We Hear You Loud and Clear: Top Ten Button Poetry Poems
February 16, 2016
Poetry is considered by all to be “the language of love”, but there is so much more hidden between the alliteration and assonance. While Shakespeare’s sonnets hold a special place in every romantic’s heart, today’s modern age is holding tight to a more fast-paced, fiery poetry style. Spoken word poetry is gripping the poetry world, and as of now, it won’t let go. Button Poetry, an organization, has dedicated their time to filming spoken word performance poets and uploading them to their YouTube channel of the same name. These ten Button Poetry poems below are ones that have made me laugh, cry, and reflect on life, and I hope that they will inspire others to do the same.
10) “How to Love Your Introvert”, Kevin Yang
As someone who has been made to believe that being an introvert is a negative attribute, this poem hits home to me and also encourages me that it is okay to spend some time alone. While the poem is laced with humor, saying lines like “Baby, I love you more than Tumblr” and “My senior prom was a little bit like running the Ironman (triathlon) in the middle of August”, this humor does not detract from the poem’s message. Yang beautifully sums up every introvert’s thoughts by saying “Just because I do not wear my heart on my sleeve for everyone to see does not mean that it beats any softer than yours… Just because I cannot commit the act of small talk does not mean I don’t have huge things to say.”
9) “Living with Depression”, Dan Roman
Spoken word poetry embraces a wide range of topics, but one of the most commonly visited ones is the metaphorical monster that is depression. While there is a vast amount of spoken word poems about depression to choose from, “Living with Depression” is one that resonates with me the most. Dan Roman provides a seamless comparison where he compares depression to a permanent roommate, listing the more subtle signs of depression by saying “…There’s no room left for anything that reminds me of me…I can’t find room to eat anymore and… I only have room for the same old routine… When he’s around, I don’t say much of anything.” As you listen and watch, Dan Roman’s shaking voice and hands contribute to the emotional intensity of the piece, with the poem tying together in a heartbreaking way by saying “…He wants me to vacate these walls with no bags packed… He wants me to move out. Sometimes, I do too. I don’t know if there’s a difference.”
8) “Cuz He’s Black”, Javon Johnson
There are plenty of Button Poetry poems that are devoted to racism in America, but Javon Johnson’s “Cuz He’s Black” is the most popular one by far. Johnson introduces the poem by describing a typical, lighthearted day out with his young nephew, but the mood quickly shifts when they pass a cop car and the nephew says “Oh man, Uncle, 5-0, we gotta hide.” Johnson reinforces the danger that black children endure every day simply for existing, saying that “Black boys in this country cannot afford to play cops and robbers if we’re always considered the latter.” In order to combat the racism that is so prevalent in today’s society, Johnson tells his nephew and all black boys to “Be strong. Be smart. Be kind, and polite. Know your laws… Be a boy and have fun, because this world will force you to become a man far more quickly than you’ll ever have the need to.”
7) “Falling Slowly”, Taylor Steele
“Falling Slowly” becomes unique when Steele incorporates her singing voice into the poem, singing lines from the song “Falling Slowly” from the Broadway musical “Once”. Steele uses metaphors and repetition to emphasize her struggle with depression, and her voice perfectly conveys her desperation as she whispers, “I told myself I wouldn’t sing in this one… I want to sing now… try to make this beautiful, but depression isn’t beautiful.” Although the poem is short, it is captivating and guarantees a second listen.
6) “OCD”, Neil Hilborn
In this poem, Neil Hilborn places himself into the perspective of someone with OCD, illustrating the struggles of being in love while having the debilitating disease. Hilborn even goes so far as to repeat different phrases several times and allude to certain behaviors that people with OCD suffer from, like how he “kissed her goodbye sixteen times or twenty-four times if it was Wednesday… definitely locked the door eighteen times…” However, the girl in the poem eventually becomes annoyed of these habits and leaves, and Hilborn asks “…How can it be a mistake that I don’t have to wash my hands after I touch her?” In the end, Hilborn delivers a stunning conclusion by saying “I want her back so bad, I leave the door unlocked. I leave the lights on.”
5) “21”, Patrick Roche
One unique factor about Patrick Roche’s poem “21’ is that it is a counting poem, where Roche starts out with the number 21 and counts backwards until zero. He uses this method to describe his life with an alcoholic father, beginning at his age of 21 at the time of his father’s death. By the time he gets to 15, the audience is on the edges of their seats as Roche passionately delivers the line “15. I come up with the theory that my father started drinking again because maybe he found out I’m gay. Like if he could make everything else blurry, maybe somehow I’d look straight.” As he counts backwards and gets “younger”, some numbers are skipped, but his voice and demeanor change to reflect a little boy witnessing alcoholism for the first time. At zero, Roche wraps up the poem by wondering “When my mother was pregnant with me, I wonder if she hoped, as so many mothers do, that her baby boy would grow up to be just like his father.”
4) “Pass On”, Michael Lee
Michael Lee’s “Pass On” immediately captivates the reader by instructing them on what to remember “when searching for the lost”. This poem alludes to a previous work done by Michael Lee which was written about his deceased friend, Stephen, and it beautifully describes Lee’s healing process in searching for Stephen after his death. Lee mentions “I have been looking for him (Stephen) for 9 years”, taking the audience on his journey as he finds Stephen through the lives that are still left in the world. Lee wanted to enforce the message that “We are not created or destroyed… Death comes because the brilliance inside of us can only be contained for so long.”
3) “Phases”, Kevin Kantor and Sienna Burnett
This poem attacks the stereotype that being gay is just a “phase”, done by reciting the different definitions of the word “phase” and applying them to the poem. Together, Sienna and Kevin express their personal experiences with the negative connotation of the word “phase” as it is applied to their same-sex relationships, with Sienna saying “I am 22 and dating a woman for the first time… Her name is- Phase. Verb. To remove in gradual stages…” Kevin adds on to this by mentioning his high school relationship with a boy, saying how the boy “always wanted to exchange poems for portraits. I’m afraid if I write him one now, it will sound too much like the suicide note he didn’t leave. Signed, Phase. Verb. The process of waxing and waning.” The poem continues in this fashion, until Sienna says “Her name is Sarah…. my starry-eyed girl…” and Kevin says “Signed, Andrew… my man on the moon, in his ghostly glow.” The poem provides support and solidarity to anyone who has ever been told that they “love wrong” or that their love is a phase, closing out with both of the poets simultaneously saying, “P.S. We hear you. Loud and clear.”
2) “If I Should Have a Daughter”, Sarah Kay
Sarah Kay is who originally got me hooked on spoken word poetry, with this poem doing a flawless job of introducing me to the talent that spoken word poets have. “If I Should Have a Daugher” stands out with its unique wordplay and message that applies to audiences of all ages, saying “This life will… wait for you to get back up just so it can kick you in the stomach, but getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.” Kay’s abundance of optimism and wisdom is exemplified in this poem, especially towards the end where she states “…Always apologize when you’ve done something wrong, but don’t you ever apologize for the way your eyes refuse to stop shining… And when they slip war and hatred under your door… You tell them that they really ought to meet your mother.’
1)“To This Day”, Shane Koyczan
In this poem, Shane Koyczan tells the stories of him and countless other children who have been bullied for being who they are. Koyczan’s subtle rhymes and rhetorical devices make this poem impossible to forget, especially with the electrifying lines of “Sometimes being drug free has less to do with addiction and more to do with sanity… and if you can’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror. Look a little closer. Stare a little longer, because there’s something inside you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit… You have to believe that they were wrong.” The emotion hidden in Koyczan’s voice, along with the destruction of cliches used to conceal bullying such as “kids can be cruel”, makes this poem something that everyone should listen to, no matter whether they are being bullied or the bullies themselves.
“To This Day”, along with the other nine poems showcased here, will make a difference in your life if you let them.