Beats, Life and Rhymes

Beats, Life and Rhymes

Have you ever wondered what it was about a song, a poem, or a piece of fiction that struck you and made you say, “Damn, that is art?” Well last night those exact words escaped my mouth. A friend and I went to a Poetry Slam in Oakland at the Spice Monkey and the poets who read their work were breath taking. They touched on subjects such as sex, legalizing marijuana, the educational injustice in public schools, the economy, racial identity, and pretty much everything and anything about life and ones experience. These folks performed their work and it was the passion, and emotion that seeped out of their words that moved me and perhaps other members of the audience.

However, there was a duo who won my heart that night: Dre and Patrick. One of their pieces consisted of both of them acting out the relationship between a white teacher and a student of color. In this piece the student of color was depicted as being disruptive, and not wanting to do his work. The teacher than made himself seem as if were the victim, because it was he who poured his sweet and blood to teach his students. However, he did not care to understand his student’s behavior; he would call his student a loser and telling him he wasn’t going to get anywhere in life. This kid had seen the things a child should never have to see such as murder and drive by’s. When it came to completing assignment he did not understand why that was important given that he carried the burden of having to see and experience the horrors of life at a young age.

This piece reminded me about the teachers I had in high school and their treatment of the “regular” students meaning those who are not in AP / honor classes. In each class (from elementary to high school) there is that one student who has the tuff guy attitude. And these are the students who some teachers do not want to “waste” their time on, so they don’t. Instead they call them names, kick them out of classes, and refuse to help their students. Sadly, I constantly saw that in my high school and in my opinion I think it is the worst thing a teacher can do. It does not motivate a kid to want to prosper instead it brings him or her down and in the end he or she becomes a drop-out (of course that is not the only reason or situation for everyone). Students who embody this tuff guy attitude need some sort of support system, because obviously something is lacking in their household or he or she is going through an emotional period. And I think that is the job of a teacher, to support his or her students at least during the adolescent years.

Speaking about such issues in schools is very important for one to hear through any kind of medium—but poetry especially. I think that because poetry relies a lot on the performance and the way the words are being spoken.

I am really glad I went to this event because it has inspired me to be more disciplined with my poetry and develop a poetry voice (in terms of reading my work out loud). This event also made me remember why I love poetry!!!!!! =)

Elizabeth Chaidez (Lizzie)