Phil Kaye performs "Repetition"

[@nasimasg9]

I've repeated this poem over and over again but it has not yet lost its meaning.

[@cheerhoshimura1730]

Agreed

[@r.dwight3744]

What's the meaning?

[@polin1832]

:o

[@itzflame9893]

@@polin1832 what the meaning of this poem

[@itzflame9893]

just can't put my finger on it

[@theradicalace]

"If you just wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, one day you'll forget why." oh my god

[@shudderkid42]

"I love you. I love you. I love you. See: nothing" I'm crying at how much this hurts but I cannot help but be thankful for art that can make its way right through and into me.

[@izzydgp2566]

I've heard several different recordings of Phil preforming this poem, and this has always been my favorite. It was the first version I heard, and I ended up memorizing the sound of his voice, the motions of his hands. It's so special to me and my favorite version.

[@danabravesoul2684]

Yes same here 🦋

[@unnatisharma9938]

True . Its my favourite too

[@maeri6040]

Exactly the same

[@siyethembabota]

Same! I think I've come across some versions of him performing this poem and this one has to be my favourite. There's just something about the way he delivered it.

[@klarizzasanchez]

SAME!!!

[@pianopup210]

When I left, they whispered "I love you" so many times over that they forgot what it meant

[@zahraakhairy]

what did it mean? 😢

[@444lanix]

"i love you, i love you, i love you, i love you, see, nothing." that got to me.

[@TheGreatestComebacks]

I actually performed this on our Literature class as part of our final exam.. My teacher gave me perfect score.. thank you so much for this work of art.. It was like I was a different person performing on stage.. This piece is amazing I felt the emotion when I was on stage.

[@legacyofboom56]

Ironically about a year ago I listened to this poem almost everyday and I fear that the slam I thought was so powerful it began loose its meaning now it has an entirely new meaning to me

[@TheBellaMerwin]

I remember the bed, floating there apart, apart, apart, apart my mother taught me this trick if you repeat something over and over again it loses its meaning for example homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework see, nothing "our existence" she says is the same way. you watch the sunset too often it just becomes 6pm you make the same mistake over and over you'll stop calling it a mistake if you just wake up, wake up,wake up,wake up,wake up,wake up,wake up, you'll forget why "nothing is forever" she said my parents left each other when i was 7 years old. before their last argument they sent me off to the neighbors house like some astronaut jettison from the shuttle when i came back there was no gravity in my home beds floating i imagined it as an accident then when i left they whispered i love you so many times over they forgot what it meant family, family, family, family, family, family my mother taught me this trick that if you repeat something over and over again it loses its meaning this became my favorite game it made the sting of words evaporate seperation, seperation, seperation see, nothing apart, apart, apart see, nothing im an injured handyman now i work with words all day shut up i know the irony when i was young i was taught the trick to dominating language was breaking it down, convincing it that it was worthless i love you, i love you, i love you, i love you see, nothing soon after my parents divorce i developed a stutter fate is a cruel and efficient tutor there is no escape in stutter you feel the meaning of every word drag itself up your throats,s,s,s,seperation stutter is a cage made of mirrors every "are you ok" every "what'd you say" every "cmon kid spit it out" is a glaring reflection you cannot escape, every terrible moment skips upon its own announcement over and over until it just hangs there, floating in the middle of the room mom, dad, I'm not wasteful with my words anymore even after hundreds of hours practicing away my stutter i still feel the claw of meaning in the bottom of my throat i heard that even in space, you can hear the scratching of an i, i, i, i, i, i , i , i love you (source for bibliography)

[@yaimiana]

I too have a stutter and sometimes I try to say a word ten times, stop and give up then say you know what I mean. But I found that if I alter my voice to the point it is no longer my own, I no longer have a stutter. I tell my friends this, and they ask me to speak in my real voice and I say "I no longer know how"

[@TainyAoC]

Thats deep :o

[@yaimiana]

***** Thank you.

[@blackcoffee4evar]

yaimiana I wish I could send you some love, strength, or at least a hug. I can only give you this: Take a deep breath, smile, be strong, because you can… and if you don’t: write a poem, do some music, paint a picture, run down the streets, scream into a forest, let it all out…and then be strong again. Try to find yourself again and if you can’t; reinvent yourself and find another self, but be that with all your heart, don’t just fake it till you make it. Your friends will understand one day and if they don’t, you can always find new ones. I did that too to get rid of my anxiety, it worked for me. I’m still a little awkward sometimes, but it’s ok. I wish you the best. With Love, a girl from switzerland

[@yaimiana]

Chocolate Coffeebean thank you

[@helenahoodmings5156]

WHY IS THIS NOT POPULAR YET I WANT EVERY FREAKING LINE TATTOOED ON MY SKIN GHAD

[@1904.Lowridaz]

If you just wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up one day you'll forget why...

[@maddypatty222]

"they whispered to each other 'I love you' so many times that they forgot what it meant"

[@eldiedelafuente7011]

Damn. This really made me cry. My parents got divorced when I was very young. I developed a stutter right after.

[@8ienne]

I cried the first time I watched this video. I am crying now. This poem fit me perfectly. I loved everything about it. There are no words enough to describe how this made me feel. There are no words enough to give this poem the justice it deserves.

[@dta1ego3ofmyguitar]

Shelley Vvi You never cried before...?

[@thatrandomgamer3289]

@@dta1ego3ofmyguitar i think they meant they cried when they first watched this video

[@craigsooknanan]

Feel Kaye.

[@reneelove7970]

Hahahaha XD Phil..Feel... Sorry it's 7:34 am and I haven't slept.

[@eleventhmystery8846]

It's been 8 years since I first saw this, and in those 8 years I have reached the point where I just wake up just because I woke up. I hope I can find meaning in life again.

[@jhonpauljagorin47]

10 months after, I hope you're still finding your meaning and appreciate all the little things that come your way.

[@farah-rp9of]

repeated this probably over one thousand times and still hasnt lost its meaning

[@himanshujahagirdar6261]

irony

[@ptrocks99]

Things like this restore my faith in humanity.

[@aesthetic3521]

Patrish yes

[@sambrown7032]

This my favourite thing ever.Every line is perfect

[@HeyItsGraceexx04]

Around this time last year I memorised this because it meant so much to me. But now, I come back and it has a completely different meaning to me. I love this so much 😭

[@stephenhsu3461]

Even though I do not know much about poems and analysis of poems, I felt touched by the poem. Even without analyzing every word, I could feel the emotions vividly and the frustration of knowing what one means but having the physical repetition / stuttering of it take away its meaning. Hearing your story makes me reflect on my own life and makes me appreciate everything I’ve had.

[@xXMusicSpeaksXx]

This poem hit me so hard the first time i heard it because of how close his story is to my own. My parents split when i was eight, and the repetition trick is one i've known well for years. Also, i have a slight stutter whenever I get excited or don't pay close attention to, or concentrate on, what i'm saying. He describes everything so perfectly that this poem is painful to listen to. But i love it.

[@JemMaxine]

I am practically in love with Phil Kaye now.

[@bridgeerzz]

Oh man I have chills

[@julydaisies]

my favorite poem by him, makes me cry everytime i listen to it

[@KarasConspiracies]

This hit so close to home . . .

[@jessicak.6845]

I repeat this poem so many times but it doesn't lose its meaning. It's truly wonderful!

[@Kieraarae]

This has been imbedded so strongly in my life, I've watched it so many times over the years.. I can't get away from it haha. I'm not good with words but things like this speak volumes for me, if that makes any sense at all.

[@silviaquiroz927]

I remember the bed just floating there. Apart, apart, apart, apart. My mother taught me this trick If you repeat something over and over again it loses its meaning For example: Homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework, homework See, nothing Our existence, she said, is the same way. You watch the sun set too often, it just becomes 6 PM You make the same mistake over and over; you’ll stop calling it a mistake If you just wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, one day you’ll forget why Nothing is forever, she said My parents left each other when I was 7 years old Before their last argument they sent me off to the neighbor’s house, like some astronaut jettisoned from the shuttle. When I came back there was no gravity in our home, beds floating I imagined it as an accident, that when I left They whispered to each other “I love you” so many times over that they forgot what it meant Family, family, family, family, family, family My mother taught me this trick If you repeat something over and over again it loses its meaning This became my favorite game It made the sting of words evaporate. Separation, separation, separation; see, nothing Apart, apart, apart; see, nothing I am an injured handyman now I work with words all day Shut up, I know the irony! When I was young, I was taught that the trick to dominating language was breaking it down Convincing it that it was worthless I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you; See, nothing Soon after my parents’ divorce, I developed a stutter Fate is a cruel and efficient tutor There is no escape in stutter You feel the meaning of every word drag itself up your throat S-s-s-separation Stutter is a cage made of mirrors Every “Are you ok?” Every “What’d you say?” Every “Come on kid, spit it out” Is a glaring reflection you cannot escape Every terrible moment skips upon its own announcement Over and over until it just hangs there, floating in the middle of the room Mom, Dad, I am not wasteful with my words anymore. Even now after hundreds of hours of practicing away my stutter, I still feel the claw of meaning in the bottom of my throat. I have heard that even in space; You can hear the scratching of a I-I-I-I love you.

[@noursaad4451]

I always end up coming back to this

[@ArvLie123]

3rd place? I can't imagine two better poems

[@mapishere1009]

All the ones who ever went through a stutter stage can fully grasp this. Thanks so much for sharing it has made me look at presentation of how i present my poetry when the stuttering begins

[@zirtavia]

I love, absolutely love, how he self-references within poems. He builds up themes and winds them back together again at the end.

[@ashersflaquers]

Yep. I'm crying.

[@sommerpalmer8290]

Phil Kaye isn't graced with nearly as much appreciation and recognition as he deserves. such beautiful words.

[@asurrealfantasy]

Your mother's trick isn't foolproof. I watched this 5 times and it's still magical.

[@pavelow45]

the dance music at the end tho....

[@wateverlerr]

it is a bless thing that u can stand there. there were many people crying inside without anyone they can talk about it.

[@triciamotika7763]

I just really love Phil Kaye's poetry.

[@johncedric6043]

This is the best poetry I've heard from him.

[@vxeuphoria]

I will never stop watching this..

[@loveboburnham]

Can I just please, just meet this man. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

[@angeleshalloween1996]

He & Sarah performed at my high school today & I loved every minute of it. I watched them perform during my 1st & 3rd blocks & I wouldnt have minded watching there performance 1 more time. They're great :)

[@nerdyandcurvy]

this makes me weep. it tugs at my heart strings and relates to me more than anything i've ever heard.

[@horsecrazy2266]

I am an injured handy man now, I work with words all day

[@adityaojha8849]

horsecrazy2266 I couldn't understand this line. explain it to me, please?

[@euhm8679]

I think he meant that to dominate language he "needed to break it down, convincing it was worthless" which sounds contradictory, since he works with words. Or maybe it's because of his stutter: he performs words but can't properly pronounce them

[@nathanflores1974]

BRO I GOT CHILLS HOW DID HE DO THAT. HE IS AMAZING.

[@ScrewthenaM3]

even though it isn't the same situation you have given me a better understanding of my own life and I am forever appreciative of that.

[@cottreau]

Phil Kaye is even better in person - I do love this poem. Brilliant from beginning to end.

[@kasihleiaixoraazhar9209]

This will stay with me forever

[@simpatic14]

Still my favorite

[@oktovria]

coming back after years and this is still my fav

[@SmallTownCityDreams]

I've spent entire days watching spoken word poetry since I was first introduced to it. This was the first to literally set all my skin to goosebumps and send shivers down my spine.

[@MissLegallyBlond]

It's poems like this that remind me why I decided to return to writing again in the first place. Great!

[@jonahlagua5545]

This is pure gold... Emotions flowing in every word.

[@SuperQueenShay]

That ending was absolutely beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye.

[@bchanggu]

Our English class watched this and as soon as the poem ended, the class was dead silent. Thank you Kaye for an awesome work of poetry.

[@JenniferBerrey]

*tears* Thank you for this, empowering message, inspiring... *hug*

[@Ceforeous]

Made me cry, hit all at once, right at the end. Amazing

[@daltonfox5451]

This is absolutely brilliant. It touches me every time I hear it.

[@uttad22]

Everything about this piece is so precise, from the writing to the performance, its like the perfect spoken word poem.

[@leyaaaan]

this will forever be gold to me

[@lovinbaekhyun7176]

i performed this piece on my class today for our spoken word poetry activity. They loved it. I didn't think spoken word poetry would be my kind of thing but thank you phil kaye for making me realize this :)

[@katapusok3547]

“ Mom, Dad, I’m not wasteful with my words anymore”

[@TainyAoC]

I think this has to be one of the best spoken word poems I've ever heard, definitely my favorite Phil Kaye poem. I wish I could see him perform this in person :o

[@ABCDEE87]

"i love you. i love you. i love you. see nothing" I wish it was this easy.

[@ScrewthenaM3]

I am in tears. this is so amazing. no one has ever understood as well as you do why for a while I had ocd... not even I understood it because my parents separated when I was too young to understand and the realization of it was so gradual that it caused me to want everything to stay the same. and if it wasn't right I would repeat it until it was.. I feel you there. doing those things over and over even if they were wrong gave me reason to let it go eventually. thank you

[@iamluvdbyJC]

Id like to hug him but if i keep on hugging and hugging and hugging... I may forget why im doing it and lost its meaning. So deep, si sad and so true...

[@emanmukhtar2906]

I'm so in love with this 😭😭😭

[@momikoi]

To I've listened to this one thousand times is an understatement v.v

[@marisaKacosta]

This brought tears to my eyes. This was beautiful

[@katherineharrison5057]

This poem is vulnerable and authentic; I'm completely inspired by Phil Kaye's bravery.

[@xXMusicSpeaksXx]

" i imagined it as an accident, that while i was gone they whispered "i love you" so many times over they forgot what it meant. " best line.

[@beverleykatherine]

I can't get over this.

[@kittysoftpaws3-11]

Every line is beautiful

[@AdrianaBooker]

Legitimately one of the most powerful poems I've ever heard in my life.

[@HeyItsGraceexx04]

"Nothing is forever, she said" 😩💗

[@nutsinthemouth]

caught them last night. amazing.

[@GrayscaleRainbows]

Oh my gosh I had heard the first part of this poem in a quote a long time ago and I loved it, it's great to finally hear the rest of it

[@palakjain2554]

Oh man it was heartbreaking! Such a beautiful piece.

[@jvsper_]

I cant get over this..

[@A.R.S_258]

This is absolutely spectacular

[@entertheballer]

Much appreciation ...very moving and poweful piece!

[@idkitsevil]

This is my absolute favorite!

[@Tasneemie]

Brought me to tears, i dont even know why bc ive never stuttered and i hardly cry at poems. But damn i felt that!

[@fionageorge4021]

This touches my heart.

[@hannahaile1082]

So moving and perfectly put!!!

[@olgamurguia6287]

i'm deeply in love with your voice it's a poem to my ears..

[@Cuti3H4rt]

This is why I jpoined my school's speech and debate team. You are an amazing poetry writer, phil :)

[@RaeCharles394]

This is beautiful. Wow.

[@Princess.t.]

i love this poem so much

[@BlastOffBrothers]

This is just amazing.

[@HannahMerit]

wow, this was incredible. I just hung on every word..

[@rebeccacervantes4392]

I Normally don't like poetry but I heard this and I'm lost of words on how deep this is it's so inspiring

[@MsInsaneOrange]

This is beautiful.. *cries*

[@suchaspacecadet]

Repetition can make anything feel normal, but nothing ever truly loses its meaning. Is that it? At any rate, this is beautiful, very possibly my favorite of yours.

[@MoveLikeThis]

This is really beautiful.

[@NateDean8D]

I was shocked by how powerful this was. He has magic in him.

[@luphelele]

This is everything.

[@nicholas9999]

wow, how excellent this is, how excellent!