2013 London Poetry Slam Finals - Rachel

'Depression' & 'Teach Me' by Rachel Rensby
Performed at the 2013 London Poetry Slam Finals at the Palace Theatre on April 21st 2013 in London, Ontario, Canada.
(4th place, travelling to Montreal for the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word as part of the 2013 London Poetry Slam team)

[@Xxpissing0poniesxX]

Dude, she nails depression perfectly. I applaud her.

[@Swiftie13TSwizzle]

Torisaurus Rexx You should check out "Explaining my depression to my mother - Sabrina Benaim" or "Living with depression - Dan Roman" I think these are the best ones

[@yisselmorales8231]

+MultiFandom I totally agree with you.

[@hannahkeziahdelacerna6170]

why are people hating on this? i actually think it's beautiful because of its rawness. to all the people out there saying this is not real poetry, that this is just mere stylized ranting, don't be so callous. This poem is the poet's own experiences. You don't have any right to invalidate those.

[@Freenure]

+Hannah Keziah Dela Cerna Yeah, you are right. The thing with slams is that require barely any kind of stylized language and is based on the expression of solipsistic emotions as a substitute for psychotherapy. To me, slams are absolutely devoid of content and/or meaning, and are simply a glorified form of masturbation ("look at me! Listen to me dribble on and on about my suffering! Now clap and cheer and rejoice, for you like arrrrrrrrrrrt!")

[@ji6553]

thats what i call "slamophobe"

[@hayatmoalimhm]

I love this poem so much.

[@batac78]

you inspire me to write

[@savanahrose2366]

Depression is still a word that haunts me. Powerful

[@patrikcarlsson2908]

I can't teach you. It's not how but here. We live. It is. We were born and we breathe. These things should amaze and astonish. 3 years ago was yesterday, hope you love tomorrow and today.

[@danifangurl2]

Her poem hits home, as I've dealt with depression for years.

[@sarahwood3076]

Wtf was the camera man doing

[@Randomly39]

teach me. this one poem tells all about me than any of my friend could explain why I am the way I am.

[@gabbykraft6561]

chills all the way through - she is so great.

[@tsiyon6747]

I really love it. especially the second one "teach me" I can connect to that in many ways. I loved it

[@Sweetpea3051]

you are the speaker of the masses...thank you. bless you... #amazing

[@Charli17x]

I love this so much

[@allisonselman9175]

The part about tattoo/piercing pain is actually painful to me. Like it's too accurate. Damn.

[@shandireynolds.1477]

Me too

[@mirandaolsen5204]

Allison Selman same

[@cram1nblaze]

inappropriate camera pan in 3..2..1... 2:31

[@somethingpoetic2595]

*AHEM*... her face is up there...

[@anotherbrokenboy3776]

Just perfect pieces

[@andreagwynnel6259]

Absolutely stunning. How freaking wonderful that work was shared and will be shared for eons.

[@MashaaYeah]

This was so beautiful. I really like her poetry.

[@julchen418]

You are wonderful. Thank you so much for this, I got goosebumps and they won't go away.

[@haveanicefall]

Still my favorite

[@HootILY]

This is so accurate on how depression feels.. Amazing.

[@sydneeshaee9298]

This is perfect.

[@alexgreen7407]

This is so powerful.

[@countrypirateECU]

amazing this is how I feel

[@ibsleepdeprived]

love this so much!

[@s3cco]

Holy... you just... passed through me.

[@Canadiansforbuffaloranch]

These are beautiful

[@holliedennison4179]

An amazing, inspirational poem. You've made me want to start writing again.

[@renatajimenez1906]

AMAZING

[@jacobsconci6456]

thank you for this.

[@rosea.s.m.r8415]

Your amazing!

[@sophiabax7361]

That was awesome*.*

[@stephenlofton5403]

I think I just fell in love.

[@majinmas]

I feel this

[@KieraHorgen]

You're such a great poet!!

[@ggnicole6]

Love

[@learaffl3725]

Am I the only one who cried?

[@tishajasmine]

I did

[@rubenalvarado2051]

Awaretenacious you don't have to get it. It's an art form. Thats it, nothing more nothing less. You don't have to get it. Some people dont get photography nor the art of motion picture. some people say that rap is a bunch of people talking fast, no skill required. others say that rock is a bunch of people whining, screaming, and aimlessly making noise. there will always be someone who doesnt get it. You dont have to get it. It arguably outdates music. Sitting around listening to some kat spite rhymes isn't some hip new concept. its were rap came from well spoken word poetry and jazz/funk. ancient Greece would recite poetry in the Olympics. The aztecs would utilize it for community news and entertainment. poetry was not read, it was recited. People were illiterate. It's a way to get shit off your chest. Just because you cannot google the essence of poetry conveniently from your phone doesn't mean you have the right to degrade ones art. I loathe the entitlement of this mindless 10 seconds attention span airheads criticizing everything. just sit back and enjoy the art or move on in my likeness. Talk crap under your breath once youve clicked onto another video. Nobody wants to read your negativity. Spoken word is positive. You dont have to get it. The world doesnt revolve around you. Ayo this girl is good.

[@zelren_]

well said :)

[@alexcampbell2073]

Ruben Alvarado You said it all, this is something that needs to be embraced by more people. Your point itself would probably make a great poem, especially spoken with emotion behind it. Slam Poetry is very personal and I know it's not for everyone but I find it fascinating to see from someone else's viewpoint, to hear their take on prevalent issues throughout Slam poetry.

[@amiyahkincey9433]

Who read the whole thing?

[@tonyspoetry]

Decent piece.

[@amelmohammed7734]

3:15 to 3:30 hands down best 15s ever.

[@lukebryan1370]

Am I the only one that could only think about the song "Teach me how to Duggie" during the second poem?

[@iceskaterkiara]

This beat/rhythm is way too similar to Rudy Francisco "Scars/To the New Boyfriend" to be called an original.

[@savanastobbart]

You can only have so many rhythms and rhyme schemes, some are bound to repeat themselves......

[@williampatrickwoods]

She is a good wrestler too

[@manurightz]

British Rap!

[@24jperry27]

Unbelievable

[@Auriqeful]

Wow

[@Bucketoriley]

I feel as if she is sampling rhythms from other people her rhythm is way to similar to Shane koyczan

[@gabriellamantelli8787]

Bucketoriley IT IS i realized that too.

[@notjuliasmith]

Wow. I want to be best friends with this girl. Wow!!!

[@cassieanderson1378]

Is there transcript for this?

[@mikefuller6959]

I am NOT a Poet!

[@ghostcodex7949]

RH-

[@madarauchiha-bk3np]

Those boulders were falling on you because I summoned them there using the powers of the SHARINGAN

[@northerntroopa3428]

1K

[@gadjodistrada9170]

When I get out, my Jeep friends are still there playing with the gorilla and other animals. They don't notice me. Better. I move through the back approaching another pavilion. I pass a kind of derailed roller coaster. I step over the rails, wobbling, and I enter in a wagon. All kind of props messing around, pandas, lizards, some naked, licking each others, but I don't care about this now, what I really care is to find a freezer, because my head is boiling. And when I find the kitchen, the door closes on my back and everything is floating inside. White furniture, knives, appliances... touching the ceilling. Chantilly cans spreying around, alone. Viscosity falling through the walls. Voices, murmurs, coming from inside the cupboards. More. The refrigerator is also floating at half height and my body is as heavy as the entire universe, in a trend totally opposite to what is happening there. But as I breathe in that mothballs air, I feel lighter. Still not enough to float, but enough to be able to jump and reach for the refrigerator. I manage to pull it down, open the door, take out the packaging, the grills, and I get inside. But not for long. Because soon someone comes, open the door and wants to get in too, but there is not enough space for two, I get out. I go through another door with curtains, staggering, Pierrot are coming to mess with me, two Pierrot, three Pierrot, one Harlequin, two Harlequins, three Harlequins, everything is double and triple here, tailed girls dancing, all them looking like copies of each others. The super-ape, dub music, echoed beats with silly medolies. Remixes from the publicity, in slow motion. Raggatek - jungle - drum n' bass. I get to the dance with long steps, head down, kapoeira style. One false foot another in the fold. The knees raised. The golden triangle. The renegade sons of Princess Sheba and King Solomon. Rum and Yamanja, the princess of the brown sea. Airá, the god of the whirlwind. Ibonã, the queen of the black smoke. Dada, the son of Òrànmíyàn, brother of Xangô and Soponna - weak king that almost haven't reigned. Dadá Ajaká with his wide stray hat. Egungum Mariwó. Prince of vanity Ojé Xangô - plays merindilogun in the cemetery. Oxum, owner of the Ijexá nation. Oloxum, guardian of the Osun-Osogbo forest. Mistress of the waterfalls - dresses golden blue, and wears an abebé and an ofá. Oxóssi oquê arô. Liberator of the Queto people, liberated them from the possecion spell. Oxossi Ibualama, the hunter with one arrow only. Ifá running away from Iku. Obàtálá, king of Pano Branco. Oh Exu, menssanger between Orun and Aiye - king of Ketu. Iroko with infant spirit. Ogum, mistress of the war - founder of the Ifé city. Visvakarma. Ìbejì colobô, the blue monkey. Obaluaiyê. Babá Igbona. Oyá, mother of the pink sky. Nanã Buruku, appearing in the rain to tell the mangues. Oduduwa, the head from where the life came. Oxumarê coming on the haze. Ossanha, lady of the herbs. Oxaguian-yum-piled. Oxalá gives the palm wine and me going down, into the bottom of the well. Down there there is a percussion circle, and I throw the shells over the goat skins of the djambes. Possessed maniac spirits dancing around and around and around. Toxic pheromones making everything turn dizzy. Opium. Opium. Opium. Sage. We are all the quasi-human. And a rope descends and everybody in pulled up, still playing, still dancing, still divinalizing. And I walk now over the roof on fire and I see, down there, a giant vinyl plate sort of a dance floor. Transgenic fairies, politicians, pandas, grabbing each others with passion, slowly, making scratch sounds on the vinyl, while turning. And from nowhere, the dragon-ball guy comes again and pulls me inside. And when I fall, there is bugs in my hair. And the bugs jumping into the fire, provoking big explosions, and the ravers trying to archive.org/details/nowheresufushufus

[@awaretenacious]

Why is all 'spoken word poetry' stylized ranting? I'm not trying to be rude, but I just don't get it. Would someone please explain to me the appeal of this? To me, poetry, whether displayed on the written page, or recited on a stage, should have some form of imagery or metaphor. Anybody can get on a stage and rant. I just don't understand the appeal of 'spoken word poetry,' at least in its current form.

[@rrensby]

I think that each person is interested in different things. To me a lot of the appeal to spoken word is how raw it is, that people are able to get on the stage and let their emotions out, and therefore make connections with audience members. Also I do not think that all spoken word poetry is "stylized ranting", I think that is rude to say and going out on a limb. There are a lot of spoken word artists out their with all sorts of different styles, and just because you found my poems to be that style to you, I do not represent the spoken word communities diversity at all. And maybe you didn't find imagery or metaphor in my writing but I believe there to be. There are a lot of artists out there who do a much better job of that than me. I think that if you don't enjoy this form of art then to each his own, but it is still poetry and there are a lot of great poets out there who merge page and stage poetry beautifully. I don't think the two are really that far apart in the first place. As I mentioned, there is a huge world of spoken word and what I think you perceive to be its current form isn't entirely accurate. This video is of one 19 year old girl who some how got a few hits on youtube, but before you judge the art form itself I recommend attending a local poetry slam or spoken word show first and seeing what is really out their because it's a beautiful thing.

[@adcdcdacdas9931]

Because slam poetry is not poetry

[@awaretenacious]

If it's not poetry, why do its practicioners call it poetry?

[@spiglioso]

or at least, what i see...very depressing, if not about love than wrist cutting and forceful vomiting

[@adcdcdacdas9931]

awaretenacious because they are pretentious self-entitled wannabes DUH

[@Stelios94Sam]

I didn't like it at all... maybe I will in a couple of years or in another time

[@alysen31]

I feel this