NEDERLAND -- There’s nothing like being able to share poetry with others in a small, quiet environment and enjoy other people’s words and experiences. I’ve learned it more recently as I’ve gotten more into writing poetry, something I never saw myself pursuing as much as I have.

I’m currently transitioning into my second semester of a year-long program as part of the Denver chapter of the Community Literature Initiative. As part of that program, I’ve been going to an open mic in a coffee shop called Hooked on Colfax.

Sharing my work in that context, in a supportive environment of other writers and poetry lovers, has made me more confident in calling myself a poet. Reading words and metaphors you’ve written and hearing their effect on others reassures me in many ways that I’m on the right track in what I’m writing.

Now, in a new community bookstore in Nederland, there are plans to start a small poetry gathering every month. On June 14th, a small group of people shared their words with each other in a similar supportive environment. It’s less of a workshop and more of a discussion, more of people lifting each other up.

As much as it’s important to get feedback on your work, it’s just as important to hear what you’re doing right and what people like about your words. Having a space to do that in any community, especially a tight-knit community like Nederland, can potentially encourage new writers forward. That, to me, is special.

Keep up with Bristlecone Bookstore, 114 East Second Street in Nederland, to learn when the next monthly poetry reading takes place.