The Power of (Slam) Poetry

This post was written by Mentee Leilah Fagan, who attended our Mentoring Program Slam Poetry Workshop.

The December Slam Poetry workshop was amazing. I write poetry myself so seeing everyone take a brand new route with writing and expressing themselves through powerful words and flowing rhythm really captured me. I found myself near tears through out the whole workshop.
What I loved about the theme was that we were focusing on becoming a woman. Becoming your own person, becoming your own individual but at the same time expounding on how the people and things surrounding you have played a big part in that.
When the visiting poets performed their poetry I was so intertwined with their words and what they were saying. They gave you a visual of what they were talking about through their movements and their flowery words, and when they talked about the poems after they performed it, it was like you already knew what they were going to say. They gave you an example of what spoken word actually is, and I loved that.
I decided to perform my piece at the end of the workshop. It felt great to know that people could actually relate to me and everyone was so supportive and open no matter what who was performing or what they were talking about. Everyone could take what they wanted to from it; they could interpret it in their own way but at the same time see where the author was coming from since they were delivering it.
I got a new sense of slam poetry from this workshop and I’m thankful for it. It has been my favorite so far. I would just like to say thank you to the performers and thank you to Girls Write Now for giving me this opportunity. I will be looking forward to the next.

• Check out what Leilah’s mentor Jackie made of the Slam Poetry Workshop!