"Remember Good Things Come In Three...And So Do Bad Things"

The last poem I've decided to do is performed on TEDTalks the same program in which Shane Koyczan was founded. I also decided to do a female spoken word poet, seeing as they seem so impacting and relatable for me. The female that I chose for my last video is named Sarah Kay, the name of the poem intrigued me because I am a female and wonder about having children. I am also curious because of my last video, I wonder if Kay would offer some advice to stop the cycle of self-conciousness that females have. Hre descriptions of things that she would do for her daughter and even things that she went through, but in the end everything will be okay. I noticed, however, that this crowd didn't seem to care that much about her poem, which offended me a little because I wanted more reaction out of them. I saw that they gave her a standing ovation . I didn't watch the whole video, one because it was 18 mins long and at times it got dry. However I did get about half way though, I like that I ended with this poem because it gave the grounds of what a Spoken Word poem was/is, which is what this whole blog is about.

"Maybe This Is Why My House Feels Bigger Every Time I Return"

I could tell when the video first opened she was nervous. This young girl is Lily Myers I felt the need to do another poem by a female. I was happy that I did. This young women is remarkable, saying the differences between male and female. How females are expected to be tiny and men aren't, I also found it amazing that this young women knows so much for being so young, and all this was unintentionally passed down from her mother. Even the crowd shows that they are shocked by her knowledge and how much she has experienced. The audience's "oohs and ahhs" and each one brings her own confidence on the stage and she grows more comfortable as she speaks more and more of her memorized words. "A fugitive stealing calories to which she does not feel entitled." I wish her mother heard this poem and learned what it is her daughter is going through and what she unintentionally passed down.

"When Your Brother He Is Gay, Pretend You Already Know"

This is another poem by Jeanann Verlee, I enjoyed how funny her first poem was I decided to do another one by her. I like that she picks the title for someone who seems to be rebellious and always seems to be in trouble. It seems that this hunch is backed up when it she says not to "strike your mother back" and boys are calling to find out your cup size, and not to give them a serious answer. I fin it funny that she says "stops you in the stairwell to ask if you're a boy, explain that you keep your hair short so she doesn't have anything to grab when you headbutt her, then headbutt her." I laughed. However, I find that this poem got serious and slightly scary. It was as if she faced these scenarios herself. At the end she starts talking to the audience and it took me by surprise because it wasn't at all what I expected her to sound like after hearing her poem.

"I Met A Poor Man That Wanted To Be Rich, But I've Never Met A Rich Person Who Wanted To Be Poor"

This poem isn't by Shane Koyczan it is another poem by Suli Breaks. This video was impacting because it showed clips of movies that everyone has watched and they went so well with the words. "What day is the happiest day he said pay day", thinking about it it's true so many people can't wait for payday, in fact most people evolve there life around when they are getting. I like that he says that money is still innocent because it's the person who uses the money that makes money seem evil. This spoken word makes me think deeply about money and how no matter how much an individual doesn't want money they still need it. "But if you love those around you would you not persevere in your means to make their living better." I find this interesting because parents do this all the time, they live outside their means so that they can give their children the life they never had. The violin used in this spoken word in this poem also impact how it makes me feel. It opens my eyes to how greedy the world is today.

"Dickheads Congregate In Groups"

I found that this was a very sweet poem because it was a redo for someone who he knew was very important to him. I hope that Penny hears this poem and loves it because she is very special and had a poem written for her, full of memories from grade school. I liked that he still tied in snow angels into the new poem and it was more appropriate than the first thing he wrote. I found that he kept tying in dinosaurs in the poem and thought that maybe it was just there thing that others may not understand. I liked that the crowd seemed to enjoy everything. I wonder if this girl Penny was also the same girl in the To This Day poem because she was the same age as the other girl in that poem. I also noticed that this girl was picked on too, but she also stood up for Shane Koyczan in school when he was picked on. I liked that he seems to still think about her and remembers so much about her and still seems to love her. The corny valentines brought back my own memories of grade school and handing out valentines to everybody in class. It was nice to think back to that, something I haven't thought of for awhile.

"There Is Such Thing As a Wasted Vote Don't Make This A Wasted Election"

I was curious about what this poem was about, one because he is from Canada and I don't know what it is like to vote there, do they use electoral college or does each individual persons vote actually count? However, as the poem continues I realize it is about someone who is running for election again. I wish that Shane Koyczan would write a poem about everyone who runs for election, I feel as though he would bear it all and show what everyone really looked like and what it is they are all doing. I like that he states everything in plain terms so no matter who you are you could understand what the politician is doing wrong. At the same time it isn't just another boring commercial about making sure you cast your vote it's interesting it makes you want to listen instead of just turning the channel to get away from it. Apart of me feels as if the Canadian government is worse than ours, but at the same time it is just like Shane Koyczan says "they've been telling the media what to print" so somethings we don't know.

"Live As If Life Gets Dirty Because It Does"

This poem was actually a commercial that Shane Koyczan performed for toxin free cleaners. I find myself wanting to buy these cleaners when he is finished performing because everything he says is gentle but powerful and it moves me. Even the child running through the grass is helpful, mixed with his poem makes me think that by buying these supplies I will save this child's life. "We wipe away the fingerprints of our old habits" I believe that Shane Koyczan is talking about our carbon footprint that we leave on the Earth and if we buy these cleaners we will be able to clean up the world and wipe away any damage that we have already done to it. I like that the poem is relatable with the activities of playing outside, and even staying out from under the sink because that's where most people keep there cleaning supplies, but with this product there is no more worry because it's safe and toxin free.

"He Is Bionic And It Is The Very Least He Can Do"

When I first heard this poem I noticed immediately that it was extremely explicit and Shane Koyczan dared to be so descriptive and even had it drawn in picture form. In society people tend to frown at those that decide to be so "dirty" people find it disgusting and not appropriate to talk about such things. However, a part of me was waiting for the sad down turn from raunchy to depressing and even though this poem is short, Koyczan somehow fit in the sad part of not being able to save everyone or everything even though Jason Bionic seems to be a super hero. And even in his happiest moments he still remains sad and depressed mourning those that he can't help. I thought that it was clever of Koyczan to be so explicit and describe that happiest moment of Jason Bionic's life, allow him to seem so amazing that he is untouchable to "normal" human beings, but he then sculpts him to be relatable and "normal" by saying he has regrets and emotions too, just like everybody else.

"How Do I Dismiss Uncertainty and Motivate Myself Past Doubt"

This is another live performance done by Shane Koyzcan. "When the where-abouts of my destination can't be found on any map" I love this line because in the way of life you can't find out where your life is going to end up or where you're going to end up until the end. It's a sad realization when you think about it, but it's true, your life isn't complete until then. I thought that Don Alder was going to speak at some point, but his part in this performance was to add to the affect of Shane Koyczan was saying. It helped with the visualization and even had me 'pumped' up and ready to go. It drew me in further to what Koyczan was saying. I like that it told a story of an individual that became handicapped and in the he was able to inspire people as he went through life, not acquire pity.

"You Always Have A Choice"

I like the intro immediately, "This is my voice, there are many like it, but this one is mine," I find it relate-able because everyone has the ability to speak up, but it's what you decide to stand up for versus what you decide to sit down for.  I love what he said politic means because it's what I believe it is, especially when it comes with making empty promises to the citizens that vote for them. The visual he creates with his words leaves me feeling depressed inside and yearning to want to help everyone that he was describing. The most powerful lines is when he brought in Helen Keller and Martin Luther King Jr. and other Civil Right movement activist. The ending line "you always have a voice" reminded me to always speak up and never stay silent when there is something I don't agree with.

"If We Want Our Children to Grow into Socially and Emotionally Capable Young People We Must Ask For A Balanced Education"

The artwork that goes along with poem is amazing, it's just enough to represent everything that he is saying. I enjoy that each piece flows into the next. My favorite line includes, "At school they get a taste of what things are like in the world outside. There's friendship, romance, disappointment, embarrassment, discrimination, and bullying." It's true thinking back that I did learn all things at school, in fact the hardest place in my life was when I was in school. I enjoy that this poem was about stopping bullying too, but it was more of an inspiration poem to encourage change in the world. The "To This Day" poem that he performed was the same way but it was more passionate, it involved yelling and drastic movements, this one was more relaxed. It was like I was approached by a person who is coming to me and pleading their case calmly versus anger.

"Dear Ethan.....No"

I strayed from Shane Koyczan, this time I decided to pick a female, Jeanann Verlee. I found it funny that they were all love letters to someone she liked or dated. I liked that some of it was humorous while others where serious. I feel that with each person she said Dear to I felt I learned a little more about her and the person she was speaking about. I enjoy that at the end she ended it by slowly fading out. I am debating whether or not to look at more by her, but I am thinking about doing more about other female Spoken word Poets. I feel as though their aren't many and the ones that are performing should be given some spot light.

"Those Fine Egyptian Sheets..You Gotta Burn 'Em"

I picked this poem having no idea what it would be about, but thinking maybe it had something to do with how the arts saves lives. I thought that would be relatable considering recent retrenchment at my university. Then I hit play and began to listen to the poem, I realized that I had already written about the poem he was performing previously, "Swiftly", but it was an animated version. To actually see him perform the poem was strange. I think it was because I was watching him from the chest up, but I could tell that he was still moving his hands, he even glanced down at them a few times. After the poem was completed an interview began, which was another pleasant supplies because I learned that another poem I had looked at "We Are More" was in fact a poem that he had written for the Winter Olympics that were held in Vancouver in 2010. Which was interesting because he is very humble when asking why he was picked, he even gave his fan credit. I liked that he shared a personal story about himself and not an embarrassing one involving a fan. I even laughed at it because I wouldn't have thought someone would have gotten Scarlet Fever today and to think that a hotel had to burn sheets.

"My Life Was So Much Simpler When I Could Just Disappear"

This poem yet again started a little but explicit, but it draws me in to what else he has to say. I believe this is an earlier poem, not just because of his appearance, but because the way he is speaking. I feel as though he is testing the waters in what may and may not work. I like the slowing down of certain words after a fast phrase, "I don't want to turn this into poetry, but...you're so beautiful flowers turn their heads to smell you." is an example of this. I found myself wishing that this would become a cliche like so that men would use it on me just to make me feel good inside, however cliches are never romantic and through time they just make people want to roll their eyes, kind of like when guys look at me and say "you have beautiful eyes" and I look at them and smile and say "why don't you try using a line someone hasn't used on me before" then proceed to walk away. Much of this poem was very fast, but I was still able to follow what he was saying, unlike previous poems I listened to. I found myself yet again wishing that this poem was written just for me, butterflies in my stomach fluttering all the way past my heart and making me light headed as he sweeps me off my feet. Then the poem ends and I remember that it was just another fantasy.

"I Could Sit Around All Day Wearing Nothing But Your Kiss"

I realize that "The Short Story Long" is actually Shane Koyczan's own personal band to perform with his poems, which is amazing. This video is a little bit choppy, I can tell that this is someone's own personal video so the screaming and "wooing" from the audience is a little bit distracting, but it also makes me realize that Shane Koyczan is like a huge "pop artist" in Canada. Even though this is a choppy recording a few rows back from the stage, I still feel Shane Koyczan words reverberating and holding strong emotions. I like that the women in the band breaks in and says certain words, it gives the words more power because a women is actually saying "baby". However, this poem is explicit and describing his sex life for the first time, it still is something that many people experience. I found it funny that Shane Koyczan offered his own comic relief while performing his poem with his jesters. I would love to see him perform live, I feel like he would always be doing something to keep the audience interacted and have eyes on him.

"I Will Accept Your Apology, But You Better Make Me Believe You Are Sorry"

"He would say be still my boy, never son" that line immediately made me depressed and sad. I felt that it was so harsh that this child wasn't called son because of a choice that wasn't his to make. I feel that it still hurts Shane Koyczan because he repeats the line "never son". In past poems he never really repeats lines, he incorporates the title into the poem, but he doesn't repeat lines that hurt so much. "Do you love me? Was an itch our doctors told us not to scratch" was so impacting, as if asking a simple question could make everything fall apart, which is strange because it sounds like there is nothing to fall apart. His voice sounds of struggle and yearning for what was never given, love from a father, and no matter how much he begged inside he would never receive it. I like that when the father figure finally spoke to him Shane Koyczan no longer hated him, and that he accepted his apology. He was moved by an apology and in all the silence between the two the father figure learned everything he needed to know about the son.

"This Ones For My Generation"

I decided to stray from Shane Koyczan because this spoken word poem grasped my attention immediately.Especially since test scores hold so much value to us, the only way that schools judge us is based on scores on a test. Colleges only accept us based on SAT scores, the only way I could graduate High School is if I passed the PSSA, and in order to be certain majors, such as Education, you need to pass the PAPA, it varies based on state. I find this strange because when I took teaching classes we are taught not to base grades on testing students because some may not test well and it doesn't always show whether or not they are retaining knowledge, but as a society we are constantly giving people test. I love that this young man, Suli Breaks, confronted such a big issue and stood up for what he believed in. This was in the U.K and to have such an impact on me, an American, because we face the same struggles here, however I don't hear anyone here in the U.S making a spoken word poem about how unfair our education system is. At least I haven't come across one yet.

"When This World Knocks on Your Door Clutch the Knob and Open On Up"

I was confused at first because it started with beat boxing and Shane Koyczan seems more like a piano or violin background. I liked that some aspects of the poem was shared with the other poets, it left more of an impact for those that poem was for. However, I was confused with the back and forth between them all, it also gave me a sense of anxiety because I couldn't understand what was going on, I feel like there where too many poets sharing a mic. It definitely got more chaotic towards the end, I feel like Shane Koyczan wasn't himself in this poem, it felt angry and rushed through, as if he was trying to make it fit with everything else that was going on. I didn't really like this poem very much, I don't feel like it fit with the rest of his work.

"I'm the World's Greatest Overwieght Lover"

The tone of this poem with the piano and girl in the beginning made me feel like I should have a box of tissues ready because this is going to a sad one. He talked a lot about his grandmother in this beginning, it made me smile and remember the love I have for my own grandmother, even though she has passed away. "What you got is all you need" it's true when you think about it because if you needed more then you wouldn't be able to live without it. Halfway through when the music started picking up and his mood started to change, his voice made me feel more uplifted and made me think the sad part where over. "The only reason they think their beautiful, is the same reason they think you're not" which is true when i think about it. The only reason people think they look better than you is when they think that have better eyes than you, better smile than you or even a better body than you, but at the sametimes that's those are the same aspects that make someone beautiful, after all "every great man is unique" which makes every great man beautiful.

"Compassion Makes the World a Better Place it's Not Technology"

I thought this poem was going to be about Shane Koyzcan so when it started with him speaking a poem I was shocked so I listened. I didn't write this until after I listened to it four times. I realized it switched between him speaking about why education is important and there are moments when he is doing a spoken word poem. I could tell the difference because his voice changed from personal to "on stage". I like that it's a sit down conversation and he's not on stage speaking into a poem. I find it amazing that he values teachers so highly, I do too, but there are people who don't, they feel are people that "those that can't" I like that Koyczan doesn't think that way, he in fact believes that teacher should be revered and respected because he wouldn't know what he does today without those teachers. This was a more relaxed view of Shane Koyczan and I feel like I know him now because of this interview.

"Anyone Who Took The Time to Know Me Knows I Don't Run"

I immediately laughed after the first line. And then grew silent thinking he was growing serious, but immediately started laughing. I must admit however that the beginning of this poem was a bit raw in humor, meaning explicit. The microphone in this location picked up everything which lead me to be uncomfortable when I was trying to listen to what he was saying. However, I do like that he wants to give the girl a coal so that in a million years she would have a diamond, but then ask her if she would wait. I wanted a girl to be standing there next to him so I could hear her answer, I wanted to know if she would say yes or if she would tell him no.His voice had drastic voice and up and down movements, I feel like he was trying it out with this performance to see what worked and what didn't. I also found it amazing that this was yet again another performance that was on television and that a lot of people watched him. Maybe it's because in Canada they might enjoy poetry more than Americans do. After the credits was a promotion of one of his books Stickboy, which I own and I must say it is very good book. And if you like what you hear so far I suggest buying it.

"We Only Get From Now Until The Time We Go"

When I first heard the female signer I had to fast forward to make sure that video had Shane Koyczan in it. I love that the first word is "I'm sorry that I apologize too much" I feel like I do that. I can guess that he doesn't like George Bush and I like that he just states it, at first my jaw dropped, but then I gave him respect for just speaking his mind. Shane Koyczan's voice when speaking this poem seemed more laid back and relaxed and even a bit playful. I felt like smiling through the whole poem because of the way he was speaking. I enjoyed that it turned into a love poem, my favorite part is that he actually skipped over "I wanna play it until it skips" line, it reminded me of my CD days when I played my favorite song on a disk of 15 until it skipped beyond repair. I then through the CD out because I didn't like any of the other songs enough to care. I liked the line "My hearts the strongest muscle in my body and I'm flexing it at you" because I feel like it's true when you love someone you are flexing your heart at them. The young lady singing offered soothing breaks between Shane Koyczan reading and the song and poem went well together.

"This is About a Women Named Everyone"

This live version shows that audience was just as entertained as I was while listening to this. "Rule Number one don't fuck with the bees" I like that rules were not just man made rules, but rules that you learn yourself. I enjoyed very much the sorry about the women and her nipples running away from her ex-husband. "Just wear my pajamas and walk in my dreams instead" I love it because so many people face things they don't want to but if you walked in someone dreams you might find out who they really are. This too must have been an older poem because Shane Koyczan looks different and still doesn't have a beard. I like that if someone is telling you not to have hopes or dreams to not listen and that they "are full of shit". We should stand together and we should cherish every moment because we are just like that women in the hospital we are just visiting.

"Write Me a Bedroom Where Cures Make Love to Our Cancers"

This is the first time I have heard a mashup between Shane Koyczan and a musical artist. I enjoyed it very much. The visual of Shane Koyczan's mother trying to cut her legs off and the blood leaking onto white floors, floors of innocent. Dan Mangan introduction was soothing,  enjoyed his voice and after Shane Koyczan had finished and began singing again how he sang about the person passing away. I feel that Shane Koyczan is in pain as his voice struggles over certain words and I feel that Dan Mangan is helping him through this. I like that the singing parts relate to the readings, I originally thought it would be a little scattered, but it's not at all they both fit perfectly with one another. I began crying at the end of it because everyone wants the person who is passing away to stay. I feel that the song wouldn't work without the poem and the poem wouldn't work without the song. Trying to move on from this piece after this is going to rough, I feel like I am mourning with both of them, as if I knew Shane Koycan's mother and I need to mourn her too.

"Skywaitress..."

When selecting this poem I looked at the first screen and thought, "This one ought to be good", because some of the things that Shane Koyczan says in his poems are absolutely funny while others can be moving. When he opened with wanting to have an octopus as a wingman I about died from laughter and then to continue with the story about wanting to gain revenge on a women from something said when he was a baby. I love that he wanted to bring 'grody' back and brought up different way to say it. I love the magic trick thought and the animation thought bubble that went with the audience. I love his analogies and his thoughts and that the animation was the primarily him in the center and just adding things and taking things away. Four minutes of Shane Koyczan thoughts I must admit was the best four minutes I have spent on Youtube.

"There Has Never Been a Bank That Will Give Out a Loan Based On The Collateral of Hope"

I decided to anther one from the CD I own with his poems on them, at first I was confused because on the CD none of Shane Koyczan's poems have music to them, which I like because I get a feel for the words rather than the music. However, the person who made this video decided to put a piano opening and through the poem. This is personally one of my favorite poems by him and to have someone put a piano to it really bothers me. This poem is about someone who has Alzheimer's and he doesn't remember that his wife has passed away and confused his daughter for her wife. The daughter plays along, which is why is she wearing her mother's wedding ring. The poem is heart wrenching to think that someone has to go through this, but to think that love could be so strong to pt yourself through this just to ensure that they are happy and at piece.

"In Your Absence I Find Value"

The opening of this is so relatable for me, "shoulders to lean on are hard to come by. I know because there were times I would have broken my own neck just so that I'd have one of my own to cry own." I feel that everyone has been in a place in there life where they feel alone and they want someone to talk to and yet no one is around so you just cry alone. I am confused whether or not this is a recent break up poem or if he trying to find a way to tell someone that he still loves and cares for them. In away maybe it's both, they broke up and they are trying to find away to still be in each others life. I love visual of his eyeballs and how he is stopping himself from crying from everyday. I like the excerpt that sounded as if he stopped and just talked to her "or do that thing that drives you crazy and by that, I mean you literally for crazy when I call you 'cranky pants'". A part of me hopes that everything works out and I don't even know if this is based on a true story, but looking back on a past poem "Strawberries" it is.

"Listen."

I wasn't sure, at first, if this was even Shane Koyczan until I heard him speak. He has changed drastically through the years and let's face it without the iconic beard it's hard to recognize him. I liked that with every time he said "hit" he snapped it added an affected. I noticed the drastic differences with this poem and more recent ones, this one is harder to understand when he speeds up, many time I had to rewind and listen again. I like that no matter what Beethoven did it was viewed as "not good enough" but he was cheered by Kings and Queens. I must admit that this poem was one of my least favorites of Shane Koyczan's poems so far. I still think it's well written just not well executed.

"Pain is Part of The Human Condition and That Alone Makes You A Legion"

This is yet another poem with lyrics on the screen. I like that the intro withheld the music until after the cold truth of "there will be days", I liked it because at first I thought "gee thanks" but then the music started I thought "well I can get through them". I like that each sentence was short and sweet, each one leaving an impression that last. I like that with each short sentence it's explained how you can "be" each of those things. The word choice for each one is empowering in some way. What I love most about this poem is that it reminds you that you aren't alone in the world that there are in fact other people that are going through bad days too and it's okay to go and talk to them. Each one of the "Be" things offer a wise fortune cookie advice after them and I am awe struck by each one. I like that if you are having a good day he reminds you "be considerate" because other people may not be having a good day. In this poem i find myself taken away by the words, at times I forget that there is music in the background. The ending how the poem faded out and the music just stopped left me in silence, I must admit I replayed this video many times just so that I could relax and I will again if I am having a bad day because it put me in an amazing mood.

"Medicine's First Prescription Was A Kiss"

I found this one interesting because he made a speech at an important event to support Heart and Stroke Foundation. To think that he made a spoken word poem for this event amazes me, not to mention the whole poem relates to what the foundation supports. I love that certain parts of the poem are faded in and out. I also love the first few lines of the poem "who diagnosed their patients asking 'can you show me where it hurts?'" I love it because it's a question that is always asked when you walk into a hospital or a doctors office with any type of pain. The pure visualization that is given from this poem leaves me astonished and awe struck. I noticed, however, that Shane Koyczan is looking down the whole time, I don't think he memorized all of it, but it was still amazing that he stood up and made a speech for this.

"Less To Do With Pain and More To Do With Beauty"

This is the animation version of the first spoken word poem I posted, I liked this because it gave me a visual with unique artwork that matched. However, there was no introduction or jokes like there was when he did it live for TedTalks. It also different because it's not just a violin playing like when he was on stage there is also a piano and someone singing slightly. The artwork left me sadder than when I saw the one on TedTalks it made everything more real and left me more shaken. Some of the artwork was shown on the screens when Shane Koyczan was sharing it on stage. I also noticed that there were some areas that he messed up when he was performing it live, but he still made it work. I also feel that the animated video left a bigger impact because certain words and phrases where "highlights" in the video leaving more of an impact than just speaking them. They both, however, made sure to leave the lasting impact of the word "Beauty".  

"If Oprah Winfrey Farts in a Bathtub And No Bubbles Come To The Surface is There An Alternate Universe Where Gas is Cheap?"

This is "Atlantis" performed live, I decided to another version of this to get see two different versions of the same poem. This one opened with a cough rather than the sound of music. Certain parts of this one was sped up when he was talking, I feel like there was more emotions behind this one. I love his facial expressions during certain jokes and his hand movements. He was able to pause with the jokes because the audience was laughing. However, I still like the other version better, it was kind of like reading a book and seeing it a certain way then watching the movie only to realize it was nothing like you pictured after all. I always enjoy that in Shane Koyczan poems they always involve body language, which makes everything easier to picture. In this version the poem no longer seems like a love poem to me it just seems like another one of his pieces of amazing work.

"Love Can be Demonstrated in Giving"

The music is very calming and when Shane Koyczan voice comes on it relaxes me even more. I love that there are things that I know in this poem, for example "Scientist say my efforts would be better off trying to find where the wild things went". I like that this video has nothing to watch, instead it allows me to close my eyes and just listen to it completely relaxed. I love the little comic relief about Oprah Winfrey farting in a tub. This poem seemed like the whole time he was trying to prove that he loved this girl. This whole poem makes me happier, in a way a little light weight, I felt loved after listening to the whole thing. If someone wrote this poem for me I would probably end up marrying them.

"I Took Lessons From Jesus Christ Lizards"

The first thing I notice is the white chalk like texture on a black blackground for the animation, I like this I find myself more drawn to it, excuse the pun. I like how the two became one in the art work. I enjoyed that he said "I took lessons from Jesus Christ lizards" it left me with such a visual, even without the artwork. I enjoyed that he said "the doctor filled our head with things like privacy"because normally people usually crave things like privacy and when they don't have it they don't have it they become angry. I love the ending too "I was running to find you" because it left me knowing that there was a connection between the two of them that no one would be able to understand.

"We Didn't Just Say It We Made It Be"

I find it amazing that this poem was written specifically for Canada. It shows how popular he is in his country. I never would have thought that Shane Koyczan would be so well known, maybe it's because not many people know him here in the United States. He makes Canada sound like an amazing place to visit and like the people there are inspiring like his poem. I love everything about this poem and how each line is something that everyone in Canada is proud of. I like that the whole idea is that Canada is more than what you would think, such as skiing and hocky.

"Sara's Heart isn't Actually Sara's Heart it's Just Another Way to Tell Time"

This poem opened up with an amazing piano, it immediately set the mood to be a sad one. I was not let down when he went on to say that he doesn't have use of his right arm it goes on to sound like he has a drinking problem. I love that later on the violin is added, however it doesn't lighten the mood in anyway. Sara, the person he is writing to, sounds broken and she is always expecting to be hurt in someway and that Shane Koyczan hasn't yet and therefore he isn't trying enough. She sounds as if she is battling depression and that she always put herself down and this poem is Shane Koyczan's way of proving his love to her and that he never second guessed her. However I found that the music became to busy and it was harder for me to concentrate on the words. I wasn't expecting the ending, I felt like crying myself in the end, I feel like I could hear Shane Koyczan crying too.

"We See Others in Ourselves"

The first thing I noticed was the the violin being plucked, I found it uplifted my mood to a good place. As if the poem was going to be happy, however after listening to previous poems I am not so sure that I can believe strings being plucked on a violin. I then enjoyed how my childhood memories where brought forward running around with my older brother playing cops and robbers or hide and seek and when my younger sister played and we tagged her she would say we didn't get her. Eventually she would just stop playing because she didn't want to be it. I love the movement and playful attitude of Shane Koyczan it keeps my mood uplifted, but again in the beginning of Shane Koyczan's poems they are usually uplifting, but they don't always show such an uplifting tone. My memories from childhood about calling my crush about homework where brought up to. I love that the crowd's reactions b=in the video laughing and enjoying the memories that the poem is bringing to them too. I love that the black and white adds to the effect of the poem. I feel that he is making a connection to me in this poem like he is talking directly to me. The chorus in the middle with the violin makes me relaxed, Shane Koyczan comes back relaxed and prepared to share more wise words with the audience. This spoken word poem was not at all sad or upsetting like the past ones I have posted. I feel inspired after listening to this poem.

"It's Gravity That's Been Getting us Down"

I have decided to do a poem related to cancer, seeing as it's breast cancer awareness month. I also chose a Shane Koyczan poem where he performing one of his earliest performances. I enjoyed that he opened the poem that he is in the hospital and that he said it didn't matter why he was there and nothing else mattered either. I enjoyed that he made the poem about a small boy that is suffering from cancer. I felt that I could relate to him to Shane Koyczan because when you find someone has cancer it's strange especially when the signs are so obvious, like the lose of hair. He puts in things that kids actually say like "this is from a weird girl" the weird girl being his sister. He also made me think how when someone does have cancer, especially smaller children, they seem to be wise beyond their age because what they are going through forces them to grow up. I love the visual aids provided by just words, the emotions provoked by them too. I think that was based on a true story because Shane Koyczan seemed like he was going to cry as he was talking about the boy. I find it amazing that a 9 year old in a hospital bed not only inspired a poem, but wisdom as well.

"Me and Failure Only Speak Sign Language"

This poem is hilarious in the beginning. Shane Koyczan showed his "raw" side with making me think about things that I never wanted to think about in terms of my parents. I also love the random fact in the beginning about the WWII and the British Museum. I enjoy the line "there was no one there to tell you 'this is gonna to hurt' and it did and does, but it was and will always be a fond memory for your parents." I like that he included the past, present, and future with this line it made me relate to him immediately, he was able to say this isn't just a one in awhile hurt this is life and it's going to hurt sometimes. When he discusses that he can't have children I felt pain for him, especially when he states "it forces me to think of my life in a very final way, that I will not continue after I'm gone." It made me sad to think someone as remarkable as Shane Koyczan can't pass on his genetics. It opens my heart and mind to men and how they want so badly to have children and how sometimes adoption doesn't cut it, to think that after that person their family branch ends. I love that this poem was more upbeat and comedic. In the end I was left jarred when he states "that's the kind of story you tell your kids" it was immediately after a hilarious story, I was chuckling and when he brings that back I was immediately brought back down the emotional roller coaster. The message of this poem was a reminder that you should always live each day trying allowing the kid in me to say yes and to always give love a chance by shutting up and saying something.

"Gravity will not be Held Responsible for People Falling in Love"

If you've had your first kiss I doubt you remember what he or she tasted like. Shane Koyczan reveals that he does not simply memorize his poems, instead he recalls a memory in his mind and remembers through association that the first girl he ever kissed tasted like tomatoes and the second girl tasted like pepper. He then delves into a comedic story about his first date and how he went over dressed. Each story that he tells links seamlessly with the previous. The attached video clip doesn't show Shane Koyczan himself, but I still felt moved by his words, even though I could not see his expressions. Through his amazing talent with words I felt that somehow Shane Koyczan had a memory of me somewhere in his mind. As usual there was a dark side of this poem which leaps out in contrast to the cheery majority when he recalls a man in a brown car, in which I could only assume to be a memory of an attempted kidnapping. The added spice of darkness that seem to be a common trait in Mr. Koyczan's work make each poem particularly captivating and always leave me with anticipation of his next poem. His dark musings remind me that his life has had plenty of lows to each of its highs and I can relate to that. I enjoyed the conclusion of the poem "Inside a black hole I wanted to grow tomatoes," I believe he was saying that he would love the girl that tasted like tomatoes forever because "time slows near a black hole".

"If I Knew Then What I Know Now"

The poem starts by following Shane Koyczan to a stage where he turns his back to empty audience seats and is facing the camera. I felt he was preparing himself to talk to me in a private place where he felt more empowered to share what he had to say; as if the stage gave him courage to share with me his deepest feelings. I also enjoyed how certain expressions, such as his hand movements, were highlighted by the camera. "We so often say 'you're so soft', and the person that touched them last might have said it for the 28th time, but today I'm number 29." This line is strangely romantic, as if he was hoping that he would be the last person to say this to her. Even if he wasn't, it felt like he was content with it if only because he was one of the few men in the world that would be able to say so. His facial expressions during his performance added slight humor and gave life to the words as he was saying them. It seems that Shane Koyczan has a talent for knowing when to slow the pace of certain words in a sentence while speeding through others. Even when speeding through phrases at astounding speeds his words are very clear and the rapid pace adds a dramatic feeling of importance to the message he is trying to convey. This poem is much softer in feel than "To This Day". It is more focused around love, the emotions that come with this feeling and how he felt personally with the girl he first loved.

"Get a Better Mirror"

Shane Koyczan opens with an amazing story and metaphors and each one is more moving the last. Early in his presentation, he muses "We are expected to define ourselves at such an early age and if we didn't do it others did it for us."  This really resonated with me personally because it's true, from the moment we step into school we are asked what we want to be when we grow up, I personally still want to be a mermaid. Koyczan then proceeds to offer comic relief for a short time only to make a stark turn-around into a much darker place and as an audience we are all taken for the ride. He says things that are sympathetic to many of our lives as teenage high school students, "They asked me what I wanted to be and told me what not to be." As a child we are often told that we can be whatever we want to be. However, as we grow older our parents or teachers usually tell us that certain dreams are harder to achieve and that maybe we should think of something more 'attainable' or in my case, of wanting to be a mermaid, not attainable at all. Through his incredable speaking ability, Shane Koyczan digs up all of our painful memories of the first time we were told our dreams couldn't all come true. In the shadows of such bleak subject matter, Shane Koyczan's humor grips the audience and laughter comes easily when he starts telling the tale of 'pork chops' and 'karate chops'. I myself laughed, but when he suddenly ends the story saying that he no longer eats pork chops I felt dirty for laughing, almost as if I was a bully laughing at his misfortune. The poem grows more intense and when the violin plays Shane Koyczan has a firm grip on both my attention and emotions as his voice starts booming. The most relate-able part for me was "He was a broken branch grafted to a different family tree" because I myself was adopted. As someone who wishes to be an educator and hears Shane Koyczan say  "If a kid breaks and no one around chooses to hear. Do they make a sound?" and at the same time growing up I know that the kid makes a sound, but the school chooses not to hear, his message makes me truly desire to make a difference. To compare the school to a big top circus was amazing metaphor because all schools seem to be divided into cliques. He finishes his poem with a message of inspiration; closing on how life "has less to do with pain and more to do with beauty", calling the audience to look at the positive side to life, instead of the horrible realities because if we focus on them too long we might just lose ourselves to them.