arts here.

Anyway, check Teri out!

With much love and many blessings,

Cat