“She’s just a girl but she’s on fire” Between being a full-time IB student, working as a part-time crew member at Culver’s, participating in several sports as well as dedicating my time into multiple clubs and extra-curricular activities, it can be extremely hard to find time for myself and stress tends to accumulate. In the rare time that I do discover for myself, I often find myself studying or thinking about my next activity. To keep my sanity, I came to the realization that I had to find something more constructive to do in my leisure time. But what more could I possibly do that wouldn’t offset the balance of all my other activities and result in me falling flat on my face? When will I have the time to find such a thing? So many questions ascended in my mind that I didn’t necessarily have the answer to, so I decided to let Fate answer them.

It was late in my sophomore year of high school when the unexpected happened. I was at our annual cheer sleepover before the Susan G. Coleman breast cancer walk and it was beginning to get dark outside. We were in desperate need of entertainment when my coach made mention of her recent involvement in a poetry showcase. Out of desperation for any form of entertainment, we urged her to get up and display her talent and after asking her countless number of times she eventually fell into the temptation of peer pressure and performed for us. It was in those very moments of her performance when I realized that Fate was answering my question. The intimate details of her poetry allowed her to express herself without being judged. It unintentionally withdrew sympathy from everyone listening by outlining her struggles. Her vivid language made me feel every bit of her pain and every individual emotion she chose to express. By the end of her performance I wasn’t only in tears but I was also in awe. It showed me that poetry is powerful.

It wasn’t long before I created my first spoken word poem. From then on, I became infatuated. Every chance I got and with every moment I had to spare, I began to create poetry, spoken word poetry. It became an outlet to plug-in my deepest thoughts and express my every emotion, my best friend, someone I can come to at any time with all my problems. The possibilities became endless; I was limitless.

My poetry started off as a diary, hidden and only for me. It was as a child on its very first day of school, timid and fearful of acceptance. But now it is an open book for all to read and assume their own opinion because it can only show that I am human.

“The greatest lies we tell are the ones we tell ourselves.” My spoken word poetry is important to me because it helps me to tell myself the truth and admit to my emotions. If I am sad I say it and if I am upset I yell it! It helps me to express all the emotions I so desperately keep bottled inside. Bottling up emotions can be strenuous and as stress piles on, it can only get more difficult. My poetry is a bold drunk who picks up that beer bottle of emotions and throws it so hard against the wall that every emotion shatters about the floor and spills its contents.

“A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” I can’t help myself until I tell myself what’s wrong. My spoken word poetry is important to me because it helps me to vent my every thought. It is a time where I can voice my opinion, whatever it may be, and not fear rejection.

Spoken word poetry has taught me that you don’t always need a pen and paper to express yourself or to create a poem and that sometimes all it takes is words. It has taught me that it is okay to say what’s on my mind and that every poem doesn’t have to rhyme. Through expressing myself in spoken word poetry, I have also learned that communication stretches beyond words on a paper. I can communicate what I’m feeling by means of the body language that comes with each emotion; from the way I move my hand to the way I bite my lip.

My spoken word poetry is important to me because it is my escape from the world and all its boundaries; I don’t have to abide by the rules of society. When I am angry, I can scream to the top of my lungs without being told to “shhh!” When I am sad, I can cry comfortably without being viewed as weak. I can use any kind of language in my poetry in any register without it being “too informal.” My poetry reveals emotions that most people don’t notice because I have learned so well how to hide them. It tells a story and reveals secrets that most people don’t know. Most of all, it shows another side of me that most people don’t see.

My spoken word poetry opens the door to my soul and screams to the world, “I AM HUMAN TOO!” It outlines my successes as well as my struggles. It shows that: I am more than an IB student, I am more than a cheerleader, I am more than a swimmer, I am more than a runner and an over achiever, I am more than just a pretty face and I am more than just a girl. I am on fire and the talent behind my spoken word poetry often goes unnoticed because I tend to be labeled so many other things. Although I may not always be recognized as a poet because I am given so many other titles, I am a poet and my spoken word poetry is very important to me because it keeps me sane by channeling my emotions and helping me to convert my negative stress into a positive one.