In high school, I did a year of slam poetry and, although it’s been more than a year later, that brooding, black-beret-and-mock-turtleneck-wearing poet still resides in me. So, I was more than excited to attend RIT’s slam poetry contest, sponsored by CAB and Signatures magazine.
I dragged my boyfriend along with me, who also used to perform slam poetry. Although, neither of us were there to perform, it was nice to be back in the atmosphere. Javas was the perfect choice for slam poetry. It was warm, intimate, and a diverse audience also made it very inviting. We took front-row seats and anxiously awaited the show to start.
15 minutes into the event, it opened with James McKay. He was an excellent start and when yet another excellent poet came up and performed, this one from U of R, I could feel my excitement balloon as waves of nostalgia crashed over me. I wanted badly to be transported away from these brick buildings, the lit monitors, and nerdy kids who can actually read the binary code tattoed on my arm and be returned to a place where souls are bared, fingers are snapped, and emotion is let loose.
However, over the next hour, as about 10 poets went up to read their poetry, I found myself getting more and more disappointed. Remember the “McKayla Maroney is not impressed” meme? I actually caught myself making that face. Although the poems were all well-written, many of the poets failed to deliver them. Even they seemed disconnected from the words they spoke, making it even harder for me to connect with them.
Finally, it was time for the judges to decide a winner and the slam was recessed for five minutes. James McKay, who opened the show, came in first. My other favorite poet of the night, the student from U of R, only received an honorable mention due to his external student status.
Although the poetry slam was a disappointment, I will definitely be attending the next one! Call me a hopeless romantic; I am in love with slam poetry. I’ll always go back and you should come back with me.