Real Words

Last night I went to the San Francisco Poetry Slam that was held over at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory. I’d never been to this poetry slam before … in fact, I don’t think I’ve been to any poetry events in the Bay Area even though this used to be the way that I got my literary event craving satisfied when I lived in Arizona. I’m not sure how it is that I never ended up finding one of these events here but I’ve found it now and completely remember why I love open mic poetry and poetry slam events.

The great thing about this event is that it was both – there was an open mic period as well as the slam – so you got the fun of people reading just to get a response and then you also got the competition of people reading for a chance to win $100. The two halves of the one poetry event complimented each other well, reminding me of why it is that I do really love writing.

I love writing because it lets you be passionate, it lets you share that passion and it lets you express your own unique vision of the world around you in a way that lets the rest of the world connect to you. I love writing as a profession and as a hobby and as a way to pass the time. And sometimes, while writing for pay or for my own eyes alone, I forget how much I love writing because it becomes just what I do.

Poetry slams take the poignancy of the pen and put them out there in a performance piece that demands the attention of others in the room. Whether about the personal, the political or the personal as political, poems insist that you pay attention to what is being succinctly said. The diverse crowd of a San Francisco poetry slam and the energetic addition of DJ sounds only further the intensity of a setting that is already wrought with feeling.

Being in the midst of the active art of live poetry makes it impossible for me not to remember what I love about writing words.