I read a poem recently at DC's Busboys and Poets. Here is the cool part: it was a poem I wrote (and it was a real angry one too) Here is the experience…
I was nervous and listening to Soft Cells "Tainted Love" on the walk over to Busboys and Poets. Somehow the song did nothing to calm my nerves (I know, go figure. This confused me too and is worth a deeper discussion later!) I walked into the open mic room alone which gave me time to take it in - the lonely looking microphone, the artsy crowd, the obscure art on the walls.
It was then that my eyes wandered to an intense painting on stage. I was surprised that I did not notice it right away, the painting was so powerful. I really liked it. There were Black Empowerment words painted near the man's face - things like freedom and reform. Then I noticed in the bottom right corner - it was tough to make out at first, almost as if it was an after thought, but it was there. In small letters were the words "White - Ego." Just like that. I could hear my introduction…“White girl will now read an angry poem. What does she have to be angry about?"
Reading the poem aloud felt great, no…liberating. The poem itself was about a recent break-up I experienced and the anger that followed the separation. It was the first poem I had ever read aloud. Come to mention it, it was the first real poem I had ever written. After the reading, the Emcee commented, “Let me guess…single?” (How did you guess.)
That night was the inspiration for this blog.
I have always tried to live every moment, sucking the teat of life for all its worth. (As a sidenote, “Sucking the Teat of Life” was almost the name of this blog. Good thing my brilliant sister Amy came up with “world as my muse!”) I find the experiences in life I really enjoy are those that force living life in the moment, experiences that challenge us to step outside what is comfortable and push us to see ourselves for who we are and what we are capable of in a completely new light. I felt that when I read the poem. I am a poet? Who knew.
I am also a co-active life coach, strategic planning consulting guru, improv comedy student, social entrepreneur, aspiring writer, karaoke singer (Note: what I lack in singing talent I make up for in raw passion), sister and daughter, and committed friend. And I am sweet, and get angry. And all these things and none of these things define me (Yes, I realize that probably just blew your mind.)
So here it goes, my first blog, about what viewing the world as – quite literally – the muse that inspires and fulfills us to our core…
