Poetry slam for me is one of the most exciting events at school, as I love being able to present poems by spoken word (I am also on the forensics team at school). Although I didn't get picked to perform this year, one of my closest friends, Michaela Manni was chosen to share her beautifully written poem. She ended up winning the "crowd favorite" and "runner up" award—so proud of her!

In this blog post, I will be sharing both my own poem, as well as Michaela's poem. Hope you have a fun read! Also, would it be useful if I did a Forensics Speech tips blog post for those of you who want to improve your speaking/presentation skills? Email or DM me about your thoughts!

‍

2019 Poetry Slam Theme: Beyond Me

‍

My American Dream by Nicole Hur

‍

Beside my home,

Her purple hydrangeas bloom beautifully, no battlefield but the smell of luscious Spring-springs to life upon entering her garden. My neighbor has it all together—no in betweens but a stability that makes me green.

I want to vomit, as the loudest kid in class yells jokes I don’t understand. I wish I had time for jokes. To laugh at stupid things, stupid people, and stupid situations… My body will not respond to humor—let alone swing my heart to the beat of pulsating parties.

I’ve seen them at the movies. Careless and crazy to the song of freedom and possibility.

But, I guess I wasn’t listening above all that party music.‍

Listening to my next door neighbor’s cry for help. Those purple hydrangeas were the bruises on her arm, the peace was a breach of the 1st amendment—no speech—I didn’t know she was preparing for Winter.‍

Listening to that kid in class. His eyes blue because of the tears that streak his face. That annoying voice in class craving attention—away from the chill blue. A psychologist might say “love deprived.”‍

Listening, to the shriveled heart of this party. The rowdy party crowd dance in their deathless crescendo. Here, gentlemen and ladies have become animals as their human souls have grown too small to fit. Skin sacks, are all that are left of them. ‍

Oh, How could you have been so foolish to block out their sounds and merely look at the perfect cloud blues dreaming in their white washed homes?‍

You, had been too busy listening to the din within.

Filling this empty stomach with loneliness—alone in the kitchen, you ate buttered apple pies, licked your fingers wrapped in guilt sicken chocolate, and swallowed deviled eggs whole.

“No salt with deviled eggs for it would only start tears”—rolling and rolling down, hidden underneath your “fat”—I want to be blueberries and strawberries and yogurt, flying the flag into their faces that “I am a victory!”   

N-i-c-o-l-e. ‍

My parents named me after victory.

But what victory?

You, the creator of this monstrous human, eats up this fly infested soul of imperfection. Though with flies in my stomach, I cannot fly—soar into the sky.‍

Face it. There is no American dream. Dreams like dreams do, run away when you wake, flee to the sound of reality.

Listen. Not lust, luster. You cannot marry a dream.

Listen instead, to the crispy cracks as your dreams shatter.

Every wholesome American family a shadow. A shadow of monsters, those imaginary creatures—precisely… why they don’t exist.

Listen.
You are not alone.

‍

Yellow Letter by Michaela Manni

‍

I don’t remember much about my childhood

But I do remember when war

first knocked on my door

I was four

It was slow

It was soft

But soon I would learn

like everything in life

it came at a cost

‍

Grass stains, spilled ice cream, first pets

No, I didn’t have any of that

No, my childhood was worrisome letters, quick facetime, once a year visits,

Boom

Crash  

Was that a bomb?

I don’t know

My mom didn’t know

Facetime would go black

‍

No, I didn’t have grass stains

I had stains of their bodies in my brain

The computer screen left on

for a second too long

I saw their bodies, dead-

Dad, did you see it too?

‍

I don’t remember much about my childhood

but I do remember the first time my father left

And the second

And the third

And the fourth

Mom hides her tears

doesn't want me to see she’s crying

But I do

Mom, I promise I’ll be strong for you

Four years old I’m not very tough

But we get through this

‍

I know what the green clothes mean

I know he’s leaving

Then he’s on one knee,

On my level

Kissing me goodbye

Telling me he loves me

like it’s the last time

It’s a scene from a movie

Will I get my happy ending?

‍

As a young child, everything seemed so big,

But it wasn’t.

I was just so small.

“It’s his duty.”

They say.

“He’s fighting for his country.”

They say.

But I’m his daughter.

I say.

He’s the only hero I need

Cape or camouflage I know he’ll always return to me

A few weeks later my mom gets a yellow letter.

She doesn't open it.

Yellow letter: Missing In Action

Yellow Letter: Missing In Action

Yellow Letter

‍

Four to fourteen

war hasn’t left

It doesn't age or die

It’s is our mortal enemy

Not our neighbors to the north,

North Korea, China, America, Russia, Saudi Arabia    

In class, we learn about war

But war should learn about me

About the families, it’s taking

Fathers from their daughters

Mothers from their sons

This is war, four or fourteen

It doesn't matter

War waits for no one

No one cares about the army just the victory

My dad tells me his brothers won us liberty

And it’s killing me

Every little idiosyncrasy

Has me questioning

would my life be different if there was no knock on the door

‍

You know he’s a pilot now

and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t worry me

And when my dad goes on a trip part of me wonders will he come back

I’ve never been holy

but I pray he comes home safely

I’m four and this war has scarred me

But the only cuts I have are on my knees

Falling off my bike

Dad where were you to teach me?

Iraq, Iran

I ran around the house for years alone

But dad I promise I’ll run into your

arms each time you return home

‍

6 Things I Learnt About Writing Slam Poetry:

1. Think Simple & Have a Clear Theme

One of the greatest mistakes I made this year with my slam poem was overusing metaphors and hidden meanings. People are most likely only hearing this once, so make sure that your main idea comes across easily. Try reading it to a friend or teacher before you perform and ask them what ideas or message they got from your poem. If they can't get the gist of it right away, you have not made yourself clear enough. In greater hopes that people would understand my poem, I did say the words "american dream" at the very end, however, it still was not apparent to many of my classmates.

2. Have a Good Beat Going

An important aspect of slam poetry is getting that "slam" factor into peoples' heads. By having a steady beat, you can really engage your audience and make the terms you use more catchy. I really love how Michaela repeated "Iran" by separating the term into "I ran" giving it another meaning and further working to highlight the sentence she wrote (relates to beat because she basically repeats the same word / syllables) in her poem.

3. Don't be Hesitant to Use Poetry Devices (Tools)

My english teacher at school actually gave each student a sheet with different poetry tools listed on it, which really helped us become more conscious about the words we picked and how they integrated with each other.

Here are some of them:

• "Deep" Rhyme
• Internal Rhyme
• Outside-In (Enjambment)
• Compound Rhyme
• Slant Rhyme Scheme
• Assonance
• Consonance
• Similes
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration

The more obvious ones you should be thinking about in terms of concept are:

• Metaphor
• Hyperboles
• Personification

I'm still working on using some of these tools in my poems and have yet to understand some of them fully, but I hope to use more as I expand my knowledge in poetry! Remember, we are all working on improving and there is always so much more to learn.

*It is definitely good to use varying poetry devices. however, make sure you don't force such tools just for the sake of using them. If something doesn't feel right, change it without focusing too much on the rhyme scheme or literary tools. You can always go back later.

4. Create a Connectable Storyline

Another issue with my slam poem was that I had too many different situations going on. For example, the neighbor, school classmate, and the fantasy about movie characters included way too many people (events) for one poem! However, Michaela kept to one main story about a child experiencing the impact of war. I recommend that you only stick to around one or two storylines (unless you have something very organized or something memorable in each story). Keep it simple, but powerful. I generally despise cliche poems, but I think with poetry slam, you can input cliche ideas as long as you keep the perspective fresh and different. The thing about being cliche is that people remember them.—but it will be even more memorable if you write it in your own unique viewpoint.

5. Feel Your Writing

Ugh! I've heard this so many times Nicole! Yes. I know you've probably heard this a million times, but it is so important that I could not leave it out. When you really understand what you have written and embrace the meaning of your poem, you will be capable of a beautiful delivery. The best presenters at our poetry slam  seemed to have the words vibrate through them and onwards out to the audience (some tears were even shed).

6. Present Well & Be Confident

Know the places you want to change your pitch, speak more clearly (or accentuate), or even where you want some action. After all, the way you present can really change how viewers receive your poem. On your document / paper, write notes and highlight the places that need more attention than the rest. Remember, slam poetry is a whole package. It is not just a bunch of words. It is SPOKEN WORD POETRY, making it extra hard—especially for those of you who are afraid of public speaking. This is why you must practice practice practice the way you speak. (I will post a Forensics Speech Tips blog post soon, so stay alert if you want to become a better speaker). I know that this may seem like you have to be perfect and almost robotic in the way with your speech skills, but you should balance this "preparedness"  with your "natural" voice. Since we want to see raw emotion, you don't want to sound like you've fully rehearsed this before. Be calm and present in the moment.

‍

That is it for my Poetry Slam Tips! I really hope this helps all of you nervous speakers and writers out there. Everyone is developing, so don't be too disappointed if your first try doesn't go as perfectly as you wished (I obviously made many mistakes with my first poetry slam as well). If you are totally new to this, I recommend watching slam poetry videos online to see what it's all about. Seeing and hearing can really help youl! I guess that was the true last piece of advice I had for today.

Thanks for reading once again! :)