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"Time to Let It Out" Cafe Groove Poetry at Temple Hills

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At Temple Hills Community Center on Friday, November 4, teens experienced art in a moving, but accessible form—spoken word poetry. At this Café Groove event, mother and daughter poets Sanjo Jendayi and Queen Gyre performed together in an interactive poetry reading. The pair inspired the teen crowd both by reading their own original poetry and by encouraging the youth to share their experiences through written and spoken word. In addition, teens were welcome to participate by reading their own poetic creations and competing in two different poetry contests. Themes of the night included education, love, relationships, responsibility, parenthood, race, society, poverty and self-awareness. “Poetry is an outlet; you vomit on the page,” explained Sanjo Jendayi to the teens. “We all have a story and our stories are linked.” Tatiana Morrow-Perkins, a 15-year-old who read her poem at the event, understands the outlet that Jendayi described, as well as the benefits of sharing. “What you say is going to affect somebody,” said Morrow-Perkins. “I went through a lot. Somebody going through the same thing can see how I got through it and how I’m still getting through it.” For 13-year-old Twilla King, hearing peers talk about their experiences helps her understand her own similar emotions. “I never know what to write about or how to write it,” King said, but she is able to explore her feelings by listening. Queen Gyre, who, at 23 years old, encouraged the teen audience to learn from her words and experiences because she is not far-removed from the teenage years. Speaking about her own experiences Queen Gyre added in poetic form, “Kept it silent for too long, had the tape over my mouth, now it’s finally time to let it out.” The teen audience then replied with force: “Let it out!”