Does Slam Poetry Always Have To Be So Serious?

Slam Poetry Doesn't Always Have Such A Severe Disposition

Why so serious?

If Heath Ledger's Joker isn't the perfect analogy for slam poetry, then heaven's a myth.

Actually, I can't really say that.

I have no idea whether or not heaven is a myth.

Know why? That topic is way too fucking serious for me. I'll leave it to Elvis.

Slam poetry, or the art of bringing words to life in an animated, performance-oriented fashion, can run the gamut when it comes to subject matter.

Since the movement has really caught fire over the past decade, I just wanted to set something straight.

​That's really why I have this website and this blog - first, to keep a record of my work. But second, to help others who are interested in slam poetry, but not quite sure what to make of it, get started. Or run scared - depending on the person.

If you've heard slam poetry before, its most likely been a captivating portrayal of a person spitting their lessons and their experiences with and through life. You've probably heard spoken word poems about death, about disease, about lack of education, about family, about love and a zillion other emotions and 'things' that make up life. If you're lucky, you've also heard some funny ones. Those are the ones I want to talk about today.

Slam poetry does not have to be so serious. Every poem does not have to contain ground-breaking, earth-moving and heaven-shattering lines that cut guts like machetes. Not every poem has to drive home the sheer pain or pure anguish you feel burning your insides. Not that those things are bad! But they're used a lot. And I'm really all about being an individual. Your poem should be written about something you want to write about. Otherwise its just fake. Its plastic. It sure ain't timeless.

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I've written a lot of poems. And to be honest, probably 95% of them are serious. That's because I started writing at a time in my life when heroin addiction was the only thing I knew. It made for some juicy shit, and I went with it.

But the need to expand horizons and experiment with other things is clear. I attempted to write something very playful recently - When We Die We Go To Chocolate. I'm so happy I made that attempt. It's probably not the greatest poem ever - it certainly won't win a Pulitzer. But it helped me encroach on a new zone and open up new subjects.

If I want to write about ice cream, I'm going to do that from now on. And its not about how "life is like ice cream, it can melt away in front of you" - it's about fucking ice cream, that delicious, sugary, bad-for-you, creamy awesomeness that makes me smile always! 

The truth is, with slam poetry, its all in the performance. Its about how you create that identification with the audience. So if I can write a poem about ice cream, make you smile, make you laugh, and make you identify - all while I 'bring it' from a performance standpoint, then there's nothing standing in the way of me winning first place at a slam with that piece.

So I encourage you all - keep writing! Don't let brain farts and writers block stop you; just write about brain farts and writers block. What I'm saying is just keep writing. Take less serious topics and blow them out. I guarantee that it'll just lead you to getting down with your next masterpiece. Maybe it'll even be about Heath Ledger's Joker - one of the best characters fuckin' ever!

Slam motherfucker, SLAM!!!

~~Digital Poet~~

And if you're looking for some ideas for your next slam poem, check out these blogs:

9 Slam Poetry Topics & Ideas

Slam Poetry Topics & Ideas, Pt. 2

Taylor Mali - "Totally Like Whatever, You Know"

George Watsky - "S is for Lisp"

Denice Frohman - "Dear Straight People"