I wrote an article in early December about the value of poetry. In it, I described the cathartic nature of spoken word poetry specifically. For this article, I have decided to recommend eleven spoken word poems that in my opinion are beautiful and calming. These poems are worth listening to at the end of a long day, or when one is frustrated or upset.
1. In Situations Like This by Alysia Harris
In a thoughtful poem about an interfaith relationship, Alysia Harris tackles an issue that lots of people understand. One can hear the affection in Harris's voice, understanding just how hard this decision was for her. Harris seeks to answer what one can do, and in short, finds that there is no answer.
2. The Type by Sarah Kay
In this poem, Sarah Kay offers an interpretation of growing up that addresses the complexity of self-worth and identification. This poem is for teenage girls, but carries a lot of universal messages.
3. A Letter to Chris Brown by Rudy Francisco
In this poem, Rudy Francisco addresses Chris Brown's perpetration of domestic violence upon Rihanna. It largely carries a tone of disappointment and is executed in a thoughtful, powerful manner.
4. Seventeen by Rudy Francisco
Coming of age poems are a part of life. In this poem, Rudy Francisco analyzes his past self, acknowledging the classic awkward, ill-fitted nature of high school. This poem is about coming into one's own.
5. Puzzle Pieces by Simone Stolzoff
Most of us have a best friend. Simone Stolzoff is lucky enough to have a best friend, he's had since birth. A touching poem about his best friend, Puzzle Pieces was written after Stolzoff found out his best friend's mom had cancer. It is solely a voice recording, which adds to the gentle aesthetic of listening to a poem about two life-long friends. This poem is for Zac (his best friend), and him. Other listeners are mere bystanders.
6. Tamara's Opus by Joshua Bennett
This poem understands the regret of a man, looking back on his childhood. Joshua Bennett didn't talk to his younger sister for years because she was deaf and he refused to learn sign language. Tamara's Opus is his apology. However, a poem can't make up for the time he's lost with her.
7. What's in a Man by Miles Hodges
With this poem, Miles Hodges is trying to answer a question a lot of people are trying to answer. What shapes masculinity, and how does one know one is a man? Miles Hodges wrote this poem while at the University of Pennsylvania, as part of a thought process towards answering those questions of masculinity. He may not have gotten his answers but he did reach some understandings.
8. When God Happens by Mike Rosen
In this poem about 9/11, Rosen seeks to capture how the post 9/11 world has fractured many American's abilities to comprehend the true meaning of religion and how to repair a society, experiencing a level of fear and uncertainty that had not been felt for a long time.
9. To JK Rowling, from Cho Chang by Rachel Rostad
When my 11th-grade English teacher told my class that never in all the pages of the Harry Potter books did it ever say that Harry Potter was white, I did a double take (a really long double take). She was right. Assumed white characters in Harry Potter have no racial descriptors while characters like Cho Chang and Kingsley Shacklebolt get racial descriptors as soon as we meet them. This poem considers race in children's literature through the lens of one of the most famous book series of today.
10. A Prude's Manifesto by Cam Awkward-Rich
This is a poem about sex. Rather the absence of sex. Awkward-Rich is funny, direct, honest and thoughtful. A poem that requires Awkward-Rich to be comfortable in his introspection, "A Prude's Manifesto" is definitely worth a listen.
11. Friend Zone by Dylan Garity
Through this poem, Dylan understands how the creation of the friend zone is sexist and offensive. Growing up is realizing that the friend zone is immature. Garity comes to the realization that "that girl did not owe me anything". Dylan Garity grew up.
