Buddy Wakefield
Buddy Wakefield, a slam poet from Seattle, Washington performed a couple poems Monday, March 31. One performance was about not being defined by your flaws and mistakes and the desire to be strong enough to handle the struggles and challenges of life.
Another poem was about “not becoming tragedies” and letting go of the stressors, the workload and everything else that weighs people down. This poem talked about letting go of everything you regret and moving forward. It talked about not putting up barriers around things for no reason; it talked about making things harder than they actually are. This poem also talked about being true to yourself and that you only have the chance to be one person: yourself.
An outspoken, spontaneous and witty character, Wakefield captured the audience easily and got many laughs out of them. He also had many random outbursts. On one occasion he used the word “God” in a poem and stopped presenting to explain that “God is everything happening at once. Nothing excluded.” He continued to say that “God is not some distant, compartmentalized, probably-white-guy in the sky sitting at the circuit board receiving prayer requests and sending back answers.” He also called out a student for eating an apple noisily and told him “Next time you’re at a performance, you should choose pudding.”
Chicago Slam Poets
Chicago Slam Poets from Chicago Slam Works, J.W. Basilo and Reginald Eldridge performed a series of poems including some about their personal experiences and self-image. One of the many poems that J.W. Basilo performed included his jealousy towards thinner people. He then went on to explain how much he struggled with his weight as a kid. At the end of his poem, he told all of his naysayers and doubters “up yours!”
His associate and fellow slam poet, Reginald Eldridge, read a poem about his certain characteristics that define him. Each of the characteristics were interesting yet funny to listen to. While on stage, both slam poets shared short stories and experiences with students, as well as answered questions and constantly entertained the audience. Both poets received praise and quite a few laughs from the poems they read and most students reacted positively to their poems. Overall, both Basilo and Eldridge delivered performances that LHS students will be talking about for days.
Christian Klepac
Senior, Christian Klepac shared a series of poems, in which explained his thoughts towards experiences in his life. In the one poem in which he “slammed,” he spoke about his experiences with an ex-girlfriend of his. All the while, his poems received a few laughs and were purely entertaining. In the end, Klepac delivered a performance that students of LHS enjoyed.
April Dejon
April Dejon’s poem was a deep piece called “Pavlov’s Dog.” The poem talked about the different aspects of one’s life and the problems with understanding your past selves that comes with it. She talked about learning about yourself and who you are; she talked about coming to peace with the different aspects of yourself when you are ready. Dejon presented with an air and tone that made the poem urgent and forceful. She spoke loudly and intensely several times, ensnaring the audience completely.
