spoken word poetry

If I Should Have a Daughter

Sarah Kay explores a theme of motherhood and love in her heart warming poem "If I Should Have a Daughter". Rather than having her daughter refer to her as "Mom" she instead insists upon "point b, so she knows if she gets lost she can always find her way back to [her]". The creative analogies within her poem describe how she's going to look out for her daughter to the best of her ability throughout her life. Sarah's compassion within this poem is obvious and is what I love most about it. The poem is adorable and you can tell she's sincere while she performs it. Growing up is tough and she understands that sometimes you simply need "chocolate and rain boots" to get through a difficult situation. The mood of the poem is one of care, love and compassion. Sarah's original, adorable ideas of how she's going to take care of her daughter and lovely performance are what makes this poem exceptional.

Instructions for a Bad Day

Shane Koyczan in his poem "Instructions for a Bad Day" reveals a theme of optimism and persistence. Bad days are inevitable. Even when a person feels as if they're trapped in the dark, "the sun and the moon are still there and there is always light". The poem speaks of better tomorrows and although "every nightmare has a beginning, every bad day has an end". He speaks of pain and suffering and how those feelings are valid but will not last. Shane has an understanding of humanity that stands out particularly in this poem. He has been through rough times, as has everyone, but the way he describes them is what makes this poem truly outstanding. The mood is happy and optimistic and the cheerful feel of this poem is what I like best. If all people took advice from Shane and his poetry, the world would likely be a much happier place.


Pretty

Katie explores beauty standards in today's society in her poem "Pretty". As a young child, Katie constantly wondered, "will I be pretty? will I be rich?" Those shallow goals engraved into her adolescent mind shaped this poem and the harsh truth is what makes it. Society's emphasis attractiveness is ridiculous and sometimes it seems as though only the beautiful are recognized or successful. Rather than being focusing on her many other qualities, Katie was caught up on her physical imperfections. While laying on a hospital bed with her "face packed with gauze" she realizes that mutilating her body for aesthetic isn't going to make her feel any better. For her daughter she wishes for her to never ask if she's pretty. She wants her to be "pretty intelligent, pretty creative and pretty amazing but ... never merely pretty". The strong message and mood of empowerment make this poem fantastic and I loved every moment of it.