Slam poetry is a form of spoken word that is performed at competitions, called slams, and is normally highly politicized, often dealing with issues of sexuality, race, and gender. It's easy to find pieces that you relate to and touch you deeply. As a woman, there are a few pieces of slam that resonate within me and speak to struggles I, and the rest of my gender, face. I believe that slam poetry is one of the better ways to open people's eyes to the plights of the average women.
*Contains strong language and/or sexual references
1. "Girl Code 101" by Blythe Baird*
This particular slam piece really drives home many of the issue women face today. Issues like, as Blythe puts it, we are fighting a battle and it is survival of the prettiest. Unfortunately, the things she says are true, pretty girls get farther purely because they are pretty, and she is right; the first game we are taught how to play is one in which we use our looks to get what we want.
2. "If I Should Have A Daughter" by Sarah Kay
"If I Should Have A Daughter" is a touching poem about raising your daughter to be realize that not every day is going to be a good one and that the bad days are sometimes the most useful. This is an important message for everyone because learning to get through hard times, not to mention recognizing them as vital to our growth, is incredibly difficult.
3. "For Teenage Girls" by Clementine von Radics
As a teenage girl it is empowering to hear about the amazing things girls can do. Clementine von Radics uses historical examples to prove to teenage girls that you can do anything, no matter your age. This piece is amazing and Clementine's words will light a fire in your soul and make you believe you can achieve anything.
4. "The Period Poem" by Dominique Christina*
Too often you see guys on social media period shaming. Dominique Christina's response to boys who period shame is nothing short of wonderful. Her fierce belief in the beauty of womanhood and all that comes with it is such an important message to pass on to everyone.
5. "Pretty" by Kate Makkai
This poem is heartbreaking and beautiful, highlighting the struggle girls go through of desperately wanting to be pretty. Kate Makkai takes it a step further, discussing cosmetic surgery and how she hasn't seen her face in 10 years. We all want to be seen as conventionally pretty so sometimes it's hard to take a step back and realize that we're all beautiful in our own way. Kate's piece is a beautiful reminder of that.
6. "Say No" by Megan Falley and Olivia Gatwood*
I love this poem so much because it helps women feel entitled to say the word no. The end of this poem will give you chills as it describes reactions men have had to being rejected. I didn't realize that being able to say no safely was such a privilege.
7. "Halloween" by performers at Brave New Voice Grand Slam Finals Washington D.C
Every woman knows that as she gets older the Halloween costumes gradually get...racier. It's incredibly difficult to find a modest costume unless you make it yourself. And I mean, is it really necessary to have a slutty version of EVERYTHING? Of course the women in this poem aren't just complaining about a lack of coverage for costumes. They're also drawing a comparison between strong women and monsters in that strong women are something that intimidate men like monsters under the bed.
8. "How to Succeed at Heartbreak" by Victoria Morgan*
This is a slightly satirical piece with a very profound message, and I love that it starts out light hearted. Heart break is no fun, something Victoria clearly knows, but she maintains the belief that heartbreak is always surmountable. She tells girls to "build a castle out of the broken pieces because I don't care who you are you are a queen", and I wholeheartedly agree. Heartbreak is never the end of the world. You don't have to be ok now, but you'll be ok later.
9. "Womanhood Hotline" by Athandwa Myeki and Lerato Mokobe*
This is another satirical piece that takes every day sexual advances and flips the gender roles around. These women act as a hotline for men to call after being unwantedly harassed and they apologize for things suck as pelvic thrusting in the men's directions. As funny as this poem is, it is a reminder that unwanted sexual advances are something that happens daily to women everywhere.
10. "An Open Letter to Meghan Trainor" by Erin Anastasia
Yes, I realize that Meghan Trainor's Song "All About That Bass" is supposed to be an uplifting song about loving yourself. Yes, it sends out a great message to girls with big hips, butts, and thighs. But what about the girls who lack those things? The girls who are size two? The "skinny b*****s"? Those are the girls that poet Erin Anastasia is speaking for in her open letter to Meghan. All girls need to love each other because when we put each other down we are, as Erin puts it, "creating more bullies and more victims".
11. "Bitch Doesn't Belong to You" by performers at the Brave New Voices finals in Denver,CO*
This poem is woman power to the extreme. It is about taking back the word bitch and transforming it from something derogatory to something empowering. It is understanding that people will call you a bitch if you stand up for what you believe in, if you take what's yours. It's about not letting name-calling stop you.
12. "The Princess Poem" by FreeQuency
Yes! Finally someone who understands that, while Disney Princesses are fun they aren't the role models we should give our children. They are misrepresentations about what is important in life. They place emphasis on being pretty, getting married, and changing for men. Although not all of the princesses behave so abhorrently when it comes to men, most of them are spineless. There are a few, like Mulan, who refuse to let a man stop her from doing what is right. Those are the things we should teach our little girls. Not that it is romantic for a man to sneak into your room and kiss you, I'm looking at you Aurora.
I am a huge slam poetry fan and it's always nice to find pieces that you can intimately relate to. Many of these poems bring to light struggles women and girls face due to societal pressures and misconceptions. It's important that art continues to show the darker sides of society as well as empowering people of all genders, race and sexuality.
