Friends, Poets, Countrymen! Lend These Stage Poets Your Ears!

Ahhhh, the joys of spoken word. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get punched in the gut. All in a day's work for these Stage Poets.

They're the rockstars of poetry.

As a Page Poet myself, I'm often jealous of my theatrical peers. They have this incredibly unique opportunity to connect with others. They don't have readers, they have listeners. They get to see the reactions on people's faces when they perform a poem, or they have a video that goes viral and thus can tell that their words are actually doing something. 

Should we all be so lucky. Not that Page Poetry is to be taken lightly, of course. It carries a power all its own. But we miss out on the immediate human reaction to our work---everything has a delay between us and our readers, and we just have to hope that our words echoed enough to have reached someone. Or that we haven't driven ourselves mad with Draft #324 in which we once again changed a  word from the past to present tense. Anyway.

Today isn't about Page Poets, it's about these six spectacular Stage Poets who are kicking ass and taking names. Instead of usual 5 Poems to Read Today, how about 6 poems to listen to today? It's not exactly easy listening, but you will not leave this page without experiencing the full spectrum of emotion. That's how damn good these spoken word poems are. 

So without further ado, kick back, relax and lend these stage poets your ears:

1. Anis Mojgani: "Shake the Dust"

"This is for the two-year-olds who cannot be understood because they speak half English, half God. Shake the dust." Yes, yes, YES. This one is my absolute, all-time favorite spoken word poem. I had to kick off the list with it because I honestly can't contain my excruciating joy when I listen to it.
All. The. Feels.

2. Sarah Kay : "If I should have a daughter..."

"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's swept away." Gorgeous. 

3. Neil Hilborn: "OCD"

You might have noticed this one making the viral rounds last year. It's still as powerful the fifth time as it was the first---take it from me!

4. Suli Breaks: "Why I Hate School But Love Education"

"Education is about inspiring one's mind, not just filling their head." Yes.

5. Patrick Roche: "21"

Short, but it will stay with you for years. The format of this one is so unique, and he totally pulls off the rewinding effect. 

6. Taylor Mali: What Teachers Make

I'm pretty sure my good friend Gary Miller first showed me this poem (more about him over here if you haven't heard about him yet)---fantastic, right?? 

Which poem is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! We love hearing from our readers. If these spoken word poems sparked some inspiration in your heart, send us your final result! We may be Page Poets at heart, but our hearts have been stolen by many a Stage Poet. Will you be the next?