Day 4

Thursday wasn’t very eventful until the competition started up again. At Johnny’s house and everybody was kinda just relaxing, on their computers etc, so we sat & talked before we all left for downtown to get something to eat. I sum up our time together for blogs’ sake but I just want everyone to know that every conversation I have had with any of these poets has blown my mind literally; they’re so loving, caring, understanding, as well as over-standing, and I’ve learned so much just from listening, I couldn’t even explain. The second round for me was held at a li’l establishment called Havana club, it’s a fancy bar and restaurant but then there’s a mini theatre room in the back and that’s where the second round was, I performed mr. reflection and my Rwanda piece and it was the best I have ever performed those pieces by far. I did a lot better than the last round and felt proud after I was finished! I was even asked to do my mr.reflection piece again for Hyfadelik ’cause Perforce had heard it and wanted him to hear it–people seem to like that one, sweet!

After the competition, me and a few others went to the other venue to catch the 2nd half of the competition, it was a hot ticket cuz of the bigger poet names that were in it, and needless to say the poems and the show were epic!, I really need to use my body more for specific lines and things, it makes the imagery in your head so much more vivid. If that how it feels for me as part of the audience, then applying it in a better way in my poetry will definitely improve my overall performance. After the show, everybody headed to a local bar spot. It’s pretty awesome, mingling amongst poets until decently late, everybody heads home, talks some more, and eventually goes to sleep. I stayed up pretty late, on this night I consciously stayed up for a bit, all the poets were around me sleeping, having their dreams. I couldn’t fight the feeling of how blessed I was, and the that if home is where the heart is, and that means home is when ur with the right people, and I felt at home, among poets!

Day 5

So it’s Friday, all but 12 poets are done competing. At around 2 o’clock, was Mike Mcgees workshop and let me tell you in advance how therapeutic this was for me and I could easily tell it was for everyone else as well. We sat in a big circle and one by one talk about our fear, whether it be on stage or in everyday life or can be applied to both. My fear was actually the hot one of the group meaning it got much attention and everyone seemed to want to comment on it, I told them a big fear of mine was not getting emotional reciprocation, meaning giving a lot or all to someone and receiving little or nothing back. Everybody seemed to lean to the “give space to give back,” or “love unconditionally” type of answer until one woman, I can’t remember her name now ’cause I learned so many but I remember she spoke with an English accent and was bald, white, and very pretty, she said I’m sorry but I completely disagree with all these opinions. She said she thought it was healthy to have expectations and to be disappointed when they’re not me, and she really stood out to me. When I left I was still quite confused on how to deal with the fear but I knew walked out a better person and that’s all that matters in the end.

After that the finals started, it started with 12 poets, then cutting down to 7, then down to 4, I would talk about each person and each poem but honestly my memory is not so vast in detail lol, each poem was amazing! The performances were so well thought out, and the words were mind-numbing but the poem that won it all, performed by Open Secret from Ottawa ended the competition and he took home 1st place. To my recollection the poem was about the death of Joan of Ark, and by god does this man every have a powerful voice: very assertive, gotta take notes…and believe me, I did! Afterward all the poets hit up the shows that were playing that night…I don’t remember what the other one was, but me and most of the people I generally spent my time with were at the late night erotica poetry show….and let’s just say….it was…..erotic!