UPDATE (2022): CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR A “CLASSROOM-FRIENDLY” VERSION OF THIS POEM (WITH HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO/AUDIO), PLUS REFLECTIONS ON ITS TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY, PLUS MORE RESOURCES!
This poem has been out there for a while; the original is up past 100,000 views. The original also happens to be the first time I’d ever performed it, very soon after it was written. The video above is a revised, memorized version, and I think the quality is a little better.
***FULL POST HERE WITH TRANSCRIPT AND MORE DETAILS ON THIS POEM.***
Thanks to Button Poetry for capturing it and posting it. What they’ve done over the past year in terms of being a major signal boost to slam poets all over the country has been inspiring and important.
And just as a snapshot of my life: I’ll be on MPR today at 9am discussing the legacy of JFK and reframing the idea of “service.” Then performing with the legendary Jamie DeWolf tonight at 6:30pm at the U of MN’s Bell Auditorium. Then giving a keynote tomorrow morning on social media stuff at the Fall Media Forum. Then finishing up my new mixtape. Check out the FB page for details on all that stuff.
Thank you. Amazed, inspired, hopeful.
This is beautiful.