"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.