Spoken Word Poetry

Maskless by Miles Hodges

The power of judgment within our society is ridiculous, and those who do not think that we are quick to judge clearly need to open their eyes. Miles Hodges describes the life of a boy who has a white mother and black father but is completely white, himself. This boy has, "...lies at the brim of his smile, cheeks safety pinned to the edge by a pile of regrets." This boy puts on a fake smile; no one can see that, "...he's lonely."

We cannot always see past the mask that certain people wear. For those who have been hiding who they are for long, it's near impossible to see that they aren't truly happy.  The poem is somber yet contained. It is moving, to hear Miles speak so confidently. He easily makes it seem as if he had lived this boy’s life, rather than written it. Which imposes the question, was this poem based off of a person Miles knew?

 I would rate this poem 8/10. I liked the presentation and his delivery was clear and touching.

Postcards by Sarah Kay

Lost and searching, writing because "...I don't know how not to." Looking for words,

"repeat[ing] the same mistakes over and over and you don't get any closer. You never get any closer." In a somber yet relatable tone, Sarah Kay depicts the emotions of a young lady who writes post cards to her ex-boyfriend because she can't bring herself to stop. She knows that he isn't receiving them but she feels that if she gives up on him, it would finally become real, as if she was losing him all over again. By writing she holds on to the sliver of hope that maybe he'll come back into her life one day.

The poem artistically demonstrates that even though sometimes those close to us give up, we shouldn't. It's more that OK to feel sad and to miss people. Having someone who plays a large role in your life suddenly walk out is a terrible feeling.

I liked how the poem wraps up in the end, it certainly tied together nicely. I would rate this poem 7/10 because although it tells a story well, it seemed to jump around a bit.

 

 

Instructions for a Bad Day by Shane Koyczan

 

"There will be bad days; times when the world weighs on you for so long it leaves you looking for an easy way out." Shane Koyczan describes pain thoroughly, having a background as a victim to bullying he easily writes about situations that most of us know too well. His poetry often takes a sad tone, yet as his poems progress, they develop into strength and hope. He writes inspiration for people of all ages and in my opinion his poems deserve to be well-known in elementary schools.

We all have bad days, and though they make us feel trapped, they won't last forever. "If you believe with absolute honesty that you are doing everything you can – do more," there will always be tomorrow, and not one reason that we shouldn't be able to make it a better day.

I'd give this poem a 9/10 because it flows nicely and is full of the inspiration that is rarely seen in our media.