Friends at the café Yo’s Place told me about an open mic session to take place last night. So why not go and open my vocal cords?

The venue was Salvatore’s on Sint-Salavatorstraat in Gent. As I walked in the door, the two fellows you see were hanging the painting you see. Big smiles of welcome came my way.

Pat (on the left) and I got talking about life and his painting. He asked me to name it and I chose “Onward”, because of horses and people moving to the left. Too bad that part doesn’t show up in the photo.

Pat was so so easy to talk to. English was a bit difficult for him but he wanted me to feel included. So did the host, a young man named Kobe. He was glad I found his place.

Then there were Damian (wearing a cool fur hat with ear flaps), Muhannad (a black fellow whose name has n’s rather than m’s) and Omar, a drama student. They all were happy that this newbie showed up.

That was it! Six of us. Kobe said that last time about fifteen folks showed up. I was happy with six.

I volunteered to go first. As I walked to the front of the room, I could feel how calm I was. Unexpected and delightful. Something is moving in me.

I sang a song I’d never shared in public – Loving Arms. It’s a wistful tale of love let go of … and later longed for. My eyes stayed open, and roamed among five faces. I believe I reached all of them

I asked Kobe if I could sing another song. He smiled and said yes. A surge of pleasure burst through me. Clearly my need to sing, to reach out, was larger than my fear of performing.

It was Pat’s turn. He wondered if it was okay if he spoke in Dutch, and of course I agreed. I was touched by him asking permission. Pat’s words flowed as he gestured towards his creation. He was one with his art. Later he told me that the painting was about what refugees faced – physically and emotionally.

Kobe performed a short play for us, playing all the characters. A police officer stood above a seated guy who was being accused of a crime. Kobe moved from standing, to sitting, to standing again as the conversation unfurled. It was a hilarious story of each person asked the other for ID, to prove they really were who they said they were.

***

A lovely evening

Why not wander into the night and see who’s there?