This event was held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. It is a beautiful place and draws a rich mixture of people. It was similar here tonight. A Poetry Slam I learned is an odd mixture of hip artsy folks and folks that just want to be around those folks. There is a particular vibe and energy and rhythm about it. It is kinda like the Gong Show but kinder. The themes generally are urban or cutting edge progressive. It is as much about emotions that are elicited than the actual poetry in a sense. But the spoken word and the live performance creates emotional fields to provide the context for what the artists are attempting to accomplish. It is a particular genre that I discovered is not where I am most fluent. I will return and continue to do me there but don’t have any ambition of winning a competition of this type. But I did not go to win. I went to test and stretch my Self, to risk and discover new aspects of being alive. It is amazing to me that I would be doing something like this. It is something that was completely foreign to me just a few months ago when I was young (only 51). I accomplished what I intended. First and foremost I did something I was afraid (well afraid is too strong a word) of doing. I only risked my ego and survived. Not that big a deal. I also met some new people and sowed new seeds that may produce fruit unforeseen down the road a bit. I guess part of what I am doing is providing an example of stepping out. I have found that sometimes it is not all that sexy and exciting. . . but sometimes it is. 🙂
I used to call what I do Spoken Word but after hearing it I realise that is not me. I am not urban. I have plenty of soul but it comes out of different roots. Louisiana rural, country, jazz, R&B, with a little Funk thrown in the mix was the context of my groove. Maybe Spoken Jazz or something along that line would be more correct. If anybody has any ideas holla. Here is a recording of me doing my thing. A kind soul recorded it on their phone. I like the poem better with the music but that is just me. It is slow to load here so if you have come this far and still want to hear it you may let it go ahead and load before trying to listen. It is an mp4 file if some of you know what that is. I selected the option to imbed the media player. I use Windows if any of that matters. Maybe it will be better where you are. Be Groovy! 🙂
