Lila-C-Duville-poetry

The Power of the Spoken Word – Poets Speak

microphoneLast night I participated in a poetry event at a local art gallery. The event took place at the Patricia Mendoza Gallery in San Jose Del Cabo, on the tip of the beautiful Baja peninsula in Mexico. Because of the Christmas Holidays, most people are busy with shopping and Christmas office parties, but we still had a nice turn out. It was a beautiful night in which we shared our work.

I will share here some of the poems. There were more than the three participants I’m showing here, but I thought it would be a good idea to publish the English poems first, and in my next blog I could perhaps share the Spanish ones.

I will need time to get that done, because first I have to translate the poems and make sure the same feeling is being transmitted, and then I have to add the translated subtitles. So, it’s best to take my time with that in order to deliver good videos, right 😉 Moreover, first I also need to make sure I have permission from the artists to feature their videos here. Not everyone wants their video up on the internet.

Our Spoken Words – the Poets

Dawn Spectre

The first poem was presented by Dawn Spectre, who was also the organizer of the event. Dawn is a freelance journalist and she is also known as the “typewriter poet”. She has the gift to write poems about any topic you give her, always having her faithful typewriter nearby. Dawn has published a collection of her poems.

Her poem is about water, as was requested, and the topic of this poem is suicide. Nonetheless, her spoken word has a strong message about hope and strength. Upon her request, I am not allowed to show the video, and so I am only going to show a photo. It’s a shame, because it was a good poem, but I understand her reasons.

Dawn-X.-Spectre-I-I-Who-Video-Still-by-Gabriel-Rodriguez

Dawn did, however, sent me the following, and with her permission, I copy her words here. The poem she mentions here is another one about water that she wrote a while ago.

My name is Dawn X. Spectre. I am a writer, artist, mother, Typewriter Poet, and aspiring spoken word poet. This poem was inspired by the words of our President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In March, he visited us here in Los Cabos (Mexico) and said, “Ya no queremos que haya al contraste ofensivo de hoteles de gran turismo y colonias marginadas, con pobreza, sin servicios de agua, de drenaje, sin nada. Ya no queremos eso.” (translation: we no longer want the offensive contrast between big tourist hotels and downtrodden neighborhoods in poverty, with no water, no drainage, nothing. We don’t want that anymore.)

Well that was in March. Still, we live with regular unannounced water rationing, and gran turismo continues to impede and block arroyos through development of, or lack of planning and protection. The problem is not just here. In my opinion it is part of the greater global problem of capitalism trumping environmental care.

So in my poem, I hope that, borrowing the words from Alanis Morissette, “I’m here to remind you” and nuestro Presidente, that Water is the Mother of us All.”

Maria Elena

Maria Elena presented the second poem. She is a local chef and she is as creative with words as she is with herbs and spices. She started writing her first raps and spoken words at the age of fourteen, and she has a natural talent to rhyme. The words just come to her. Her presentations are always captivating and filled with emotion. She is the winner of the Baja California Sur poetry slam state contest, a well-deserved title for her, if you ask me.

The reason for showing only photos is that both Alba and Maria Elena participate in more poetry contests, and if they want to use one of these poems, they cannot have the complete versions available online.

poetry-share

Lila, Yes, That’s Me …

I present the third poem. This time I wrote a short one. As I mentioned before, we were asked to write up something Lila-C-Duville-poetryabout water. I found my inspiration in a river I had created in a book series which I published under a different name. The book’s genre is historical fantasy, and so the river that this poem is about forms part of a story of the undead. We usually relate water to life, but, somehow, all poets came up with some dark stuff last night, 😉 .

I have no problem sharing my poem online, so this video is complete.

I hope you enjoyed this little corner of the Spoken Word. I am looking forward to sharing more with you soon, and I will do my best to get permissions to share more videos of the artists.

 

300x600 ; 9/30/16

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Comments

  1. Poetry is something of which I tend to forget about ad I am a writer! The other day my crush told me he liked writing poetry and it stunned me. However, I believe poets have a romance within them. A type of sensibility as well. What do you think? Or do you think these poets  you mentioned do not carry this?

    1. Hi Linda,

      I would have loved to share the work of all the participating poets here at once. There was so much passion and sensitivity in their work! You are very right, poets have romance in them. I hope that I have permission to share their videos for the next post.

      It’s wonderful that your crush likes writing poetry; and you’re a writer. That works out perfectly. I think that it’s unique when two people, friends, or a couple, share a love for writing. 

  2. hello, i really want to first appreciate your effort in putting this great website together and writing this article. i am beginning to wonder how a free lance journalist could be so creative and excellent with poetry. i also think you did great. comparing yourself with others will not and will never bring out the best in you

    1. Hi Benny,

      Thank you for your words. Did you get the impression I was comparing myself to others …? I would not do that,  that was not the point of my article. Every one has a unique writing style and I wanted to share these talents. Thanks for stopping by and for your complement on my website 🙂

  3. Awesome! I like your own poem. You are talented!

    I think you must create and share a lot of your poetry. Because I like it very much.

    I am a husband who love to give poetry to my wife, yes even though I am not as good as you that can read it directly. I feel more comfortable if I make poetry in writing and I share it to my wife via WhatsApp. 

    Also, I believe that the power of poetry is stronger than ordinary writing. Because in every “word” that is made contains emotion and meaning that are very deep rather than just words.

    Once again, I like your poem!

    1. Hello Ronny,

      Thank you very much! Your wife is lucky to receive your poems. She must love getting those poems on whatsapp 🙂

  4. It always amazes me at how the seriousness of a topic can eloquently be captured by prose. I look forward to seeing where this will go. Do you think topics of a political nature will be heard by local officials?
    Best of luck.

  5. What a wonderful evening you have shared.  I thoroughly enjoyed your poem.  It reminds me of a Martin Luther King memorial in California.  On tiny trickle of water, drips in a bowl which creates 4 little streams falling into a large basin which creates 100 little rivers falling into a rushing, powerful stream.  Of course the metaphor is different, but the image in your poem of the river is very evocative.  Thanks for the post.

  6. I found your article very useful and informative about Power of spoken words.I have learnt a lot from your article  .Considering the ‘powerful force’ of the words we utter, we must discipline ourselves to speak in a way that conveys respect, gentleness and humility

    I love your poem.  I will share with my friends.I am looking forward to hearing more from you soon..Thanks for sharing this great article and video !

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