A Black History Month poem by Cecile Haynes…

Black men, white society, fathers, sex and other weighty matters were the targets of a sextet of talented spoken word performers who took the stage Saturday night at the 12th Annual When Sisters Speak event.

Reflections is the literary debut of Jamaican born, Canada bred poet David McLennon.

Looking at the world from variety of angles. Speaking to the conscious and subconscious of people. My World is a honest message, a simple message and a powerful message, to educate uplift and inspire.

A poem by Nadine Williams

why would you waste the thing that
so many cried for, so many fought for, so many died for
let your voice be heard

With accolades that include a MuchMusic nomination for Best Rap Video Award and the UMAC Award for Best Hip Hop Radio Show, Motion is a poet on the move. Sway caught up with her to discuss her art form and her biggest influences.

Two poems by David McLennon

I’m proudly a member of Canada’s spoken-word poetry community. Unfortunately, some members of the literary community have created fictional stereotypes of the poetry that spoken-word poets, particularly slam poets, are capable of writing. At the time I wrote Narcotics // Flora, the anti spoken-word rhetoric was at its loudest. I wanted to quietly make a point—that a slam poet could write eloquent, tight and structured poetry while keeping on message.

You have the right to hate me but not to hurt me

You have the right to ignore me, but never EVER to stop me

From attaining the fullest of my measure