Poetry slam,

The Naylors kept at it, and Ghost Poetry Show now runs twice a month in Phoenix and sends teams to competitions all over the country.

“It’s a pretty cool experience to be able to cultivate that environment of people who have found their chosen form of expression,” says Cylie Naylor. “We see all levels of experience; some people want to take the competitive aspect and get fueled by that energy, and others are there to experience like-minded people. It serves a purpose for everyone.”

Kluckman hopes Chicharra will build into a bigger event over time, adding that he named his festival for the sonorous winged insect because he always heard them chirping away as he drifted off to sleep.

He hopes the festival will inspire young poets in much the same way that poetry slam has changed his and Bella’s lives.

Kluckman says that after Albuquerque hosted the national poetry slam, the local community was active for a brief window of time: Open mic nights required lotteries to see who would perform that night. Kluckman wants to see that level of enthusiasm again, starting with one young poet at a time.

“Poetry gives people a chance to express themselves and be heard and be seen in a way that is hard to find in other avenues. And Poetry Slam takes it to the next level,” he says. “Big events like this give you a whole community of people to engage with. One of my favorite things is watching poets come in from Seattle, and they see a poet from Maryland and they’re over there hugging and hanging out and talking. They’ve probably seen each other maybe once or twice in the last couple years. It’s a family reunion atmosphere.”

Times vary; festival runs March 21-23. The final is 7 p.m. March 23 at Hiland Theater, 4800 Central Avenue, Albuquerque.

Tickets for the finals are $15. cicadapoetryslamfestival.com