Poetry
Slam by Warren Bull
I
attended my first poetry slam for high school students. How things have changed
since Emily Dickenson stayed cooped up in her house.
Friends
invited me and I’m glad I went.
The excitement rivaled that of a high school basketball game. The
teenage fans roamed the aisles of the theater in clumps. Robert M. Yerkes, Ph.D. who studied the
social behavior of primates by observing them in their natural environment,
once commented that you could not understand the behavior of a chimp isolated
from other chimps. In my fading
memory, he once said something like, “One chimpanzee is no chimpanzees.”
(Admittedly, I cannot find an exact reference for this.)
Anyway,
the point is adolescents come alive when with their peers, and this was a truly
lively group. With encouragement,
which they really did not need, the audience cheered the contestants. They
shouted approval for or booed the scores judges awarded for the students’
performances.
No
ism — racism, sexism, and ageism — escaped the scorn and derision of the poet
readers. Angst swelled and receded like the tides. Calls for equality and
inclusiveness rang with sincerity.
I
felt like I was at an intellectual rock concert. The poems were creative,
touching one moment, incendiary the next. It was a true celebration of the
spoken word and I loved it.
I
recommend you attend a poetry slam if you can.
sounds like a great event. On my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteSounded like a lot of fun. I haven't written poetry. Perhaps I should try. I could be a poet and don't know it.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of one before, Warren. Thanks for educating me. The title had me wondering if it was a negative thing, slamming and all. Sounds like it was fun.
ReplyDeleteWarren, I never heard of a poetry slam before either. But it sounds like an interesting way to get youth involved in writing and literature.
ReplyDeleteA great idea! We often overlook how enthusiastic our youth can be when presented with the proper situation.
ReplyDelete