Thoughts About Spoken Poetry

Lately I've been thinking about poetry readings.  I've been to a fairly large number of poetry readings over the years, and I'm always surprised at how different poems sound when the author reads them.

You see, my inner voice and my outer voice don't always see eye-to-eye.  Much less my inner voice and another person's outer voice.  I'm always amazed at the difference.

I even surprise myself when I read my own poetry aloud.  For instance, this poem from my poetry book, Alice's Verse:

---

Addiction

Debbie said she was murdered
That little addict down the street

Little woman

20something - looked 50something
Limp oily hair
Smelling of yesterday's sex
...and cigarettes
...and despair

I used to always see her there
Hanging round the Taco Bell

"Hey, can I talk to you a minute?" she'd say
Her face earnest
Wary
Resolved

Rotten teeth

"You see, my baby girl, she needs some medicine..."
Her hands flit
Nervous
Eyes darting from side to side

"Could you spare...?"
Always the same
Day after day
Week after week
Year by year

"It's not for me. I wouldn't ask for me..."
having collected too many tacos
instead of cash

There was no baby, of course
No baby
No home
No family
No friends
No hope

I used to always see her there
Hanging round the Taco Bell

Debbie said she knew her
from years ago
Debbie said she was once a good girl
a nice girl
a girl next-door girl

A girl with wishes
A girl with dreams

Smelling of fresh clothes
waving in the sun

Smelling of sweet soap
and spring rain
and gladness

Debbie said she was murdered last night
That little addict down the street

---

Seems more hopeless somehow when I read it aloud:



I find that fascinating.  It also proves true of others' poetry, at least for me.

One of my very favorite spoken word poets is Marcus Amaker.  Here is a poem he's speaking aloud about homelessness.



I own a good bit of Marcus's poetry, but it just sounds better when he speaks it than when I read it.

Now I'm wondering if this would prove true for all the authors I love.

What if all the interpretations of Shakespeare that I've ever heard pale in comparison to the actual author's rendition? 

Wouldn't it be great if we had recordings of all the authors' voices?!  I'd sure LOVE to hear them!

I know my own mind can not do the poetry of great poets like Maya Angelou justice.  Nothing quite compares to her voice.

This is her reciting her poem, Still I Rise. 




See what I mean?  Her voice is just so powerful.

Just giving you something to think about today.

I hope to have time to write, read, and listen to more poetry when I retire next year.  I have really high hopes for retirement.  😄