Spoken Word as Catharsis
By Lisa Valleroy
Poetry has a way of bypassing the brain, and resonating directly with the heart. While I had been to Spoken Word poetry events in the U.S. before, I never cried or laughed so hard then when I attended Bellevue di Monaco's Poetry Slam.
It was a gathering of people from all walks of life--young, old, recently arrived in Munich, and those who have lived there all of their lives. This was the first time in Munich that I saw such a mixed group at ease--gathered together for their love of art.
At the beginning to singers from Iran played guitar and sang songs--they were so talented and half of their music was improvised.
The first poem when straight to my heart--a refugee from Syria stood up and read his poem in Arabic and then someone translated the poem in German. In the poem, he talks about not knowing where is mother is, and that he doesn't know whether he is alive or dead. One of the lines that struck me was when he said (approximately): "I build up your country(Germany) while my country lies in ruins." I do not think there was a dry eye in the room.
Poetry has a way of bypassing the brain, and resonating directly with the heart. While I had been to Spoken Word poetry events in the U.S. before, I never cried or laughed so hard then when I attended Bellevue di Monaco's Poetry Slam.
At the beginning to singers from Iran played guitar and sang songs--they were so talented and half of their music was improvised.
The first poem when straight to my heart--a refugee from Syria stood up and read his poem in Arabic and then someone translated the poem in German. In the poem, he talks about not knowing where is mother is, and that he doesn't know whether he is alive or dead. One of the lines that struck me was when he said (approximately): "I build up your country(Germany) while my country lies in ruins." I do not think there was a dry eye in the room.
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