Christy Callahan Featured Reader Monday, April 30, at Duff's in the C.W.E.

Photo by Sam Davis

Christy Callahan will be one of three featured readers at the •chance operations• reading on Monday, April 30, at Duff's, 392 N. Euclid.

The other featured readers are Dwight Bitikofer and Will Kyle.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; admission is $3.

Not only does this reading mark the 2nd anniversary of •chance operations•, April is also National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation Month.

To help us celebrate, our musical guest will be Raven Wolf, who recently released his debut recording, Spiritual Jazz .​.​.​on South 9th Street.

We will also be giving away a free copy of the 100th Anniversary issue of Poetry to folks who will read a poem from the magazine at our open-mic.

Advance sign-up for the open-mic following the featured readers is encouraged. Click here to sign-up via e-mail.

Christy Callahan earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is currently studying for her MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry at UMSL. Christy's poetry appears in publications such as LitMag, Bellerive and Bad Shoe. When not attending classes, Christy works both as a social worker and a graduate assistant.

Mirror Trees

When spring came that year, my fifteenth year,
the Magnolia tree sighed and grunted,
and feigning interest would only produce
russet-colored brittle buds
and as they bloomed, then died,
my mom cried a horrible cry,
the sound tires make as they try to dig
their claws in to wet pavement.
Dad hid in the garage, twisting metal
and swallowing scotch.
When fall came that year, my fifteenth year,
the pine tree coughed and spat
needles across our roof,
clogging our gutters and tingeing it green.
My dad cried a horrible cry,
the sound a brake pad makes with its final grind
on the rotor before death.
Mom hid in the greenhouse,
planting Brazilian Verbena
and sneaking Pall Malls.
When winter came that year, my fifteenth year,
mom moved us to Manassas
where Magnolia trees never disappoint
and dad lingered in the garage,
awaiting the pine tree’s next move.

-- Christy Callahan

Note: "Mirror Trees" previously appeared in Bad Shoe, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2011.