NEW QUEER ON THE BLOCK: “I Be Devine, I Be Devine” Speaks the Spoken Word at Re-Bar

Host Ela Barton supplies a strong sense of security, support and guidance for local poets wanting to slam for the first time, or for the millionth time.

As the Arts & Culture guy at Seattle Gay Scene, I realized that I’ve been neglecting a large part of the LGBTQ community and that’s the Seattle Poetry Slam. Usually every Monday night at Re-Bar, it was rescheduled this week for Tuesday due to the special Halloween performance of The Rocky Horror Show (brought to you by The Schoolyard). This month, Seattle Poetry Slam is matched against the horrific, but tasteful set of The Rocky Horror Show, which is an interesting contrast, in a complimentary way. As always, the function is led by host Ela Barton. The beginning of the night starts with an open-mic which leads into a night of advanced poetry slammers, and tonight was the semi-finals for the Women Poetry Slam Competition. Participants offered their scripted poems or free-styled on the mic and even one person gave me goosebumps with songs from the plantations of the old school era, as I like to call it.

Unattended children will be given espresso and a free kitten

Poetry is, for many, a form of expression, while poetry slammers are matched on stage in front of a microphone and an audience to spit, splew and exhale their feelings of both positive and negative attribute for the audience to stroke and give a sense of acceptance for any level of poetry-telling. From all the poets I heard this week, there were many descriptive poems describing life during the “Occupy Wall Street” era. From junkies to jammies and queens to refugees, it was apparent that Occupy Wall Street affects all walks of life and not just the people protesting on the steps of City Hall or Westlake Mall. In honor at attending this week’s Seattle Poetry Slam, I decided to write a haiku of my own to share with you in hopes that inspiration will flow throughout your veins and muscles to sit down and write a poem about something you’re experiencing.

Seattle Poetry Slam features advanced poetry slammers each week! Find out who will be coming out next week!!!

whiskey,

shots of poetry slammers,

white russians

I didn’t say I was a master at writing haikus! While standing outside Re-Bar on a break from the creative outburst happening from all around the bar to the stage, I actually noticed the collection of posters: Bacon Strip, Match Game, The Rocky Horror Show, and Grunge Rock. This strikes me curiously because I’m asked all the time by young-yipster-queers about where to go for them to fit in without the typical stereotypical queers or gays in our community. “The place for you”, I say, “is Re-Bar”. From where I come from, poetry nights are mostly late at night at the local coffee shop…This poetry slam was a nice treat, especially after the five-day Hallo-week on Capitol Hill. As the arts & culture guy here at SGS, it’s quite difficult to keep up on all things arty and cultury, so if you would be a dear and send me your event to brian@seattlegayscene.com that would be splendid.

It’s a crazy-splendid world out there and I suggest that you take a little time for yourself, sit down and write about it in prose form (and for those of you who don’t know what that mean… it means sit down and write a poem!).

-New Queer on the Block