Off the Page Literary Celebration: Poetry as Activism

Laura Shoemaker 

Note to self: Always remember the "read on" rule. It's a corollary to the old "you know what happens when you assume" line. When I was a baby lawyer, partner David Kroenlein taught us this rule. Don't stop reading a case or a contract when you think you've found the answer. You have to read to the end to make sure you've got it right. What does that have to do with the Poetry as Activism session of the Off the Page Literacy Celebration? Well, if I had read on, I would have realized it was a workshop rather than a class in which poetry with an activist bent was read and discussed. Yikes!  And while I very much wanted to skulk out of the room and carry on with my day's activities, I sat down in my seat to see what would happen. 

Our leader for the session was Laura Shoemaker. She's the kind of person you immediately like, with a big smile and a welcoming attitude. Shoemaker has a passion for writing and equity, and she shared a few thoughts with the group about the role of poetry in activism before we picked up our own pens. Not surprisingly, her words were quite poetic. 

Books of poetry had been set out for inspiration,
including this one by Martin Espada,
who spoke at the 2023 Poetry Life event.

"A poem is a place in time," she began, "Making a mark, remembering a moment. But it's also a new space for others to experience, a way to connect with another person." She went on to talk about whether writing a poetry can be viewed as a form of activism. The answer, of course, was yes. "Writing about yourself and your experiences is a radical act," she opined. "Speaking truth is a radical act. Being honest is a radical act...Poetry as activism requires bravery. It's easier to keep the peace." She quoted from the poem "The New Speakers" by Gloria Anzaldua which reads, in part, "We are our age's mouthpiece."  And with that, the session began. 

Our first exercise was to write something in which we compared activism to a thing, using the power of metaphor. My palms officially started sweating. Still, I put something on my paper that was a decent effort. Or so I thought until some of the people in the room shared beautiful complete poems that they'd jotted down in the space of five minutes. Wait. Had there been advance materials that I didn't receive? Nope. That's just how poets roll. One gentleman's metaphor was "only" one line, which read, "Activism is a rushing stream that more than bends the Confucian reed in its midst." Consider me officially humbled.

Next up was a group project in which we wrote a poem using words brought to mind when we thought about courage. First we brainstormed for words that were jotted down on the board. Then we separated into groups of three, with the goal of writing three short poems. Each person started off a poem by writing a line using one of the "courage words." You then handed the poem in process off to the next person to write the second line and then it went to the third group member to finish it up. At the end of the exercise each group had three collaborative poems to show for its members' efforts. 

I only have the poems my group devised since I had to leave before any sharing occurred. (Seriously, I had to leave to get to the children's opera performance of "The Little Sweep," which was wonderful.) Here's one of the poems we wrote, which we titled "The Claw":

The blue crab is fearless; facing a large foe, she raises her claw in defiance.

She's a miniature MLK, gathering her resources and her spirit to make her appeal. 

Out of fear she becomes fierce. 

Our little poem is not going to win any awards, but it's okay given the time constraints and varying levels of poetry writing experience. And taking a step back from my deer in the headlights feeling, the activity showed there's power to be gained when you team up with others to accomplish your goals. I suspect that was one of the points Shoemaker intended to make with this exercise. Sneaky, but effective. All in all, I'm glad I stayed in my chair. 

The Off the Page Literary Celebration continues through November 18. To learn more, click here. Perhaps I'll see you at one of the upcoming events. 

Next Up: Off the Page presents author Neil Gaiman