The Poetry Jam at Jittery Joe’s was a poetry jam to be remembered.
I have attended many Poetry Jams before, but I never attended one quite like the one held at Jittery Joe’s for the Mercer students.
The event took place on Feb. 1 and it started out like any other Poetry Jam session where people gathered socially around tables, while waiting for the show to begin.
For those who are not familiar with what a Poetry Jam consists of, it’s the gathering of individuals getting together to perform their inner most thoughts, passions or feelings in a poetic format.
The main performances for the night would come from a group called “The B.L.A.C.K. Poets.”
As the night began, I noticed how the room became filled with different ethnic groups and how eager they were to hear words being spoken through another.
They had a look of expectation on their faces that reminded me of how small children react when opening up birthday gifts.
Were they just that thirsty for an inspiring word? Or was it an escape from a stressful day? I guess I would never know, but I do know that it was something that was definitely wanted.
The first couple of poets were from the open mic session, in which, any students could come and recite poems they had written.
Each poem had a meaning that we all could relate to and perhaps it was words that we felt at some point in our lives.
As we all listened attentively, I couldn’t help but look around and notice something beautiful. I noticed students of different shades and sizes squeezed tightly together in unity. It was as if I was looking at a family portrait.
After the open mic portion of the night was over, the B.L.A.C.K. poets began to perform. The leader of the organization, Mike Scott, began to explain what the word B.L.A.C.K. stood for.
It stands for “Believing Love and Cherishing Knowledge.” It’s their strategy for helping, educating and unifying others regardless of one’s ethnic background.
One by one the B.L.A.C.K. poets shared their work and each time one began to go deeper into their spirit.
You heard responses from the audience. Some burst into tears, some just shook their heads in amazement and others yelled out their encourgaement.
They spoke about the positive things in life; their identity, their talents, the wrongs and rights. They also spoke about their purpose here on earth and God.
Whichever way, the students responded it didn’t matter, what mattered was the words that were spoken had released something in the atmosphere that caused us to think, question, or notice things within ourselves.
It was truly a night that eyes were open and hearts were touched.
I decided to place a small portion of a poem from one of the B.L.A.C.K. poets in hopes that it would give you some idea of what we heard that night.
Below is an insert by Virgenal Owens titled, “I made her cry.”
Jasmine Mitchell, Jazmine Wilcox and Gray Hamm were also members of the B.L.A.C.K. Poets that made the Poetry Jam such a success.
QuadWorks was responsible for hsoting the Poetry Jam event at Jittery Joe’s. QuadWorks events and information can be found on the Mercer website.
If you would like to contact the B.L.A.C.K. Poets, you can find them in the University Center on Sundays at 6 p.m. for their Poetry workshops.
You can also contact them at mikescotthepoet@yahoo.com
The next Poetry Jam will be held in the fall, hosted by QuadWorks.
Come out to support your fellow poets and peers.
