Tag: poetry

Excalibur Poetry // April 26th

Excalibur happens in the same time and place as Scribes on South, the last Sunday of each month on the second floor of Tattooed Mom.

Excalibur is the sword given to Arthur by the lady in the lake. It is the legendary sword used to defend against colonialism and oppression. Our guiding principles are the same. This is a place to wield your words against the forces that would rather see us dead.

 

SUNDAY, APRIL 26TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
OPEN MIC LIST OPENS AT 6PM SHARP
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

Christopher Clauss (he/him) is a poet, organizer, ocean explorer, middle school science teacher, and “pretty ok dad” from rural New Hampshire.  His work has appeared in more than 60 publications, including New York Quarterly, Plants and Poetry Journal, Sylvia, FreezeRay, and Bureau of Complaint.  As a performance poet he has competed at the national level for over a decade, most recently being a member of the winning team at the 2024 Ohio Meatgrinder Poetry Slam.  Nominated for 2025 NH Teacher of the Year, his pre-teen science students rave that Mr. Clauss is “Fine, I guess. Whatever.”  Christopher’s first book of poetry, Photosynthesis & Respiration (Silver Bow Press, 2022) explores the bliss and turmoil of relationships at the intersection of life, love, and science.

 

 

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

The Big Gay Writing Project: Petty Poetry

Feeling petty? Want to write a poem? Want to read it out loud to a bunch of fellow petty people? Join us.

Petty Poetry Workshop ~ 6:30pm

*write some petty poetry, or bring some to revise, facilitated by the folks at BGWP

Open Mic ~ 7:30-10:00pm

*read some shit, share some shit, or listen

 

DAY OF THE WEEK, MONTH DAY
WORKSHOP @ 6:30PM + OPEN MIC @ 7:30PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN
RSVP: EVENTBRITE

 

Follow The Big Gay Writing Project on Instagram.

 

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Wednesday, 4-10pm | they’re a smash hit for a reason. Smash Burgers (classic or vegan) every Wednesday for just $6!! u heard that right! + $3 PBR! RUN!!!

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Excalibur Poetry // March 29th

Excalibur happens in the same time and place as Scribes on South, the last Sunday of each month on the second floor of Tattooed Mom.

Excalibur is the sword given to Arthur by the lady in the lake. It is the legendary sword used to defend against colonialism and oppression. Our guiding principles are the same. This is a place to wield your words against the forces that would rather see us dead.

 

SUNDAY, MARCH 29TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

Pine Bluff, Arkansas native Christopher K.P. Brown aka KP ULTRA is the founder of Pecola Breedlove & The Freedom Party, a West Philadelphia–based open mic poetry event that created a platform for poets both local and national from 2014 to 2019. Prior to Breedlove, he ran a Philadelphia based small press named 2 Pens & Lint, under which he published chapbooks for over 400 poets. He currently runs Poetry215.com, an online poetry calendar where you can find upcoming poetry events in Philadelphia. His newest poetry book and album is titled 84 ULTRA. It includes the poems The Process, This Ain’t That, and Kiss The Sky. The project is available at 84ULTRA.com He is a graduate of Mercer University where he majored in African American Studies with minors in Creative Writing and Studio Art. When he isn’t working on poetry, he enjoys doing genealogy work for his family tree research company, Before They Were Ancestors, LLC.

 

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Excalibur Poetry // March 22nd

This event was originally planned for January 25th.

It will now take place on Sunday, March 22nd.

 

Excalibur will happen in the same time and place as Scribes on South, the last Sunday of each month on the second floor of Tattooed Mom. It will also keep the same format, with one-two featured poets and a signup based open mic list.

Excalibur is the sword given to Arthur by the lady in the lake. It is the legendary sword used to defend against colonialism and oppression. Our guiding principles are the same. This is a place to wield your words against the forces that would rather see us dead.

 

SUNDAY, MARCH 22ND
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

FEATURES
Kaylee “Kade” LeMasney is a nonbinary writer born and raised in South Jersey. Building their creative roots in New Jersey and Philadelphia, they find inspiration through the bustling streets of the city, the beaches, pine barrens and Jersey farms – always exploring ways to tie in humanity’s inner connectivity with the world around us. When they’re not writing sad and strange poems, they travel locally and far beyond, pursuing a career in live entertainment management. Their upcoming chapbook release titled “When It Unfolds” dives into the spiritual life beyond the veil, exploring themes of grief, uncertainty, and divinity. Release date TBD. IG: @k.lemasney

 

Juniper Danger is a queer poet inspired by nature, community, and the trans experience. She loves filling her house with people and filling those people with soup. You can find her at @androjunous on instagram

 

 

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Collide Zine Issue 12 Launch Party & Open Mic

Join us for our long awaited debut of Collide Zine Issue 12 on March 3rd at our favorite community bar and art haven, Tattooed Mom!

Starting at 6pm, the upstairs front room will be open for shopping a select 10 local artist and maker’s wares–make friends with our thriving artist family and see what our zine is all about!

To pick up your pre orders of the issue or buy yours hot off the press, slide down to the back room of the upstairs bar, where we’ll be running an open mic for poetry, short stories, and comedy (you name it, anything goes!) from 6:30 to 9pm. We’ll be giving away RAFFLE PRIZES to anyone who performs on the mic–so get your name on the list early! Spots fill up quickly.

Everyone is a winner at this event–enjoy free art and tickets to upcoming art events from our local business partners <3

Collide = community.

Show us what you’re about and we’ll see you there! We can’t wait.

 

TUESDAY, MARCH 3RD
6-9PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN
RSVP: FB EVENT | EVENTBRITE

 

Vendors:

Alaina Joy
Brooke Grant
Vee Cipperman
Ash Anethema
Art Battle/Kim Lucas
Judy Ha
Casual Covert
Them Arts
Nox Wulong
LiveCarePhilly

 

Follow Collide Zine on Instagram @collidezinephilly

 

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Tuesdays, 4-10pm | it’s tacos. it’s tecate. it’s tuesdays. what more can we say. $1.50 beef or bean tacos every Taco Tuesday + $3 tecate!

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Excalibur Poetry // February 2026

Excalibur happens in the same time and place as Scribes on South, the last Sunday of each month on the second floor of Tattooed Mom.

Excalibur is the sword given to Arthur by the lady in the lake. It is the legendary sword used to defend against colonialism and oppression. Our guiding principles are the same. This is a place to wield your words against the forces that would rather see us dead.

 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

Featuring:

Abigail Guidry is an artist, poet, and memory worker living in Philadelphia, PA, with their two tortoiseshell cats. Abigail is co-founder of the sibling collaborative Guidry Press, where they make zines and artists’ books alongside their brother. When they aren’t reading poetry at local open mics, they can be found watching horror movies and learning new crafting techniques.
Rowan (they/them/themme) is a creature primarily focused on poetry and painting. Rowan believes in the accessibility of art and aims to foster community connections through authenticity and kindness. They can be found either performing at and/or hosting many of the open mic nights in South Philadelphia, and their written works appear in New Jersey’s Soup Can Magazine, Los Angeles’ Fruit Slice Magazine: Rituals, Philadelphia’s CollideZine: Issues 8 & 11, and will soon be published in New York’s newest Slut Zine(2026). In June of 2025, Rowan used their art and poetry to raise over $1K, most of which was donated to The TransLifeline, and the rest was sent directly to the Philly community. Rowan believes in the power of connectivity that comes from people sharing their lives freely, and they hope their work will inspire others to do the same.

 

 

 

***

What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Rutgers-Camden Presents: A Night of Poetry and Prose // January 2026

Current students from the Rutgers-Camden MFA Program will read from their works in progress, across all genres.

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

Lineup:

Meghan Hernandez
Lauren Parks
Evan Saltare
Bronwen Everill
Dani Guerrero
Doris Zheku
Eryn Sunnolia
Tembisa Aborn

Follow Rutgers-Camden MFA on Instagram.

***

What’s Up at TMoms:

• Wednesday, 4-10pm | they’re a smash hit for a reason. Smash Burgers (classic or vegan) every Wednesday for just $6!! u heard that right! + $3 PBR! RUN!!!

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Excalibur Poetry // January 2026

Excalibur will happen in the same time and place as Scribes on South, the last Sunday of each month on the second floor of Tattooed Mom. It will also keep the same format, with one-two featured poets and a signup based open mic list.

Excalibur is the sword given to Arthur by the lady in the lake. It is the legendary sword used to defend against colonialism and oppression. Our guiding principles are the same. This is a place to wield your words against the forces that would rather see us dead.

 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

FEATURES
Kaylee “Kade” LeMasney is a nonbinary writer born and raised in South Jersey. Building their creative roots in New Jersey and Philadelphia, they find inspiration through the bustling streets of the city, the beaches, pine barrens and Jersey farms – always exploring ways to tie in humanity’s inner connectivity with the world around us. When they’re not writing sad and strange poems, they travel locally and far beyond, pursuing a career in live entertainment management. Their upcoming chapbook release titled “When It Unfolds” dives into the spiritual life beyond the veil, exploring themes of grief, uncertainty, and divinity. Release date TBD. IG: @k.lemasney
Juniper Danger is a queer poet inspired by nature, community, and the trans experience. She loves filling her house with people and filling those people with soup. You can find her at @androjunous on instagram

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Scribes on South // December 2025 (THE FINAL SCRIBES!)

SCRIBES ON SOUTH is a poetry reading and open mic. Open mic readers have 5 minutes.

SCRIBES ON SOUTH seeks to create community through poetry. Show out, share, and meet some new friends by sharing your work!

Read poems. Kick ass.

This reading’s featured readers are Mel Edgar and Simon Feral.

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

Follow Scribes on South on Instagram and Substack.

 

MEL EDGAR: IG @ MELIEDGAR

BIO: Mel Edgar is a young professional, backseat jester, and washed up camp kid refusing to age out. Despite their best efforts they remember everything, still sharpie it on clipboards, and occasionally speak from their diaphragm for posterity. Mel writes to make room in their steel trap full of bees, and for every stranger telling them they’ve wrangled something complicated into talking shit and belly-laughing. For that, they will always run their mouth.

 

SIMON FERAL: IG @ SIMONFERALPOETRY

BIO: Shayla Mills is a writer and visual artist in the Philadelphia poetry scene. She got her start performing in 2022, alongside Temple University’s Babel Poetry Collective. She adopted the stage persona, Simon Feral, a gothic literature inspired character as means to explore themes of eldritch horror, the wilderness, and monstrous femininity in her work. Over time, the Simon Feral poems have expanded to include general meditations on queerness, political issues, and the human condition. Find her work @simonferalpoetry on Instagram and @simonferal on TikTok.

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Scribes on South // November 2025

SCRIBES ON SOUTH is a poetry reading and open mic. Open mic readers have 5 minutes.

SCRIBES ON SOUTH seeks to create community through poetry. Show out, share, and meet some new friends by sharing your work!

Read poems. Kick ass.

This reading’s featured reader is Chloe Williams.

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH
DOORS @ 6PM + SHOW @ 7PM
NO COVER // FREE FUN

 

ASH(LEY) MICHELLE C.: IG @ SCUM.POET

BIO: Ash(ley) Michelle C. is a poet, performance and visual artist. She’s a poetry slut rodeo queen…and her style——she got it at Ross and stock shows.

“My poetry-based works are multifaceted, sensual experiences that are the result of a varying combination of poetry, performance, and material creation. I aim to provoke a more sensorial understanding of Poem and a more verbal experience of Art.

My body, objects, words and the viewer work in tandem with unexpected forms of reading to erase the borders between witness, environment, and material. From writing and visual art to performance and installation, I create opportunities for shared intimacy with our obsessions and shadows in relation to the truths and lies that form identity and memory.

My practice explores the often silenced and, conversely, exaggerated connections between womanhood, sex, memories, time, and solitude. Through the lens of a country girl grown and erotic manipulation of body, items of domesticity, trash and poetry, I create provocatively human moments for voyeuristic reflection and liberation. 

I adore putting on public display the inner-workings and contradictions of desire. I live to expose the lies behind the so-called truths of a “good woman.”

As the poetry slut rodeo queen of this get-up, it’s my aim to destroy academic definitions of publishing and to intimidate men and impress the ladies.”

Follow @scribesonsouth on Instagram.

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What’s Up at TMoms:

• Sundays, All Day Long | if u didn’t get glitter in ur drink did you even craft sunday? Craft Sundays at TMoms every sunday, play both upstairs and downstairs. u heard me, both.

• Daily Happy Hour | $4 drafts every day from 4-6pm, everybody cheered!

• Daily Menu | Tattooed Mom will also be serving tasty eats and ice cold drinks all evening.

• Upstairs dining, bar access, and event entry is 21+ w/ valid ID.

• Accessibility at TMoms | Due to the construction of our historical building, Tattooed Mom is only partially accessible. Our event space is on the second floor, which is only accessible via a flight of stairs (20 steps, 3 feet wide, railing on the left side only). For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

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