SlamPoets

I am not…a slam poet.
I SLAM poets!

And every cookie cutter poet that is out there right now.
All of a sudden, every body thinks they’re Def Poets and Brave New Voices.
So let me Express Myself in a way that lets me describe what’s happening to this form of expression I used to love…Hell, I still do. But it’s like she’s cheating on me with every person that’s ever had a crush on somebody and was too scared to say so. Every person that’s ever suffered through heartbreak and just wants to get emotional. Every person that wants to stand up for their rights even when they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. Every wannabe motivational speaker who wants to try and be an inspiration to others. Every self-absorbed speaker who just wants to talk about themselves and find a way to make it seem deeper than it actually is. Every pseudo intellectual or political activist that thinks being a poet is all about writing about the problems of the world. News flash, it doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t believe in it beyond what is on the surface.

But let me straighten this out. You are not a poet, just because you can rhyme cat, with hat. Having a certain rhyme scheme or cadence doesn’t make you a good poet, it makes you a rapper. Using metaphors and similes doesn’t make you deep, it makes you an English student. Using rhetoric or comedy doesn’t make you a poet, just a person with an entertaining speech. So stop trying to point out the pros and cons, using your prose and poems. You are not the dopest because you get angry, loud, riled up or passionate when you deliver a piece. None of it matters without content, so don’t get gassed up if you’re just okay with the words.

I’m witnessing a death of the art form but there’s nothing I can do about it.

Because I am not…a beat poet.
I BEAT poets!
And every slam poet and illiterate writer who’s ever contributed to the downfall of poetry.

POW! Every single “poet” that’s ever written poems for pussy.
POW! Every single “poet” that’s just looking for attention.
POW! Every single “poet” that’s picked up a pen and a pad because it became cool.
POW! Every single “poet” that jumped on the spoken word bandwagon.

See, the first mistake is calling what you do poetry.
Because complaining about your problems vocally, does not give you the right to yell “HEY, NOTICE ME!”
Hiding under the veil of “I’m trying to create awareness and understanding in the community.”
So my point is this.

If you have no deeper understanding of what we do, beyond thinking that we just say stuff that makes you go “Oooooh”, “Ahhhhhh”, “Awwww” and more words you can snap your fingers to…then don’t’ try this at home.
Just go back to watching Def Poetry Jam in your spare time.
If you are not well-versed in this art from…then LEAVE POETRY ALONE!
If you are not well read. Not bothering to learn from what’s already been said.
Then don’t bother agreeing with me and saying the art form is dead…because in the end, we are keeping it alive.
Just treat it with the respect it deserves.