Thursday, August 26, 2010
Summary of National ... and then some.
Looking back on the 2010 National Poetry Slam I call it as a bittersweet memory... on one had I got to work with some talented writer and performer and meet the same. I finally got to perform an indie and helped my team get to semi (YAY!!!) I watched my former team and current family ( Neo Soul Slam Team) make it to final stage... Fyi that should have been us last year but anyway... I loved all the people I met and even the ones that I am going to met in the future... I truly felt like a sophomore in high school .. didn't feel like the new kid but def was not the upperclassman running the school... I guess my time will come when I am the one people are looking for to take pictures with and know what inspires me as a writer... OHHHHH and how could I forget talking about the SNO team ( Team New Orleans) I know that my city is in good hands with that bunch... In short ( ha like I can do anything in short but my height) I had a great experience and I cant wait to experience Iwps and Wowps..... I am working on some new stuff and when I get it off paper they are going to KILL... ( well I hope not really cause that would be bad .. I mean who am I going to get scores from if everyone is dead) ... anyway .. Now I am in Houston in school to do this poetry thing full time and get a decent salary for it.. I love all of my teachers but the Great Financial Aid has not kicked in yet so I am alittle nervous but I know that everything will work out as it should... I cant wait to have this degree... soo I am going to have to end this short.. but I will keep you all posted on my comings and goinnings... I think that is how you spell it. anyway talk to you all soo ( or type to you all soon)
Monday, June 28, 2010
They Speak Youth Slam Mission: $500 in 5 days.
Dear Supporters & Friends,
It’s that time of year again and the Texas Youth Word Collective is scrambling to raise the necessary funds to take Austin’s They Speak Youth Poetry Slam Team to Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival 2010 (BNV) in Los Angeles. We have a very exciting team this year and they’re counting on us to get them there.
Our immediate need is to raise $500 in 5 days to purchase their airline tickets! We hope that you’ll consider making a donation to the cause and two ways for you to accomplish this:
Website: Go to www.txywc.org
Enter the website and click on the “Home” button
Click on the “Donate” button for our Paypal page
Snail Mail: Or, you can mail a check to “TYWC”
Texas Youth Word Collective
8301 Zyle Road, Austin, TX 78737
All donations are tax-deductible.
We’re very excited about our team this year! Coached by Christopher Michael (Killeen Poetry Slam Founder, 2 time Austin Poetry Slam Champion, 2nd Place National Poetry Slam Indie Winner) - Shanitria Harris (3 time Austin Youth Slam Champion, 4 time team member!) from Texas State University, Zachary Caballero (Hendrickson H.S.), Lauren “Zuri” Hendricks (Texas Empowerment Academy), and Sheenika Medard (Hutto H.S.) have already been entertaining audiences around Austin as they prepare for their trip. You can learn more about our program and the team by visiting our website.
What is BNV? It’s not all about the competition! BNV offers youth the opportunity to participate in workshops, open mics, and ciphers, as well as attending performances by internationally renowned spoken word artists such as Saul Williams, Hodari Davis, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and DJ Kool Herc, to name a few. This year’s BNV schedule includes the following activities:
The First Wave Show
Coaches Open Mic
Opening Ceremonies
Brave New Voices Writing Workshops
Brave New Voices Town Hall meeting
The Peoples Championship (Individual Late-Night Slam Tournament)
The Brave New Leaders Conference
The Brave New Teachers Conference (Sat. 7/24/10)
2nd Annual BNV MC Olympics
Brave New Voices Speak Green (sponsored by Robert Redford)
Brave New Voices Grammy Museum Tour
The International Youth Poetry Slam
Quarter Finals (Begins with 50 teams)
Semi Finals (Reserved for 16 teams)
Finals (Reserved for the final 4 teams)
Open Mics, Cyphers, and more….
This year there will be 750 participants from over 50 international communities! Participating cities include: San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, London, Miami, Washington DC, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston, Oakland, Santa Fe, Portland, Denver, St. Louis, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Hawaii, Hartford, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, Nashville, St. Louis, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Madison, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Baton Rouge, Chapel Hill, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Plymouth, Kalamazoo, Indianapolis, Ft. Lauderdale, Burlington, Newark, Watts, Fontana, Mendocino, Austin, Anchorage, Taos, Chico, Navajo Nation, Hopi Nation, Pueblo Nation, Chimayo, San Jose, Jersey City, Baltimore, Savannah, Mexicalli, Louisville, Amherst, Las Vegas, Eugene Canandaigua, Worcester, Leeds (UK), Mostar (Bosnia).
This is an amazing opportunity for our youth! Please help them realize their dream by taking a few moments to donate to the cause.
Sincerely,
Sheila Siobhan, Executive Director
Texas Youth Word Collective
They Speak Youth Poetry Slam
(512) 422-6653
u21slam@yahoo.com
www.txywc.org
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
been gone a while
I have been wearing many hats these days and blogger just have not been one of them... lol. From moving to coaching to being on a team.. i am doing alot but it is all worth it. Learning alot about myself and the people around me this summer that I never thought I would learn. I and constructing a better me and last night I became resolved to go natural.. now my 3 best friends have one eyebrow lifted cuase I said I was never going the way of the natural... but at this time in my life I would want nothing more.. I am tired of having to have straight hair for feel pretty or love.. you must think that it is silly to equaite love with how your hair looks.. but there is nothing like the feeling of getting a fresh perm .. the movement, the softness, i dare say it is better than sex... I use to be there every 6 weeks... then I pushed it to every 8 weeks... now I am tired of waisting money on styles that dont last.. I have been getting perm at least before I was 5 so I am ready to see what god really gave me... I know that my hair is thick but I am in need of change and what perfect way to start anew than with your hair. I am beginning to fall in love with myself and it is a weird feeling but I am taking everything in and letting go of dead ends.
Peace
T
Peace
T
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Freewrite...
Sometimes I love broken....
uneven in dark lines of selfishness..
I want to be better
Shadows tried to make me feel comfortable...
but sticky corners have never left me easy
I never wanted to love you
broken down
parts of me are answered in riddles
I don't know what I am doing
moving life close to yours makes me scared
I don't make decisions very well
loving you hard makes me not want to love at all
but I cant
i wont stop
emotions
they leave me heavy
need bulemic like hugs with you
I cant understand the distance
I need you close to me
in me
breath me
love me
All I wanted for you to do i love me...
I need you to hold me.
make my yesterdays quiver at the very presence of you...
I want you to be present when you make love to me..
Don't be in the moment
be forever making plans with me...
I left me sure things to be left unstable...
Sit down at round tables and make babies with me...
I need to carry your seed so we can grow together..
I need you forever...
I need us together...
make this last or leave me alone..
uneven in dark lines of selfishness..
I want to be better
Shadows tried to make me feel comfortable...
but sticky corners have never left me easy
I never wanted to love you
broken down
parts of me are answered in riddles
I don't know what I am doing
moving life close to yours makes me scared
I don't make decisions very well
loving you hard makes me not want to love at all
but I cant
i wont stop
emotions
they leave me heavy
need bulemic like hugs with you
I cant understand the distance
I need you close to me
in me
breath me
love me
All I wanted for you to do i love me...
I need you to hold me.
make my yesterdays quiver at the very presence of you...
I want you to be present when you make love to me..
Don't be in the moment
be forever making plans with me...
I left me sure things to be left unstable...
Sit down at round tables and make babies with me...
I need to carry your seed so we can grow together..
I need you forever...
I need us together...
make this last or leave me alone..
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The Promise.
When you kiss the moon dust
off of her love drunken eyes,
turn her over,
make love to her until she
cries into multiple organisms.
Put your finger at the small of her back
and marvel at all the good things she has
stored for you.
Look into her eyes as you slowly enter her,
physically and mentally.
You will kiss her tears as they flow down
her cheek for you;
make love to her as if you were
giving the last of you.
When you finally let her rest,
watch her as she lays naked in your arms.
The moon will glow so bright that night,
making the sun grown in envy
at not being able to see you at your finest.
You will mark time with her smiles
and you always call it a blessing
to have the ability to catch her
just in case she misses
her footing on the way to your heart.
You will write her name first,
your last name second just so you can
physically hold forever in your hands.
You will shout at the top of your lungs
in a room, where no one else is present but you
and your insecurities and promise that this
woman will be the one that will make you
proud to be a man, her man.
You will place her palm in yours,
get on that knee that has been heavy lately.
You will tell her ,
your life has never been the same since she
stumbled into your chest cavity.
You will tell her that you have been blessed
beyond measure
and you wouldn’t mind if you could spend
forever with her.
She will cry,
that same stunning cry that you have waited for
since you realized what good love was.
She will walk to you in the mist of family and
friends and while everyone watches her,
she will be watching you
she will whisper I love you
and you will melt in front of everyone
your emotion will leave you weightless.
Soon she will carry your seeds,
her hips, stomach and nose will spread like
second chances and you will call her beautiful
and you will mean it……
And when all of these things happen,
you will smile and think of me.
You will strive to be the best man for her that
you just couldn’t be for me.
And when you sit in old rocking chairs,
holding the weathered hand of a love that you
never thought your heart could hold…
you will say thank you
and I will say you’re welcome.
off of her love drunken eyes,
turn her over,
make love to her until she
cries into multiple organisms.
Put your finger at the small of her back
and marvel at all the good things she has
stored for you.
Look into her eyes as you slowly enter her,
physically and mentally.
You will kiss her tears as they flow down
her cheek for you;
make love to her as if you were
giving the last of you.
When you finally let her rest,
watch her as she lays naked in your arms.
The moon will glow so bright that night,
making the sun grown in envy
at not being able to see you at your finest.
You will mark time with her smiles
and you always call it a blessing
to have the ability to catch her
just in case she misses
her footing on the way to your heart.
You will write her name first,
your last name second just so you can
physically hold forever in your hands.
You will shout at the top of your lungs
in a room, where no one else is present but you
and your insecurities and promise that this
woman will be the one that will make you
proud to be a man, her man.
You will place her palm in yours,
get on that knee that has been heavy lately.
You will tell her ,
your life has never been the same since she
stumbled into your chest cavity.
You will tell her that you have been blessed
beyond measure
and you wouldn’t mind if you could spend
forever with her.
She will cry,
that same stunning cry that you have waited for
since you realized what good love was.
She will walk to you in the mist of family and
friends and while everyone watches her,
she will be watching you
she will whisper I love you
and you will melt in front of everyone
your emotion will leave you weightless.
Soon she will carry your seeds,
her hips, stomach and nose will spread like
second chances and you will call her beautiful
and you will mean it……
And when all of these things happen,
you will smile and think of me.
You will strive to be the best man for her that
you just couldn’t be for me.
And when you sit in old rocking chairs,
holding the weathered hand of a love that you
never thought your heart could hold…
you will say thank you
and I will say you’re welcome.
Monday, February 8, 2010
She is gone but not forgotten...
Bunny was loved by so many and so much was said about her I don't want to sound like a repeat box (if that even exist) I just want to say I loved her and she was the best.... Me and Jomar performed at 501 Studios for Shannon Leigh Tribute... and she thought that we were good enough to be in a pilot she was working on... that fell through but she never stopped believing in us. I only got to know her two years and I had no idea how many lives she really touched... she was beyond amazing and I was there the night of her last performance... we all knew she was sick but she was giving Cancer a run for its money... I check out her facebook page everyday just to know that I am not the only one missing her... Austin Poetry Slam is hosting a Memorial/ Party for Gabrielle homecoming on Sunday, 2/21/2010. I think that it will start at 7 or 8. Please check Austin Poetry Slam for more details... people from all over the country are coming to send our girl off right.. i may even take a shot of whiskey. (she is laughing at that one). Anyway I just wanted to share my thoughts.. I miss you girl. See you soon.
"What are you waiting for" -Gabby
"What are you waiting for" -Gabby
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Trail of Tears...
They say her tears will never cover
the scars he made.
She had dreams, big dreams.
Seems even imaginations fade
when prince charming comes along.
He made her sit in ivory towers with no family or friends to comfort her.
She convinced herself that all she needed was him.
They met when she was 14.
What she didn’t know was his daddy already showed him the blueprint of a woman’s body.
He knew how to touch her just right to stop breathing.
It only took two years for her to fall in love,
lose what little friends she had,
get pregnant 3 times and carry none full term, have 3 broken ribs,
have a new smile and a shattered soul.
(FACT)
Out of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship
Her mother once told her “It ain’t rape if its your man and boys will be boys, one hit ain’t gonna kill ya.”
But he will and they do,
these shes become interchangeable
with new names and faces,
new stories and bruises.
She was 15 and caught a nice one in the eye because she forgot to refer to her boyfriend as sir.
She was 17, stomach was covered is beautiful hues of blacks and blues, causing God like imprints of his boots cause she was watching the football game to hard.
There’s only a fist difference between strong woman and abused.
I wish someone would have told her she was beautiful before she became his punching bag,
waiting for the stuffing to fill back in.
If you think you see a she…
even if it is in fragments of mirrored reflections
tell her love is not abuse…
cause If you don’t tell her … then who will?
Fact
Every 5 min, an act of violence is done in a relationship where one of the partners are between the ages of 15 to 18.
Facts
Facts
Facts mean nothing when…
They say her tears will never cover
the scars he made.
She had dreams, big dreams.
the scars he made.
She had dreams, big dreams.
Seems even imaginations fade
when prince charming comes along.
He made her sit in ivory towers with no family or friends to comfort her.
She convinced herself that all she needed was him.
They met when she was 14.
What she didn’t know was his daddy already showed him the blueprint of a woman’s body.
He knew how to touch her just right to stop breathing.
It only took two years for her to fall in love,
lose what little friends she had,
get pregnant 3 times and carry none full term, have 3 broken ribs,
have a new smile and a shattered soul.
(FACT)
Out of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship and all participants had experienced violence in a dating relationship
Her mother once told her “It ain’t rape if its your man and boys will be boys, one hit ain’t gonna kill ya.”
But he will and they do,
these shes become interchangeable
with new names and faces,
new stories and bruises.
She was 15 and caught a nice one in the eye because she forgot to refer to her boyfriend as sir.
She was 17, stomach was covered is beautiful hues of blacks and blues, causing God like imprints of his boots cause she was watching the football game to hard.
There’s only a fist difference between strong woman and abused.
I wish someone would have told her she was beautiful before she became his punching bag,
waiting for the stuffing to fill back in.
If you think you see a she…
even if it is in fragments of mirrored reflections
tell her love is not abuse…
cause If you don’t tell her … then who will?
Fact
Every 5 min, an act of violence is done in a relationship where one of the partners are between the ages of 15 to 18.
Facts
Facts
Facts mean nothing when…
They say her tears will never cover
the scars he made.
She had dreams, big dreams.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Untitled Love
He’s so sweet and good. I can’t let him go.
So I think he slipped me a mikki….
Came in four letters L.O.V.E….
I slipped him something back in three I.O.U… an apology
I am sorry that I got caught up in my own world.
Didn’t realize you had one we could both fit in.
Hands can’t hold tight to something that I forgot was mine.
Eyes sigh still at the thought of how happy you make them.
Studying your breathing is precious... beyond price.
Never thought souls were made in pairs.
Souls still grieving, but your hand to hold makes
A angel passing feel more like multiple paper cuts
than sledge hammers aimed at my chest.
Left ring finger never felt the weight of its purpose till today.
I Chased time to catch glimpse of your sweetness,
but you were too much for him to handle.
You made me bite into fruit, eyes are open. No turning back now..
I fall in love with you every time the sun rises and falls on your exquisite face.
Sand flows through fingers like bad relationships do.
Foundations built with you in mind.
God thought enough of me to make you.
Dreams sometimes find me because they found the peace in the pieces you decided to take care of.
Peace is something I thought was meant for child like stories and tall tales
But it was meant for this day... And this day
We are not completed but enhanced.
Breaking barriers of misplaced fears
And crowed rooms of doubt.
We have cleared enough space for forever...
Grateful we decided our souls were good for each other.
Glad I can share this day, this life, this moment... With you.
Sunsets are still my favorite part of the day.
You are my favorite part of the day.
In love with the moments to come.
I can't let him go.
So I think he slipped me a mikki….
Came in four letters L.O.V.E….
I slipped him something back in three I.O.U… an apology
I am sorry that I got caught up in my own world.
Didn’t realize you had one we could both fit in.
Hands can’t hold tight to something that I forgot was mine.
Eyes sigh still at the thought of how happy you make them.
Studying your breathing is precious... beyond price.
Never thought souls were made in pairs.
Souls still grieving, but your hand to hold makes
A angel passing feel more like multiple paper cuts
than sledge hammers aimed at my chest.
Left ring finger never felt the weight of its purpose till today.
I Chased time to catch glimpse of your sweetness,
but you were too much for him to handle.
You made me bite into fruit, eyes are open. No turning back now..
I fall in love with you every time the sun rises and falls on your exquisite face.
Sand flows through fingers like bad relationships do.
Foundations built with you in mind.
God thought enough of me to make you.
Dreams sometimes find me because they found the peace in the pieces you decided to take care of.
Peace is something I thought was meant for child like stories and tall tales
But it was meant for this day... And this day
We are not completed but enhanced.
Breaking barriers of misplaced fears
And crowed rooms of doubt.
We have cleared enough space for forever...
Grateful we decided our souls were good for each other.
Glad I can share this day, this life, this moment... With you.
Sunsets are still my favorite part of the day.
You are my favorite part of the day.
In love with the moments to come.
I can't let him go.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
PRESS RELEASE
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective
EVENT: They Speak Youth Poetry Slam
DATE & TIME: Saturday, December 19th, 2009, 4 pm
ADMISSION: $5 cover,
PLACE: The Independent
501 Studios
501 Brushy Street
Austin, Texas 78702
CONTACTS: Tova Charles (512) 963-8292, Project Coordinator
Dr. Sheila Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Director
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com
Website: www.txywc.org
Okay. Santey’s right around the corner and Christmas Break is almost here. There is no telling the kind of gifts you will get come Christmas day: electric socks, Atari (because someone thought that you would enjoy something retro; laugh if you want but it happens), and, of course, the perennial fruit cake (the present that gets regifted EVERY year!). Before you even receive those gifts you are going to take back to the mall to exchange for the cool stuff, give yourself a cool gift before Christmas. Bring your friends and head over to The Independent for the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam for a big shiny box of lyrics and imagery and substance; things you can use every day of the year. Long after the first toy is broken and the first report is due in history, the pictures and messages these young poets provide will be cranking your thinking machine.
So, we invite you to come help us continue to launch this, our 8th season of the city wide youth poetry slam,, the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam See what all the excitement is about and be inspired by the voices and leaders of tomorrow. Those participants between the ages of 13 and 19 will be eligible to compete for a spot on the team we take to Brave New Voices 2010 in the home of the stars, the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California
Please come for a night of stirring, thought-provoking poetry. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective
EVENT: They Speak Youth Poetry Slam
DATE & TIME: Saturday, December 19th, 2009, 4 pm
ADMISSION: $5 cover,
PLACE: The Independent
501 Studios
501 Brushy Street
Austin, Texas 78702
CONTACTS: Tova Charles (512) 963-8292, Project Coordinator
Dr. Sheila Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Director
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com
Website: www.txywc.org
Okay. Santey’s right around the corner and Christmas Break is almost here. There is no telling the kind of gifts you will get come Christmas day: electric socks, Atari (because someone thought that you would enjoy something retro; laugh if you want but it happens), and, of course, the perennial fruit cake (the present that gets regifted EVERY year!). Before you even receive those gifts you are going to take back to the mall to exchange for the cool stuff, give yourself a cool gift before Christmas. Bring your friends and head over to The Independent for the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam for a big shiny box of lyrics and imagery and substance; things you can use every day of the year. Long after the first toy is broken and the first report is due in history, the pictures and messages these young poets provide will be cranking your thinking machine.
So, we invite you to come help us continue to launch this, our 8th season of the city wide youth poetry slam,, the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam See what all the excitement is about and be inspired by the voices and leaders of tomorrow. Those participants between the ages of 13 and 19 will be eligible to compete for a spot on the team we take to Brave New Voices 2010 in the home of the stars, the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California
Please come for a night of stirring, thought-provoking poetry. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
PRESS RELEASE
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective
EVENT: They Speak Youth Poetry Slam
DATE & TIME: Saturday, November 21st , 2009, 4 pm
ADMISSION: $5 cover,
PLACE: The Independent
501 Studios
501 Brushy Street
Austin, Texas 78702
CONTACTS: Tova Charles (512) 963-8292, Project Coordinator
Dr. Sheila Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Director
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com
Website: www.txywc.org
November is best known for giving thanks, watching football, and tryptophan naps. Professional taste testers, when comparing different foods or drinks, use a palate cleanser. It just so happens that the weekend before Turkey Day, we have just the thing: The They Speak Youth Poetry Slam. After listening to the words and works of these teenagers, you will go home with one more really big thing to be thankful for: the plenty of an intelligent, thoughtful conscious generation to come. The performances of these young people will stir your soul, make you think, and make you wonder what the future will be. You are cordially invited to come get yourself a heapin’ helpin’ of nutritious slam poetry to tide you over until turkey and dressing are pulled out of the oven.
The Chinese consider the number 8 to be a lucky number, signifying sudden fortune, prosperity. This being our 8th season, the Texas Youth Word Collective (TYWC) is looking to make this year’s youth slam just that – a sudden fortune of poetry prosperity. This season will bring some new twists, starting with the name of the slam: the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam. Why the change? Because we wanted the name to be a worthy identifier instead of a simple descriptor; a name that exemplifies the character and motivation of youth slam and its participants.
Another twist on the new season: monthly writing workshops. TYWC will be conducting monthly writing workshops so that youth can hone their writing skills and prepare their work for the slam. Through the workshops, we hope to not only encourage youth to write more new work but to produce more challenging, quality writing for performance. This, we hope, will raise the participation and competition in the youth slam. These are just some of the upcoming changes/improvements we are making this season.
So, we invite you to come help us continue to launch this, our 8th season of the city wide youth poetry slam,, the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam See what all the excitement is about and be inspired by the voices and leaders of tomorrow. Those participants between the ages of 13 and 19 will be eligible to compete for a spot on the team we take to Brave New Voices 2010 in the home of the stars, the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California
Please come for a night of stirring, thought-provoking poetry. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
THE YOUTH POETRY SLAM - SEASON #8!
Presented by the Texas Youth Word Collective
EVENT: They Speak Youth Poetry Slam
DATE & TIME: Saturday, November 21st , 2009, 4 pm
ADMISSION: $5 cover,
PLACE: The Independent
501 Studios
501 Brushy Street
Austin, Texas 78702
CONTACTS: Tova Charles (512) 963-8292, Project Coordinator
Dr. Sheila Siobhan (512) 422-6653, Co-Director
E-Mail: u21slam@yahoo.com
Website: www.txywc.org
November is best known for giving thanks, watching football, and tryptophan naps. Professional taste testers, when comparing different foods or drinks, use a palate cleanser. It just so happens that the weekend before Turkey Day, we have just the thing: The They Speak Youth Poetry Slam. After listening to the words and works of these teenagers, you will go home with one more really big thing to be thankful for: the plenty of an intelligent, thoughtful conscious generation to come. The performances of these young people will stir your soul, make you think, and make you wonder what the future will be. You are cordially invited to come get yourself a heapin’ helpin’ of nutritious slam poetry to tide you over until turkey and dressing are pulled out of the oven.
The Chinese consider the number 8 to be a lucky number, signifying sudden fortune, prosperity. This being our 8th season, the Texas Youth Word Collective (TYWC) is looking to make this year’s youth slam just that – a sudden fortune of poetry prosperity. This season will bring some new twists, starting with the name of the slam: the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam. Why the change? Because we wanted the name to be a worthy identifier instead of a simple descriptor; a name that exemplifies the character and motivation of youth slam and its participants.
Another twist on the new season: monthly writing workshops. TYWC will be conducting monthly writing workshops so that youth can hone their writing skills and prepare their work for the slam. Through the workshops, we hope to not only encourage youth to write more new work but to produce more challenging, quality writing for performance. This, we hope, will raise the participation and competition in the youth slam. These are just some of the upcoming changes/improvements we are making this season.
So, we invite you to come help us continue to launch this, our 8th season of the city wide youth poetry slam,, the They Speak Youth Poetry Slam See what all the excitement is about and be inspired by the voices and leaders of tomorrow. Those participants between the ages of 13 and 19 will be eligible to compete for a spot on the team we take to Brave New Voices 2010 in the home of the stars, the City of Angels, Los Angeles, California
Please come for a night of stirring, thought-provoking poetry. This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Letter to the Broken
Letter to the Broken:
The pieces that you have found in the sink
are not the reminisce of your soul
but rather the skin that you have grown out of.
You have been looking for your salvation in glasses half empty.
but it has been in your hands the whole time.
Look at how your fingers are in love with pens.
Gliding in blocks, committing their lives to acts of suicide
so you can see that your life is built for their sacrifice.
Your words are more than the lyrical vomit on pages that you are use to but
Rather the lining in dark clouds, smiles that cradle the sky
and you will never know this,
at least not in the way you should.
You hold damage goods
like your hands were not held together with the same duct tape.
I wish you were not so in love with the fallen.
The ruins are no longer built in your likeness
but windows that you have kept open for too long.
When will you realize that walking though white snow is not God,
but your Demons in white suites.
Hiding their intentions in your veins,
Knowing that you were an angel in your right,
they made you mistake your flight patterns for crash landings.
You have confused the clouds for concrete.
These arms are big enough to hold your worries,
Stop following dragons ,
I promise you don’t need them to impress your prince.
We will hold hands back to sunlight.,
be the lost children of the forgotten
and grin when we remember what royalty felt like on our skin.
I am waiting for you to realize that the wings tattooed on your spine
don’t compare to the ones on your shoulder blades
and binding them wont hide the fact that they are there.
Halos cannot be turned off just dimed.
The bend in your arms were never meant to receive the Devils candy,
He’s greatest accomplishment was to make you believe that he never existed.
Reaching heaven doesn’t start with your nose but your heart.
Things we take for granted,
I know that you hold your sobriety with fragile fingers.
But press our palms together
I will show you how God speaks through life lines.
I still see the life that you have been striving for in your eyes.
You know stars don’t really shine the same since you decided that you were better left in shadows.
Good and evil rest on your shoulders,
but they speak the same language these days,
so new guidance is in order,
listen to this new soul that you have left
under white lines and razor edges.
it has library of dreams in store for you..
Remember you are no longer apart of the broken
but the restored…..
Welcome home.
The pieces that you have found in the sink
are not the reminisce of your soul
but rather the skin that you have grown out of.
You have been looking for your salvation in glasses half empty.
but it has been in your hands the whole time.
Look at how your fingers are in love with pens.
Gliding in blocks, committing their lives to acts of suicide
so you can see that your life is built for their sacrifice.
Your words are more than the lyrical vomit on pages that you are use to but
Rather the lining in dark clouds, smiles that cradle the sky
and you will never know this,
at least not in the way you should.
You hold damage goods
like your hands were not held together with the same duct tape.
I wish you were not so in love with the fallen.
The ruins are no longer built in your likeness
but windows that you have kept open for too long.
When will you realize that walking though white snow is not God,
but your Demons in white suites.
Hiding their intentions in your veins,
Knowing that you were an angel in your right,
they made you mistake your flight patterns for crash landings.
You have confused the clouds for concrete.
These arms are big enough to hold your worries,
Stop following dragons ,
I promise you don’t need them to impress your prince.
We will hold hands back to sunlight.,
be the lost children of the forgotten
and grin when we remember what royalty felt like on our skin.
I am waiting for you to realize that the wings tattooed on your spine
don’t compare to the ones on your shoulder blades
and binding them wont hide the fact that they are there.
Halos cannot be turned off just dimed.
The bend in your arms were never meant to receive the Devils candy,
He’s greatest accomplishment was to make you believe that he never existed.
Reaching heaven doesn’t start with your nose but your heart.
Things we take for granted,
I know that you hold your sobriety with fragile fingers.
But press our palms together
I will show you how God speaks through life lines.
I still see the life that you have been striving for in your eyes.
You know stars don’t really shine the same since you decided that you were better left in shadows.
Good and evil rest on your shoulders,
but they speak the same language these days,
so new guidance is in order,
listen to this new soul that you have left
under white lines and razor edges.
it has library of dreams in store for you..
Remember you are no longer apart of the broken
but the restored…..
Welcome home.
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