you will find the beltway poetry slam bringing the best and most varied performance poets from dc, md, and va coming together to compete with their own original creative words. beltwayslam@gmail.com for more info.
posts
lend me your ear
i'm one of the "other local DC artists" featured at this show at The George Washington University this Saturday. come check it out.
four days
my life is going to change in four days. i'm losing a very close friend. a lover. this will change things dramatically. still not sure in what direction i will go. my mood. my emotions. my actions. i don't wanna get depressed, but i can see rain clouds in the distance. it's gonna be crazy. … Continue reading four days
TASA opening retreat workshop
this afternoon i met with the students of TASA- Teens Against the Spread of AIDS, who i will be coaching on spoken word performance poetry and street theatre for the coming year. we wrote some together, performed, and discussed the relevance of poetry to peer education work. key word: connection. that's what we decided it's … Continue reading TASA opening retreat workshop
i better find your heart
being in a relationship and listening to the top 40 r & b radio hits, it seems like every song is about you. have you ever had that feeling? it can be very dangerous to listen to the radio, even when not in a relationship. just having a crush on someone and hearing these sappy … Continue reading i better find your heart
see you in september
for the next installment of the beltway poetry slam!
veggie samosas and spoken word
prior to biking to the bookstore for work tonight i had the delightful opportunity to crack open the performance portion of the party at the small is beautiful arts festival here in uptown washington, dc. it was beautiful and organic and made dc feel much cooler than it often does. thank you friends. while there … Continue reading veggie samosas and spoken word
new post
so july was awesome. just trust me. it was awesome and intense and it is over for the next eleven months. and that is a good thing. i co-led another amazing civil rights journey, and again this year all of our students survived. and that is a good thing. came back home and went straight … Continue reading new post
through these eyes
this picture and poem, both by 9th grader Claudia Rojas of Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, DC are amazing. upon seeing this digital creation of hers i told her she had to write a poem to go with it (she told me she wrote, so it made sense). here it is, in all its … Continue reading through these eyes
busboys and poets 11th hour slam team
as seen on http://www.busboysandpoets.com
sunset on the train home
here i am at the united way of delaware's annual meeting. they invited me to come perform for them yesterday in wilmington, de to help re-inspire their board members and supporters. i'm sorta giving the "did you take the picture yet" face in this one. oh well. i had a great time and everyone loved … Continue reading sunset on the train home
it’s been a long time . . .
i shouldn'ta left you without a great poem to mess you bless you, gesundheit, like snot on your sleeve with heart and emotion, hits you on the way out when you leave it's a-door-able enjoyable swinging on hinges can't be locked down coz like flames this singes souls so hot summertime rhymes sweeter than candy … Continue reading it’s been a long time . . .
audio files for you audiophiles
people often ask me where they can listen to my poetry online, and for too long i had to say that it was impossible. all that has changed, slightly, with these two files for your consumption. you can listen to Pick Me, here and Consent is Sexy, here feel free to send them around and … Continue reading audio files for you audiophiles
11th hour
i made the dc slam team again this year!!!!!! it was super exciting. i don't have time now to recount the whole evening, but suffice it to say that it was a nail biter til the end. here is our team (from l to r): me, 13 of nazareth, pages, and rasheed copeland (the peeps … Continue reading 11th hour
slam slam slam slam slam slam slam
tomorrow night. dc slam finals. this is it, people! it all comes down to one slam. it's gonna be bananas and pineapples and a whole fruit salad mashed into your brain and then sucked out by the most beautiful wind coming out the mouth of dc's most talented performance poets (well, some of them at … Continue reading slam slam slam slam slam slam slam
up jump the boogie
just started reading John Murillo's most recent book of poetry, and i am an immediate fan. his stuff is great. check him out at http://www.johnmurillo.com/ here is a piece by him: VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY Eazy E Six cigarettes in the dark like the eyes of three jackals Scattering bones and dust; the schoolboy … Continue reading up jump the boogie
city at peace
The region’s most diverse and talented teenage performers tackle the issues in a riveting musical production that will challenge, enlighten, unsettle and entertain as only the rawest of real-life stories can do. May 7 at 7:30 p.m. May 8 at 2* & 7:30 p.m. May 9 at 2 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. *Meet the Cast … Continue reading city at peace
dc slam finals friday may 14th
i am competing against some of the best performance poets in the dc area, and i'm already shakin in me boots! no joke. except for the fact that i'm not wearing boots in this weather. it is crazy hot out today. but if you can come out to busboys and poets on friday, may 14th … Continue reading dc slam finals friday may 14th
JBT 