I have found that above all forms of writing, poetry speaks to me most. Maybe that is because poetry often holds the most emotion, or because the creativity inspires me. In any case, a few years ago I stumbled upon something called spoken word. Spoken word is a form of poetry that is said aloud with all of the emotion that is used in everyday conversation. These videos are not all rigidly spoken word poetry; however, they have a similar style and important messages nonetheless. Enjoy!
1. "To This Day" by Shane Koyczan
This masterpiece, created by award-winning poet and author Shane Koyczan, spoke volumes to me. I first heard this at a time in my life when I was experiencing some of the emotions that Koyczan describes in the poem. It has stuck with me to this day.
2. "It Is Well With My Soul" by Jimmy Needham and John Piper
If you are familiar with the hymn, "It Is Well," but have never heard the story behind it, this one is for you. The glimpse into Horatio Spafford's life that John Piper gives in this video makes the lyrics all the more meaningful.
3. "If I Should Have A Daughter" by Sarah Kay
"When they finally hand you heartache; when they slip war and hatred under your door and offer you handouts on the street corners of cynicism and defeat, you tell them that they really ought to meet your mother." Sarah Kay shared this poem during her TED talk at the 2011 conference. She shares a unique--but very important--perspective of motherhood in this poem.
4. "How To Love Your Introvert" by Kevin Yang
"You may be asking yourself, "How can I be sure that I'm speaking to an actual introvert and not someone simply masquerading as one?" Well, here are some tell-tale signs. (...) If the person attempts to engage in any conversation whatsoever about the weather and they are not from Minnesota, probably not an introvert." Kevin Yang, ladies and gentlemen.
5. "How To Be A Person" by Shane Koyczan
"You are an artist." Another neat poem from Shane Koyczan about being human and everything that comes with it.
6. "Though You Slay Me" by Shane & Shane and John Piper
"Every millisecond of your pain, from the fallen nature or fallen man, every millisecond of your misery in the path of obedience is producing a peculiar glory you will get because of that." The Christian band Shane and Shane wrote the song, Though You Slay Me, in the wake of a loved one's death. This phrase comes from the book of Job, chapter 13. "Though he slay me, I hope in him." Following part of this song, John Piper speaks on suffering.
7. "The Greatest Artist of All Time" by Jefferson Bethke
Jefferson Bethke is a Christian author and spoken word poet who gained visibility through his video, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus". In this video, he talks about the artist and creator of the universe.
My hope is that these videos will speak to you as they have to me and inspire you to discover new poets.
