Vocab is a monthly open mic held in the dingy Broad Ripple basement club known as the Casba.

I have a lot of memories of rowdy nights at the Casbe, so when I heard my friend Tatjana was starting a poetry open mic about a year ago, I wasn't sure it would work. Boy was I wrong. With candles lit, insence burning, and a low light almost sillouetting the poets, a packed roomfull of listeners and speakers have gathered the first Tuesday of every month, being taken on a journey of what must be one of the most diverse open mics in the city.

Some of the work is halarious, others predictable, but all of it is honest. You know you live in a great community of people when you can let anyone entertain and it all turns out pretty good to incredible.

One dread-locked reader appearing to be in his fifties or sixties, dispelled knowledge to the crowd like a shaman. A seemingly shy young lady unleashed a feirce piece powered by sexual energy. A young latino poet left the microphone behind to initiate a call and response with the crowd, with the theme taken from the event's title, vocab.

By the and of the night, the crowd was uplifted. The talented DJ Scott Metalic closed the night, spurring an impromtu dance session. Hopefully the smiles on everyone's faces will last thru the workday tomorrow.