SAN ANTONIO — It’s been a challenging year for poets like Rooster Martinez. 

“A lot of it is just trying to document it and archive the things that have happened. I’ve unfortunately lost my grandmother to COVID,” Martinez says. “I’ve also been just re-imagining my relationship to this country right now, which is a whole lot of different things to authors who aren’t Americans.” 

Rooster Martinez reads a book in his home office. (Spectrum News 1/Jose Arredondo)

Martinez is one of the founders of Blah Poetry Spot, which is a weekly open mic poetry event in San Antonio. It's been operating virtually since the beginning of the pandemic. Eddie Vega, better known as the "Taco Poet," was one of popular faces there. 

“Your smile makes me crumble queso fresco, melt like quest oaxaca, refreshes me like a cold limonada, lifts my spirits like the coldest raspa on a hot summer day,” Vega recites in a virtual poem. 

Vega agrees with Rooster on the obstacles Zoom poetry presents. 

“There’s not the same energy, and it’s silent, so you can’t work off the crowd, you are not getting the same snaps, the 'whoa,' you can’t get anything,” Vega says. 

Vega does believe Zoom events have inspired more introverted poets to share their work because the format is less intimidating. 

Vega believes it's constant creation, creating poetry, which creates a community as well as dialogue on pressing issues.

“You are talking about frontline workers who are being ignored, the George Floyd incident, and the aftermath with that, everything dealing with the election,” Vega says. 

Vega has used the time in quarantine to create pieces that preserve the Tejano culture. 

“Mocho, pocho, whatever you want to call it is, lo que hablamos aqui en South Texas, trying to preserve this,” Vega says. 

Because Vega is vaccinated he’s been reading his poetry at different spots, but he is most excited to return to Blah Poetry Spot, which Rooster says will be up and running every Wednesday. 

“We have so many diverse voices from the East Side, West Side, Southside,” Martinez says. “We love to hear more voices come out, young, old, everyone in between. I may kiss the stage because I missed it so much.”