An open-mic poetry night might seem like a fun idea for a date night, but I was still reluctant to go.

Not because I don’t like poetry, but because I either get really into a poem or just want to laugh. The latter always makes me feel like an insensitive b***h because I know it takes a lot of courage for the performers to get on stage and share their intimate thoughts.

Joann “Paradigm” Roberts reads a poem from her new book, “The Pen Helps.”Photo by Danielle Austin

Luckily, almost all of the performers that took the stage were brilliant poets and, while I did my share of laughing that night, most of it was with the performers rather than at them.

The open-mic didn’t actually start until around 9 p.m. Normally waiting an hour would have infuriated me, but DJ Doc Ock was playing good music and there was so much energy in the room that I practically forgot there was an actual event.

When it began, Marquice Williams, the new leader of Spitfire Poetry, went around the room and made sure that he hugged every audience member.

All of the positive energy carried over into the first few performances. My date and I were clapping and cheering at everything.

At least until this man got on stage and performed his new song, and by performed I mean lip synced. That was a buzz kill. The song itself wasn’t that bad, but watching him pretend to sing it was dreadful.

Then a few poets felt the need to yell at the audience the whole time. You’re angry, I get it. You don’t have to damage my hearing to prove it. There were also some poems that made me feel uncomfortable. I felt as though the color of my skin automatically made me a horrible person, even though I know the two have nothing to do with one another.

The highlight of the night was when featured poet Joann “Paradigm” Roberts performed her poem, “ I Am A Stud.”

Even though I couldn’t relate to what she was saying, I felt every word of it. It was one of the most powerful poems I’ve ever heard. I also enjoyed how mellow her performance was. She didn’t need to shout at the audience to make them feel her anger — she let the words speak for themselves.

Following her performance was a 10 minute intermission. I checked my phone and it was already 10 p.m. I enjoy poetry, but three hours of it was a little much and my date agreed, so we left shortly after intermission. The event probably went on for another solid hour.

Overall I think this would make a fun date, it just lasted a bit too long for my taste. I’m sure there are some people who would argue it wasn’t long enough, but I guess it just depends on how much you enjoy poetry.

The Spitfire Saturday Open Mic & Showcase is held the last weekend of each month at Muse Arts Warehouse. The sign ups are at 7:30 p.m. and the show is at 8 p.m. It’s $3 to spit and $5 to sit. For more information on other Spitfire events visit their Facebook.