So, today I went to Kafe Kerouac near North Campus with some members of the Psychology Peer Mentor program (and, as it turns out, a fellow Humanities Scholar member too!). Kafe Kerouac, for those of you who don't know, is a cafe/bookshop/bar. (I bought two fantasy novels there and a House Special called Roald Dahl. I thought it was pretty cool that they had drinks named after famous authors. ^^) They had a poetry night around 8:00 PM, which costs $5, and since I guess poetry is a part of the Humanities, I decided to write about it on this blog! Maybe it'll count? I hope so.
It was a really enjoyable experience!! The crowd was friendly and it was real fun. After listening to a few poems, I suddenly got the urge to go up and read a poem. Alas! I didn't prepare any printed poems or whatever because I thought the poetry thing was one where the audience would judge your poem or something (that's something else though, I found out). So...I raised my hand and told the MC that I'd really like to go and that I had a poem on the Google Docs, if only someone could let me borrow their laptop for a bit. And, someone actually did let me use their laptop!!!! So, I got to read my dramatic monologue called Shadow and I calmed down afterwards. IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME FEELING!!! It was my first time attending a real poetry reading event as well as all the people I went with!
The poems that I listened to were really good. Many of them made me feel like I was listening to a internal monologue in a film or something. I didn't stay for all of it because some of my group had to leave and I wanted to walk home with them, but from what I saw, the poetry night was pretty good. All the seats there were filled and there were 27 people (including me) who performed or were gonna perform. I was surprised there were so much people!
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That sounds awesome! I would like to read this poem of yours if you can post it (if you want)!
ReplyDeleteHere it is! It's quite dark and long.
DeleteShadow
In the mirror, among the blood smeared surface,
Lies a reflection of a loathsome creature.
This in the mirror is an enemy, a living nightmare,
That stains the past, present, and future.
This shadow is the “Dark” me:
The me that exists at the core,
The me that resides in the shadows of humanity,
Emotionless and cold,
An abyss filled with emptiness,
Hatred and negativity,
And not to mention apathy.
Yet I also contain passion...the wildest kind,
One that changes,
For I turn even the purest passion
Into the wicked,
Overwhelming the soul,
taking over.
Yes, I am a shadow, living off someone else’s world,
I am another’s cruel fantasy, a shadow,
An apparition that murders hope
And brings terror.
Corrupt memories and lead it astray
To the Path of Insanity…I can.
Innocence is lost,
Purity forsaken,
And Hope withers--
These all add to my sins.
*sigh*
Numbness inside, hands soon tingle,
How ice cold my fingers feel!
Thereupon I break the glass on the mirror and watch it shatter,
Using the shards of glass as a weapon,
Carefully impaling my next prey.
These shards pierce their being
like poison clouding judgement,
corrupting the soul, the mind, and body.
A feared Demon of Death, this is I,
Who kills in cold blood,
Letting it drip,
Drop by drop,
Spilling the crimson red onto all
With a hunger in my eyes
Of a hidden passion, of bloodlust.
The salty smell of rotting flesh and of bloody corpses...
I coldly smile upon,
The stink paralyzing even the bravest among humans.
I taste the fear and desperation they feel,
Savoring my power over them, avec plaisir.
A Kiss of death, genocide,
As the screams of horror echo,
Resonating much worse than the fury of a Harpy,
A haunting lullaby that dissolves sanity
So the hopelessness enfolds you
And shatters your weak heart into fragments.
Like a sadist who inflicts agony,
I exist solely to create these horrible dreams into reality,
And so, I continue the endless torture.
Adiós, mis tantos.
Yet, Can I not say humans aren’t also responsible too?
After all, I am born from the vices of man since inception.
I am merely an apparition, a parasite, living in another’s cruel fantasy
Whose battles have won over my creators,
No, no master at all, for now I am my own.
Neither black nor white, but gray and yet powerful
No loyalties, but selfishness,
endearing helplessness and the oh so lovely pain of people.
To hear the palpitation of their pathetic hearts,
Oh, how so enjoyable!
Oh, how I believe these conflicts to be so so pleasurable...
Especially humans who hurt humans,
To battle to win,
Never knowing that they are writing their own demise!
I sigh, awaiting for a day,
The day when humans eat away life,
And bring their own Armageddon.
Ahh, what fools they are!
It is true; humans are their own worst enemies.
Do you hate me?
Do you hate this creature who stalks your soul?
These acts carried out through my will
Merely reflects the violence created by
Your so-called civilized society.
I’m not entirely evil,
Just a flawed being-- only human.
But, never mind that, I just want to declare:
Let despair radiate,
Let it break entirety and conquer benevolence--
To let mercy fall.
"Veni, Vidi, Vici…"
"I came, I saw, I conquered."
Let the tainted human race go.
To you who have wondered:
Who would adore such evil as this?
Well I do, because
I am a shadow, not of light nor darkness,
But the shadow of evil
Who consumes the soul of many, eating away their miserable humanity.
The me who lives in all, the anthropomorphic personification of Evil;
This shadow who feeds from the goodness within oneself,
Who distorts raison d'etre,
And slowly destroys it all.
This place sounds awesome... Now I need to go!!
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DeleteLast Friday, I also attended a poetry night at Kafé Kerouac. As a fan of Jack Kerouac's writing, the name was what first drew me in. Having gone there a few nights earlier to do some homework, I though "Why not?" when some friends suggested going. At the very least, I could order a Jane Austen (a house special with white chocolate and hazelnut) and be happy. After listening to some very intense and impressive Open Mike, we listened to main event, the local-celebrity-turned-nationally-acclaimed-poet, Jamaal May. While I have always been able to appreciate poetry, I have never been a fanatic. Listening to Jamaal May I came to the realization that poetry like his could turn me into a fanatic. Not only were the words he was speaking powerful and mesmerizing, but the way in which he spoke them. I loved it. I even won the door prize, a book called "some weird sin".
ReplyDeleteP.S. Awesome poem, Fay! If you perform again I would love to heard it!
Your experience there sounded fun! Congrats on winning the door prize!! :) how's the book so far?
DeletePretty good so far, I've only read the first few poems though. Feel free to borrow it whenever you want!
DeleteWriter's Block Poetry is one of my new favorite things at OSU! I attended both last Wednesday and Last Friday. The highlight was hands down Jamaal May, who I saw on Wednesday and was my reason for coming back on Friday! His poetry is great and he is an incredible speaker. I was able to speak with him after Wednesday night's show and was excited that he remembered who I was and even ACCEPTED my facebook friend request! But seriously, Kafe Kerouac is awesome and their poetry is even better!
ReplyDelete