As this was my first poetry slam, I didn’t know what to expect. I was really excited to get some inspiration for my own poetry reading coming up next week, and to see the slam’s featured poet: Kevin Kantor. I definitely wasn’t disappointed! (Note: I’m sorry for any misspellings that might occur, as I couldn’t find a program!)
First, there was an open mic. The open mic wasn’t a part of the slam competition, so it was really relaxed. First, Meg read a piece to her mom for her birthday, which was sweet all on its own. She used phrases like, “You made staying at home a Ph. D. degree” and “My rose of a mother, you taught me to see.”
Marlin was next, and he surprised me a couple lines into his poem when he slipped into a very Eminem-esque rhythm. Marlin had beautifully-written phrases such as: “We know that the skyline would be dark without us” and “We are the gravity that makes the snow stick.” Amazing.
After Marlin was Alyssa, who later ended up winning third place in the poetry slam! She had an awesome stage persona, and one of my favorite quotes from her piece was, “If you force me to buy my mean plan, you’re not a salesman, you’re a politician.”
The entire open mic was really thought-provoking, and it was a great introduction for Kevin Kantor. He came onstage next, and he was immediately winning the audience over with his easy jokes and unique personality. He flew all the way from Florida. He read a few poems from his chapbook (which I bought, and you can look at it here). He had countless iridescent quotes, and here are some of my favorites:
- “You taught me how to look at a seed and see a flower.”
- “I am not a hopeless romantic. I am a poet, and poets aren’t hopeless anythings.”
- “12.) I’m sorry I’ve not yet forgotten how to find you beautiful. 13.) I’m trying.”
After Kantor, it was time for the poetry slam to start. Judges were established and Alyssa went first. Her poem was a powerful reflection on modern feminism. One of the lines in her poem was: “I am not for decoration. I have purpose.” That, as you can imagine, won her a lot of appreciative snaps.
Sharon went next, and her poem was inspired by the movie, Inside Out. It was wonderfully written, and very creative. Eilene was after Sharon, and her poem about racism in America won first place!
Chris won second place with his poem about perseverance. “I’m the diamond who mined itself,” was one of his most memorable lines.
The last poet was Meg, who also wrote about gender equality. “Women are half the nation,” she observed, and “me and my parts deserve more.” Snaps to that.
The Grand Slam will take place on January 9th. I definitely recommend checking it out!
