You may be asking yourself, what in the world is "Button Poetry"? Well, let me fill you in a little bit. In my own description of these group of people would be in which everyone describes social, personal, or political one in a humorous/serious way all in the form of a slam poem. But here is what their website buttonpoetry.com describes them as: "Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for performance poetry.We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry’s audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form."

Now that you know a little bit about Button Poetry, here's 12 times Button Poetry's poets killed it at poems. (Should watch each video to get a better understanding of what you'll be reading.)

1. OCD by Neil Hilborn

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One of the best pieces I have seen on this YouTube channel, it is so compelling and it overall gives a general idea of what it may be like to be in love with someone so much that it could stop a mental illness such as OCD, which can give someone an idea how a person could effect someone in daily life as well, but when you can't even get over someone that must be a giant impact on someone with such a terrible disorder.

"I leave the door unlocked, I leave the lights on..."

2. Explaining My Depression to My Mother by Sabrina Benaim

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As you watch along it is seen what this poet is expressing, although nervous and shaken by fear, she seems to compel others saying the exact words they feel each day, trying to explain what is wrong when you are going through depression. When someone explains a mental disorder to another, people seem to lean towards how "easy" it is to "get over" it.

"Remind me that I am sleepwalking on an ocean of happiness..."

3. Dear Straight People by Denice Froham

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I specifically remember watching this poem before I came out to anyone about my own sexuality, thinking of how this women was so powerful. Where she humorously lists things that have happened in her life or where she questions why some straight people do some things. She brings on a compelling piece where you see the humor in it but then it gets very deep and meaningful to the point where, a person can feel something, something that creates wonder. Supporting the LGBT community fully, in a piece that is fantastic and visual.

"Dear queer young girl, I see you...You don't want them to see you so you change your pronouns in your love poems to him instead of her, I used to do that..."

4. The Future by Neil Hilborn

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Well, this is may be very very obvious, but I really enjoy Neil Hilborn's work. I'm most likely his number one fan, because, well, I always mention his work as something super intimate and deep, while still being hilarious at the same time. No matter how many times a person could watch this poem, it could give them a pick me up. While laughing but also feeling moved by each word Neil speaks.

"I saw the future. I did, and in it. I was alive."

5. To The Boys Who May One Day Date My Daughter by Jesse Parent

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If someone is a parent they could relate to this poem but it is obviously something each parent could think of, he expresses his genuine love of why his daughter is great. Even though he does not say it encourages if his daughter were to come out as gay, he would still treat her the same. But express it in funny last line about his wife. Showing what all fathers or even mothers would do if she were to be hurt emotionally, making the person that made the daughter this way life, a living hell.

"I have taught her love, all of her life, and all I ask of you is continue the lesson..."

6. Real Boy/Real Girl by Max Binder & Morgan Crist

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Someone who has plenty trans (transgender) friends, this gives myself an overview of something that I may not be able to understand such as their thoughts, feelings, emotions. There is social stigma that all genders are meant to be boy or girl, when in reality there is so much more to be educated on. I was talking to a friend of mine recently, and they seemed frustrated with the fact that someone in their life could accept difference in sexuality but not with gender. I feel as though the stigmas some people have, this poem will maybe make them think twice.

"I wish I didn't have to be real to be allowed to exist."

7. Fantastic Breasts and Where to Find Them by Brenna Twohy

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Feminism, but more importantly international feminism includes all in which shows that oppressive institutions that must be interconnected with and not looked at separately. I feel as though this poem, gives a good idea of how pornography is used so much today and how it is, or could be, labeled into rape culture. This woman explains in this video very well, expressing why "her love is magical" and "apart of a bigger story," makes someone who, shares similar aspects of life feel so much better. As well as showing how women or even men are treated better in these types of erotica, giving a powerful name to how people should be treated

"I exist when you are not fucking me."

8. When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny by Blythe Baird

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I, myself have never been through something such as this woman, who speaks the truth of what it is like to have an eating disorder. Explaining how she went through it giving a perspective of how sick she was, but how many calories she counted and tried to shed from her body. Using powerful words, saying "if you are not recovering, you are dying," giving people the perspective, of what it is like to be dealing with this demon of an eating disorder. Trying to overcome it, but then becoming better and healing until she was completely fixed.

"When you develop an eating disorder when you are already thin to begin with you go to the hospital, if develop an eating disorder when you are not thin to begin with, you are a success story,"

9. 5 Reason Why to Date a Girl With an Eating Disorder by Megan Maughan

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This woman responds to an actual article that was written. She goes down each step as to why it is something that someone wouldn't want. Of how terribly messed up this logic is to want to date a girl with an eating disorder. Talking about how this is a mental illness and nothing that should be personified in this world. That an eating disorder is nothing that should be beautified in such a way with an article, and how that it isn't beautiful, and bringing the reality to the people who are ignorant.

"Have you ever asked her who she was trying to feed by emptying herself?"

10. Shrinking Women by Lily Myers

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Explaining how she has learned that most women in her family are shown by each other that they should be skinny or it is common to be skinny in the family. Seeing each man in their family, grow larger and the women grow smaller into something frail. She gives different insight of what it is like to deal with an eating disorder and how it is taught not intentionally but how it effects her in such a way throughout her lifetime and how it is all she has ever known.

"I never meant to replicate her, but spend enough time across someone, you pick up their habits..."

11. Thighs by Desiree Dallgiacomo

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A woman boasting about how she loves her thighs and how wonderful they are or even how it is to deal with her thighs. How she developed the love of her thighs, and how proud of them she should be. Mixing humor and sentiment throughout this poem she develops something that could be related to many girls who could not proud of their thighs, but shows how beautiful they really are.

"My thighs say leave the lights on, we spent a lifetime of hiding shake out of this shame, we are the ruthless twins..."

12. Audiobook by Neil Hilborn

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And ending this list of poems, with another Neil Hilborn piece giving a humorous piece showing how you can supposedly "ruin your life." He wants to show a way how society of today relies on sadness in order to gain popularity especially, today everyone seems to assume that if you want to be noticed your past has to something worth mentioning. Everyone wants to be fixed, and Neil shows all of this in one poem of how being happy is more important but showing the total opposite.

"Tell yourself, it was worth it..."

In conclusion, if you have not heard about Button Poetry, I hope this gives you a good insight to what it is and that you keep watching their wonderful various slam poems, in which they post almost everyday. If it is not your jam, that's alright, some people either really love poetry or hate it. I just want people to take away how broad this community of Button Poetry is. Their pieces have touched my life, and many others' lives, they are all talented and extraordinary in their own way. Telling the stories of society and themselves.

Keep on being rad poets, you have something to say about this world.