Forays into beat poetry

This post is in honour of my first experience reciting rhythm poetry. It was something I never thought I could do, and I was incredibly nervous as I took the stage at THIN AIR 2011’s After Words Jazz Club on September 24th.

As your reading the lines below, picture a stand up bass and a Les Paul electric guitar filling in the melody and rounding out the sound…

Stepping up to the microphone,

my knees begin to shake and

my heart starts to ache.

How do I know if my words

are a mistake -

Is my rhythm fake?

Is the crowd awake?

The music starts to play

as I find my voice.

The crowd is waiting, watching,

I know my only choice

is to speak, to move,

to try to feel the beat -

To smile, to do something,

to start to tap my feet.

The jazz music flows

as I find my rhythm.

I feel the crowd watching, moving,

experiencing the rhythm,

the energy,

the beat, I finally found the beat.

I’m a poet, I’m free,

all eyes are on me.

Even yours, I see,

are watching me.

You move with the beat,

your foot taps the floor,

My knees start to shake and

I feel my heart ache.