{[26/09/14]: We had a thundershower the day before yesterday that left us with no electricity for the day and loads of tree debris. The biggest casualty was my drumstick tree that had just started to flower, but toppled over thanks to the wind. :( Anyway the point is that I couldn't make the post that day or yesterday so I'm doing it today and rewinding the day. ;) }
I first came across Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay sometime back when a friend shared their video - When Love Arrives
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJ6aUB2K4g
As I watched their performance I found myself nodding along in agreement, they were saying things I had learned and experienced about love over the years. It reminded me of my first love. It reminded me of my current love. It reminded me of all my past loves. It reminded me of love -the definition of love, the meaning of love, of what love should be... It left me feeling warm and good inside, and a smile playing about my mouth. :) This is a poem I'd like to keep listening to periodically over the years, a reminder of love, and being grateful for it.
Sarah's and Phil's performance moved me to look into what they did, who they were and such stuff. Want to know more?
This format of poetry is called 'spoken word'.
Spoken word poetry is defined by Wikipedia as -
"a performance-based poetry that is focused on the aesthetics of word play and story-telling. There is no mandatory manner in which someone should perform, however, spoken word usually tends to focus on the performance of the words themselves, the dynamics of tone, gestures, facial expressions, and more. Poetic components such as rhyme, repetition, slang, improvisation, and many more elements of poetry can also be woven to create an atmosphere the audience can experience."
Phil and Sarah run a group together (among other things) called Project V.O.I.C.E., which aims to use spoken word as an educational and inspirational tool. They spend a lot of their time traveling across the world and the U.S. performing at schools and teaching children spoken word. You can check out Project V.O.I.C.E. on it's website or Facebook page.
Here are a couple of their other performances I really like too.
Sarah and Phil tell the story of how they met and came to be best friends...
http://youtu.be/esgfG3BoAPc
Phil's talk at TEDx Middlebury in 2011 not only has so excellent info on spoken word poetry but also some thought provoking poems. He talks about why we tell stories...
http://youtu.be/s7fWagDQyvg
Sarah poem 'The Type' moved me, it's a reminder of the type of woman I want to be...
http://youtu.be/f-8jtBOorpE
Did you like these? Have you watched any other spoken word performances? Do you have any favourite poems or artists?
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