Whether you write your poetry to share with the world, or you write your own poetry to share with no one but yourself, or you don't write poetry at all - poetry is an activity that has been present for as long as civilization learned to communicate and create art.
Slam poetry is often judged by some classical poets, but to those people, I would kindly disagree and say that slam poetry can hold so much emotion and feeling.
The following is a list of some of my favorite slam poetry pieces. I hope you enjoy, and please, feel free to share your favorites with me in the comments.
(Also, special shout-out to ButtonPoetry!)
Rudy Francisco "Love Poem" (or: "To the Girl Who Works at Starbucks Down the Street from My House on Delmont Heights Road, I Swear to God I'm Not a Stalker")
Why I Love This: As a hopeless romantic stuck in a generation of non-committal hook-up seeking others, this poem hit me hard. I feel like Rudy stepped directly into my mind and wrote down the thoughts I've had on a daily basis. Rudy's mild but witty humor adds layers and layers to this poem, to where when you're done, you may not be immediately affected, you there's no doubt that these artfully mastered lines will pop up in your head throughout the day.
Favorite Quote: "Yo, when God made you, He cussed for the first time. He turned to an angel, gave him a high five and said: “Goddamn, I’m good!” You are that beautiful. "
Ethan Smith "A Letter to the Girl I Used to Be"
Why I Love This: This poem speaks subtle but loud volumes on the struggles of a transgender individual, and does so well enough that you feel immense sympathy. As a transgender male, I like that Ethan discusses the loss of femininity and the fact he will never be a mother. This is a heartbreaking but eye-opening piece that deserves so much more notoriety.
Favorite Quote: "The year you turned eleven was the first time you said out loud that you didn’t want to live anymore. In therapy, you said you wouldn’t make it to 21. On my 21st birthday, I thought about you, you were right."
Dia Davina "Emergency Room"
Why I Love This: Okay, I'll admit that I'm totally biased towards Dia Davina because I have a major crush on them. Despite that, I am a fan of their poetry because of its simplicity. In this performance piece you can tell they are nervous and awkward talking about this first date, but they speak so assuringly it convinces you that they really know what they are talking about here.
Favorite Quote: "Don't touch my heart when it's thundering. You wouldn't swim in a lightening storm, would you? That was a test. You said, 'yes,' so you passed."
Hannah Johnson "I'm Still Really Glad I Broke Up with You"
Why I Love This: The title, first of all, is flawless. Straight to the point - you know what you're getting yourself into. And very likely, in one way or another, I'm sure for most it is extremely relatable for many people. Hannah speaks about a love she shared and how it was fast and loud and unforgiving. I have a deep appreciation for poems and works that acknowledged a dysfunctional love without showing regret.
Favorite Quote: "It was dangerous to love you. Locomotives trade their hearts for coal to keep moving. I knew someday the tracks might have my name on them, so I learned to hold on tightly, learned to grip love like a vice; made armor from the bones of all the women you'd run down, determined to be different, to learn what they hadn't."
Doc Luben "14 Lines from Love Letters or Suicide Notes"
Why I Love This: This is another piece that will stick with you. It may not truly 'hit' you until after you've watched a few times that the title is the most impactful piece of this poem. You realize as you go on that all of these sentences that Doc is saying, could very well work as love letters, or as suicide notes. And that is completely heart-shattering.
Favorite Quote: "Six. I always imagined this would happen without warning. Like, suddenly, on an ocean cliffside, but this is the kind of thing where waiting for the time to be right, would just mean waiting forever."
Javon Johnson "A Letter to My Unborn Daughter"
Why I Love This: What more is there to love about this? A man speaking openly to his unborn daughter about how much he promises to love and stick by her side as she grows. He openly talks about slut shaming, and accepting her for exactly who she may be. He does this subtly, by talking about his daughter's future significant other with gender-neutral pronouns, rather than the heteronormative "he/him" pronouns.
Favorite Quote: "Baby girl, daddy wants you to own your own body, wants you to know what it’s like to live life as if humans were made to jump out of airplanes without parachutes. I want you to be everything you can be."
