Welcome to our 36th (gosh..time is flying…) Open Link Night where we do nothing else than having fun and celebrating verse..

My name is Claudia and, speaking of time… as I open the pub doors, it’s 3 pm in New York, 8 pm in Berlin, 7 pm in London, 6 pm in Sao Paulo, 2 pm in Mexico City, 12 pm in Vancouver, 1:30 am in Mumbai, 7 am in Sydney, 5 am in Tokyo and 4 am in Shanghai.

I let you in on a little secret.. my fav OLN times are when the doors just open and you have to be careful not to get run over, when poets with ink-smeared hands and sheets of paper wrapped around them spill into the door, try to find a chair, hug, chatter and laugh,  say hello to old friends, welcome newcomers and order their first poetic pint…ahhhh…what a pleasure to stand amidst all the hustle-bustle, smiling, watching, saying hello and with a dish cloth in hand pour some milk for Pat’s cat..and get Anthony, who always storms the gates first, a drink.. smiles

And then when I wake next morning, between 5 and 6 am my time, when it’s close to midnight for most of the visitors here and it’s getting quiet in  the pub… usually Brian is just about to leave and Seeking The Sun comes in the door, I take the apron, wash some glasses and smell the scent of verse, warmth and laughter still hanging in the air and I sit in the half dark and start reading… just like that, just like poetry is the first thing you need in the morning, just like I can drink the color from graffiti you left on the wall and still hear the clip-a-di-clap of your footprints on the floor … and it’s just the perfect start into the day..

Now, let’s have some fun, get yourself a drink, enjoy what everyone brought to the table – and see you out on the trail..

Here’s how it works..

• Post a poem to your blog,
• Link your poem to dVerse (1 per blog, please) by clicking on the Mr.Linky button below.
• This opens a new screen where you’ll enter your information, and where you also choose links to read. Once you have pasted your poem’s blog url and entered your name, click Submit. Don’t worry if you don’t see your name right away.
• Don’t forget to let your readers know where you’re linking up and encourage them to participate by including a link to dVerse in your blog post.
• Visit as many other poems/poets as you like or can, letting others know what you think about their poem or how it moved you. You may learn something that helps you progress or even make a new friend.
• Spread the word on the poems you enjoy if you’d like. Feel free to tweet and share on the social media of your choice.