The Spoken Word Club held its first showcase of the school year in the Little Theater on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 29. Despite some minor technical difficulties with the microphones, the performance went smoothly and club members presented their poems with enthusiasm and passion. 

Poems were presented in groups of four to six students and were performed using not just words but movement as well, having a dance-like feel to them. Different groups also wore coordinated clothing which invoked themes relating to their respective poems. The showcase was split into three different acts, with each act consisting of three performances. 

The atmosphere onstage was light and positive, with performers smiling and chatting amongst themselves between poems. When the crowd heard a line that resonated with them, they would snap to show their appreciation. One such crowd member, Pablo Gonzalez, a freshman at Loyola University and OPRF alum, said, “It was nice to come back and experience the vibe.” 

The featured poems tackled profound issues, and they were delivered with emotion. The co-sponsors of the club seemed to share the students’ excitement and enthusiasm for poetry, and one co-sponsor, Van Harris, even presented his own poems in between acts. 

Adam Levin, another co-sponsor, remarked, “My favorite part of hosting these showcases is being able to watch young people either do something they absolutely love, or do something they felt they were incapable of that they wind up finding out they can do with enough time and practice.”

 In total, there were 41 students who performed their poems. One performer, junior Genesis Galloway, said, “I love Spoken Word because it’s a lot of fun, and we kind of build our own community, and we get to share our emotions and share our love of poetry. We’re doing work but we’re having fun with it, and we get to put on a lovely showcase like this for people.”

This poem was written by Joey Moss, who performed in the Spoken Word Club 2023 fall showcase. 

There’s a reason there are ruins here. 

A reason I stopped calling you and neglected you from my life.

I recoil when I pass you in the halls, your DNA rotting under my nails. 

So the police can find you. Find those meek scratches all over your arms.

We both see black and blue, but only I feel ashamed.

Blaming myself, I’m destroying my health.

A trophy for you, a manhunt for me.

An internal war that’s far from complete. My brain keeps saying it was just a dream.

But when our eyes connect, I remember it all.

A once gentle gaze, morphed into a threat.

There’s a reason there are ruins here.

They’re a reminder of why what we had was so far from love.

After you I was left with

Shattered legs

Bed ridden

I felt like I was ragdolling down hallways 

And slamming into walls

You gifted me

Quick swipes from my blind side, being forced to count the stars in my eyes

Paper hearts in jars of water

And nails grabbing at the blood cells in my arms

I threw at you

My innocence, a wedding dress dipped in red wine

I’d lost my childhood in the vastness of your actions

I’d escaped you

With my identity thrown in a trash compactor

Verbose shrieks

Wafting through streets

And pausing for a response.