Ready, Set, Rhyme: MCSM’S Fall Poetry Slam
By Minul Asgar
Whether poets choose to rhyme their verses or not, they usually recite their work in public Poetry Slams to express themselves in powerful metaphors whose deeper meanings they hope a live audience will decipher.
A Poetry Slam is an opportunity to open up your emotional wounds for a day; a time to show a side of yourself that no one has ever seen before. It’s a time when your true voice gets to be heard.
This year’s Fall Poetry Slam was hosted by Rebeca Mora and Mohammad Ashlam. The poetry that flowed over the stage was shocking; it gave me the chills. Although there were only a few performers, each one of them owned the stage and recited their hearts out.
Last year, the Poetry Slam took place in the school’s library with a smaller audience. By having the Poetry Slam in the school’s auditorium this year, I expected a bigger crowd. Regardless, the audience was supportive and understanding when there were technical difficulties with the microphone. I respect those who kept going even with the microphone interrupting their flow.
I was able to ask Nick Rodriguez, one of the first performers, a few questions about his piece pertaining to the Class of 2014’s generation. His poem describes his generation as a whole, and his role in it.
Nick Rodriguez
RamPage: What is your perspective on poetry?
Nick: “Real poetry should come from the heart, you shouldn’t have to think of the words, let them come to you. “
RamPage: What is the name of your poem?
Nick: “The name of it is ‘Class of 2014.’ ”
RamPage: What is something you learned from your generation?
Nick: “Something I’ve learned from my generation is that sometimes it’s better to have fewer friends, than to be known by the whole school. That way you have less people smiling in your face while planning to stab you in the back.”
RamPage: What inspired you to create that poem?
Nick: “By watching kids from the Class of 2014. I wrote it last year, mostly from seeing everyone in the halls, and watching Facebook, or Tumblr. Just seeing people and what I had to go through in high school. I always felt like the outsider, so that’s why I feel like I don’t belong in this generation. “
Penda Smith also answered a few questions about her piece,“The Last Poem.”
Penda Smith
RamPage: What was the name of your poem?
Penda: “The Last Poem”
RamPage: What was your poem about?
Penda: “Unfortunately, I was unlucky enough to encounter this jerk who I thought at the time was a nice person but wasn’t.”
RamPage: Is that what really inspired you to write that poem?
Penda: “Well… I just wanted to, like you know, move on. Move on in the sense that whatever happens in the past you cannot let it affect your future. So you look back and find something that can motivate you to keep moving 
forward. You acknowledge it, and then you learn from that.”
In truth, the most important part of any Poetry Slam is to have respect for those who are performing, because when they perform they are also opening up to the crowd, and that takes courage. If you wanted to perform but didn’t get the chance because you didn’t register on time, or didn’t have anything prepared, that’s okay because there’s another Poetry Slam coming up this Spring. Hopefully many more poets and poetry fans will show up for the next one!
To read Nicolas`s and Penda`s poem, check out the poetry section: https://mcsmrampage.com/2013/12/spoken-word-poems-performed-at-the-fall-2013-poetry-slam/