Poetry Reading and Nervousness

Last night I went to a local open mic featuring poetry read by its authors. The venue was on the outskirts of the downtown in Brattleboro, where I live. This venue is new to the area and is called Equilibrium. If you read this blog regularly you might already know that I have been writing poetry lately. This poetry I have been writing was specifically for last nights event.
I brought 4 poems to the open mic event. I have posted each of these poems on this blog for all of you to see previously. I was exceptionally nervous about reading what I had written to a crowed. I showed up to the event about 10 minutes early and kept reading and re-reading what I had wrote. The event began at 8 in the evening but sign ups were at 7:30. There were other writers there when I showed up, at 7:20. I even knew one of them.
As I got settled in to the goings on before the reading I relaxed a little. I enjoyed conversing with other writers. I spoke with one man in particular whose name I'm unsure of. He was wearing a scarf and seemed to be an experienced writer. He knew some of the other writers there and his work was well organized. In talking to him I offered to let him read my poems. I thought that if I got some positive feedback from someone who seemed to know a thing or two about writing, I would be less nervous. I told him that I was primarily a non-fiction writer and gave him the address for this blog. He gave me some encouraging words. He said that it was obvious that it came from my heart and that it was good first poems. His words did help to put me at ease just as I had hoped.
I was second on the list of poets to go on stage. The first one of us was a friend of mine that I have know for only a short while. I was too nervous to state the titles of each of the 4 poems I read. I did manage to announce it when I was to the last of them. I do think I enunciated the words pretty well and spoke loudly enough. I tried to not hurry while at the same time keeping a good rhythm. I got through my performance and received not only clapping from the crowed but hoots and hollers as well. The man I spoke to earlier gave me a thumbs up as I sat down. I was both relieved to have gotten through the reading and excited to have got a good reaction from the crowed.
The rest of the writers went up on stage for the next hour. They all were better than I expected. I have been to open mic nights at other locations; but the talent was not as good as at last nights event. One man recited a poem from memory. A girl had the audience clapping to the rhythm of her prose. It was a great time. I will be sure to attend this event regularly.