The Poets

Mitchel David Ring is a writer, poet, audio engineer, and the creator and host of The Poets, a podcast featuring poets and other artists sharing and discussing their work....and other poems is the debut poetry collection of Mitchel David Ring.Print copies of ...and other poems can be purchased here.Read (and listen to) Mitch's poetry at mitcheldavidring.comListen to The Poets at thepoets.coMitch also runs Coven Recording and Sound, a full service audio production company. Contact for inquiries at covenrecording.comOn this episode, Mitch is interviewed by his partner Lady Julianne (@ladyjuliannee @emmajuliannee) regarding his book release, poetry, love, the sacred feminine, and much more. Lady Julianne is a Denver based poet, performer, and typewriter poet who is available for bookings at ladyjulianne.co

Christian Lesniak features to share his work and discuss many topics including his poetry, to be or not to be a rapper, the use and misuse of language by the political right and left, the dangers of instant gratification when it comes to art, and much more.

Julian Thomas is an actor born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is best known for appearing in Jordan Peele's "Hunters" (2020), ABC's "For Life" (2020), and "Day of the Dead II: Contagium" (2005). He has also appeared in numerous comedy sketches on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.Julian Thomas graduated from the notable theatre program at Northwestern University. Most recently Julian has narrated a number of audio books in fiction and non-fiction, including "We Matter; Athletes and Activism", a collection of essays and interviews with high profile journalists, political activists and professional athletes, in which they explore the social justice landscape of today. It is available on Audible and Itunes.https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2003537/?ref_=ext_shr

Sophia Goodnight is a transgender poet and writer who has been performing at open mic nights since 2018, which also happens to be when she started transitioning. Her primary inspirations for her poetry are the declaration "it is impossible to say just what I mean!" and the question "so how should I presume?" She lives with three partners and has a fourth, which is important context for her whole deal. Sophia was formerly one of the hosts of the All Out Artists & Co. Open Mic, which went defunct in the wake of the pandemic. Some of her poetry can be found on tumblr at Sophia-Goodnight-Poetry, as well as on Patreon at SophiaGoodnight. In addition to her poetry, she is one of the hosts of the Star Wars Legends podcast We Have To Talk About Dash Rendar.

Arthur Bellfield is a poetic storyteller, filmmaker, wellness advocate, life coach, and cultural architect whose work bridges lyrical activism and soulful reflection. Drawing from ancestral wisdom, urban rhythms, and spiritual practice, Arthur’s voice amplifies themes of healing, resistance, and transformation. He founded the Colorado Springs Poetry Slam in the Spring of 2023 as a vehicle for inspiring literary, wellness, creativity, and community! The poetry slam host monthly events which bridge the gap between the literary arts movement and the musical sectors by empowering performers of all types and talent levels to live within their truths! Recently, Arthur has started conducting Poetic Wellness Workshops to give people additional tools to help them on their spiritual or healing journeys. www.coloradospringspoetryslam.comhttps://www.fox21news.com/living-local/colorado-springs-poetry-slam-what-you-need-to-know/https://www.visitcos.com/blog/spend-a-day-in-cos-at-these-black-owned-businesses/

S.L. Alderton is a Denver poet and librarian. Her work has appeared in publications such as Twenty Bellows, 2River View, and Suspect Press, as well as local independent zines. Her favourite things include Shakespeare, heavy metal, and British spelling. 

April Dawn's first poetry collection, “Lungs Like Elephants,” was published in 2020 and received the Langston Hughes Award from Missouri Southern State University in 2021. In 2022 she began working with 303 Magazine as a music journalist. April is passionate about words in all of their forms and expressions. Her life has been full of experiences both impossibly sour and unbelievably sweet. In all of these moments, she’s embraced the zest.April is a proud graduate of Colorado School of the Healing Arts. She is a lover of live music and spontaneous trips to the hot springs. In her free time, you can find April eating tacos for breakfast, walking her friends’ dogs, or reading and writing in the sun. She is continuously working on her third poetry collection.

Honey B. Honest is a multifaceted visual and performance artist from Denver Colorado. She's been a host and organizer at Mercury Cafe's Sunday night open mic and slam, as well as partnered with organizations that aim to offer artistic opportunities to communities in need such as The Gathering Place, Redline Art Gallery, Art Restart and Boulevard One. Many describe her performances as eccentric, energetic, and genuine. The stories told through her poetry are personal accounts used to inspire listeners and readers to express themselves authentically and practice healing and self-care.__Holly Ajala (also known as TheGoodSis) is a writer and storyteller with a fierce belief in the power of effective narrative to inspire empathy in the face of difference, to propel the reach of social justice and above all, to challenge human beings to be more human. Her words have been featured in Ayo Magazine, AfriWowWri Literary Journal and more. Holly truly believes that good stories can change the world.All human experiences are cosmic eventsQuantum miraclesAtomic revelations__Recorded June 16, 2025__Produced by Coven Recording and Sound

Photographer turned poet turned essayist turned overall annoyance, Stone (they/them) explores themes of sobriety, queerness, and self love. Their works appear in publications such as Gnashing Teeth, Red Rose Thorns Journal, and have been featured on Button Poetry. Currently, they are editor in chief of Retrograde Review, an online zine dedicated to change.  They reside in Denver, but you can find them online @stonewroteapoem or @persephone_stone but you can also probably find them wherever Taylor Swift is playing, wherever there are good mocktails, or wherever there are disco balls

Ally Eden (she/they) is a queer artist and former Poet Laureate of Fort Collins, Colorado. An English/Spanish interpreter by trade, their role as a linguist parallels their poetic ethos— bridging difference by way of words. Ally’s work is vibrant, unabashedly poignant, and rooted in love for humanity. In her approach to art as a practice, she strives to curate participatory experiences that offer everyone a seat at the table. She co-founded the Gulo Gulo Poetry Collective, runs a bimonthly peer-critique group, The Rabbit Hutch, and facilitates collaborations and workshops that bring together musicians and artists, immigrants and refugees, incarcerated writers, fellow writers, queer youth, and the community at-large. Ally’s work has been featured in Milk Press, The Imaginables, Nudie Magazine, Scrapped Magazine, and “Songs of Revolution” by Sunday Mornings at the River. Learn more and get connected at allyeden.com

My name is Dominick I go by Dom. I been in Colorado for five years and looking forward to the next 10-15 years here. I’m madly in love with the city of Denver. I’m a poet that stumbled into literary art. The goal is to a raise a daughter and retire my mom. I’m here for the city and like everybody else serving a purpose I want to be used not misused. Write on! Find Dominick on:MediumYoutubeInstagramSnapchatTikTokTwitter

In this episode recent guest Philip Tran returns for a part 2 of the long goodbye to the Mercury Cafe. Last time, we announced Waning Mercury, Waxing Pearl, a live recorded send off for the legendary venue. That event can be listened to in its 3+ hour entirety on episodes 125-127. On this episode, Philip returns to discuss moving forward now that the Mercury Cafe has been re-christened as The Pearl with new ownership. I'm deeply appreciative to Philip for coming on the show and giving the Merc as good a send-off as we were able to. Hope you all enjoy the episode. I am looking forward to whatever comes next—the good and the bad. In this episode Philip and I also discuss many other topics around poetry—what we look for in a poem, attachment, how to read poetry, how to "fix" poetry, appetites, and much much more.Philip Tran is a poet of many mediums—words, collage, and the ephemeral art of live performance. Hailing from Denver, he is a passport-wielding wanderer, a florist with an eye for beauty, a handyman with a poet’s touch, a roller skater chasing rhythm, and an emcee who curates spaces where voices rise and resonate.As the longtime host of Denver’s beloved 4th Friday poetry open mic—formerly at The Mercury Cafe, soon to be The Pearl—Philip fosters a stage where vulnerability meets applause. His podcast, From My Open Mic, captures the raw electricity of live poetry, available on Spotify.In 2023, he launched Bound By The Beat, an event weaving together Denver’s rope bondage and jazz communities, an experiment in trust, tension, and improvisation. The next Bound By The Beat is on May 31st, which we discuss in the episode. With a choose-your-own-adventure poetry book in the works and a hunger for new stages, Philip may soon be performing near you. When asked what superpower he’d choose, he answered: To awaken the superpowers in those unaware of their own.@invader_4 & (NSFW) @invader__4

Holly Ajala (also known as TheGoodSis) is a writer and storyteller with a fierce belief in the power of effective narrative to inspire empathy in the face of difference, to propel the reach of social justice and above all, to challenge human beings to be more human. Her words have been featured in Ayo Magazine, AfriWowWri Literary Journal and more. Holly truly believes that good stories can change the world.All human experiences are cosmic eventsQuantum miraclesAtomic revelationsRecorded on April 7th, 2025Produced by Coven Recording and Sound

Carly Liberi (she/her) is a queer poet, depth therapist, and oracle reader. Her work is a conch shell to the ear of those who feel too much, for the parts of ourselves we’re still learning to love, and for those whose voices have been silenced. Embracing life’s mysteries, Carly creates in the liberated space between anything and everything.HallwayBirdsongQueer not QuietSensitiveFullHeart on LoanSpiral

Part 3 of the Friday night open mic poetry event at the Mercury Cafe. Recorded March 28th, 2025 by ⁠Coven Recording and Sound⁠. This was the last night that this Friday night poetry open mic, one of the longest continuously running in the world, occurred under the legendary venue name Mercury Cafe. Special thanks to Philip Tran for commissioning this recording, assisting with the editing/organization process, and also for creating the event artwork. This section of the open mic features the following poets (most names appear as they were written on the sign-up list):35. Simon36. RP37. Mir-I-Am38. Carol39. SETH40. SOJO41. Dispeller of Darkness42. Nyah43. Makenna44. EM45. Brock46. Olivia Todd47. Will48. Lady Julianne49. Darian50. Christian51. Philip Tran

Part 2 of the Friday night open mic poetry event at the Mercury Cafe. Recorded March 28th, 2025 by ⁠Coven Recording and Sound⁠. This was the last night that this Friday night poetry open mic, one of the longest continuously running in the world, occurred under the legendary venue name Mercury Cafe. Special thanks to Philip Tran for commissioning this recording, assisting with the editing/organization process, and also for creating the event artwork. This section of the open mic features the following poets (most names appear as they were written on the sign-up list):19. Brian R.20. Ryan21. Madalia22. Uriel23. Louis24. Carly25. Shade26. Niko27. Elizabeth28. Michelle29. Adesuwa30. Nina31. Clem!32. Lydia33. Tony V.34. Jabe

Part 1 of the Friday night open mic poetry event at the Mercury Cafe. Recorded March 28th, 2025 by Coven Recording and Sound. This was the last night that this Friday night poetry open mic, one of the longest continuously running in the world, occurred under the legendary venue name Mercury Cafe. Special thanks to Philip Tran for commissioning this recording, assisting with the editing/organization process, and also for creating the event artwork. This section of the open mic features the following poets (most names appear as they were written on the sign-up list):1. Absalon2. Moses3. Ricardo4. Sophie5. Mitch6. MWB7. Q8. BG9. David Price10. Ted Vaca11. Stan12. Marilyn Megenity13. David Steele14. Emily15. Raul16. Molly17. Silas18. Haley A.

Lolita Vilar is a young poet who writes in prose, with a flair for abstract metaphor. Her poetry focuses on the magical, the mundane, and the music of our world.

Philip Tran is a poet of many mediums—words, collage, and the ephemeral art of live performance. Hailing from Denver, he is a passport-wielding wanderer, a florist with an eye for beauty, a handyman with a poet’s touch, a roller skater chasing rhythm, and an emcee who curates spaces where voices rise and resonate.As the longtime host of Denver’s beloved 4th Friday poetry open mic—formerly at The Mercury Cafe, soon to be The Pearl—Philip fosters a stage where vulnerability meets applause. His podcast, From My Open Mic, captures the raw electricity of live poetry, available on Spotify.In 2023, he launched Bound By The Beat, an event weaving together Denver’s rope bondage and jazz communities, an experiment in trust, tension, and improvisation. With a choose-your-own-adventure poetry book in the works and a hunger for new stages, he may soon be performing near you.When asked what superpower he’d choose, he answered: To awaken the superpowers in those unaware of their own.@invader_4 & (NSFW) @invader__4

Racine Muse and iLL bg join return to the show to discuss their EP, Both of Everything. We talk about the collaborative process, their workflow, inspirations, and themes of the music. This episode also includes performances of three songs from the album, recorded in studio. You can listen to the EP here.