Poetry is a medium that brings people together, that showcases love and loss and every emotion in between. Poetry can be political, it can be freedom, it can be a way to get lost in someone’s eyes. Spoken word poetry can do all of those things and brings the poet closer to the listeners. So here are five spoken word poets to help you get through your week, no matter what ghosts you’re facing.
Sarah Kay
“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.”
Blythe Baird
“Once, my father informed me sexism is dead and reminded me to always carry pepper spray in the same breath.”
Reagan Myers
“I don’t know when I became a space to be filled. My thigh, open lease. My neck, a wishing well, his hot breath a coin, a demand, cast into me.”
Olivia Gatwood
“And one more thing. When they call you a b*tch, say thank you, thank you very much.”
Tonya Ingram
“When your grandmother says you act like an old lady, take it as a compliment. Set the teapot. Knit the turtleneck. Check on the pie.”
All of these women have a lot to say, and all of it is worth listening to. Life can be hard, and spoken word poets acknowledge that, pointing out both their own flaws and the world’s. But what all of these poets have in common is that they are hopeful. Sarah Kay wants to increase access to poetry, especially spoken word poetry, throughout the world. Blythe Baird has recovered from her eating disorder and now uses her words to help others overcome theirs. Each of these women believes in the power of language to change the world, and they will not be silenced.