Poetry slam fun!

The other week I did like 4 bars of barhopping in an area northeast of my apartmen, and was walking home when I passed by this lounge that was chockful of (black) people facing a stage, so I popped in to find it was a poetry slam w/a $7 cover and I paid up, which was one of the best choices of my life.

The (younger) (black) woman who was up had a poem about her clitoris and motherhood and how she likes  to have sex with this one (black) man who is bad for her, and her delivery was impeccable.

One line:

my vagina/
my vagina/
gives birth to majors/
even when they're minor.

Another line:

call animal cruelty/
for what he did/
to that that kitten.

Her poems were just cascading well-delivered series of remarks like that, and at least a few times a minute (black) people would burst out w/knowing laughs and claps.

If she had had a CD, I totally would have bought a few for presents.  As it was, I asked, and she didn't, but she was performing at an underground party that Saturday and gave me a flier.

The interim music was a funk trio dressed all in black, a (young) (black) (dreadlocked) guy on keyboard, a (young) (thick) (shaved head) (black) guy on tuba, and a (young) (black) guy on drums.

One of the last people to go was this (beatnik-looking) (young) goateed (black) guy in thick black-rim glasses and a black turtleneck sweater, and he gave this commanding performance of a poem that would leap into hums and songs while the keyboard - tuba - drum trio accompanied him.

I was simply ecstatic b/c of all the commanding and unexpected performances and I texted a few friends, esp. my one friend from high school who runs an integrated homeless - domestic violence shelter, since I thought she'd like the lines from the woman's poem, which I shared with her by text.

She replied in the morning -

I love your life.  I was having a sleepless night with a teething infant while you were doing that.

I found that to be needed affirmation of how much joy I can squeeze out of life even while I'm in an overall shitty situation, and it made me wish she could visit soon so we could do stuff like that (perhaps by her coming along with her baby and husband and leaving them back at my apt. while me and her go out for the evening).