Well, Well, Well, it's been a long time coming, but we've made it.
    This is the first article about poetry written from the Poet's
prospective.   Since being introduced to the Poetry Scene here in 
Nashville
in 95,  I have watched it blossom and wither like the flowers in 
seasons.
     Being able to be a part of the Movement, I have seen Veteran/Elder
Poets excel, and watched the new budding talent leap from the stage 
tops.
Nashville wants the Word, but we are not sure how to handle the Word:
spoken that is. Since taking the forefront and trying to put Nashville 
on
the map P.O.E.A.T.R.E.E wise, there has been an explosion of new 
venues,
artist, CD's, websites, television shows, events and interest from the
Nashville community.
     Poetry/Spoken Word to some is RAP, but Poetry is actually a 
release of
emotions into written form, recited, read, memorized, memo-written, or 
lived
on stage and into a microphone. You can consider what we do performance
poetry. One of the reasons we have excelled in the Spoken Word form
worldwide is the diversity of the Spoken Word Community. There are no 
two
people alike. Everyone writes and speaks on different topics or the 
same
ones, but we have different views.
     If you visited any of the city's poetry venues, for example 
Kijiji's
Coffee House, Liquid Fusion at Red Carpet, A lil Sum Sumthin at Mama 
Lil's,
Dajuynt on Ch 19, or Vocab@ Caffeine, you would see the diversity.
P.O.E.A.T.R.E.E has no color or boundries. This year the 
P.O.E.A.T.R.E.E.
FAMILY of Nashville has been able to touch hearts all over the city and 
into
the surrounding states.
     On Monday March 15, 2004, Def Poetry TV came to tape LIVE at 
Kijiji's.
If you have been able to see any of the events featuring this group you 
may
know what I'm talking about. If not, you can peep the video excerpts of 
the
Nashville based group Next Movement for the MIC LEVELS poetry show:
http://dmc.iit.edu/poet/MIC.htm.
    I send out a Spoken Word newsletter every week called <I>DaJuynt<I>
informing people about poetry and events for the week. To check out the
P.O.E.A.T.R.E.E FAM poeatree_fam@yahoogroups.com for information,  the
newsletter, a calendar of events, or to just find out what's going on
period.
     Next Saturday March 27, 2004: Jablaze Production & Simply Sil 
presents
WOMEN OF WORDS II to benefit The Women?s Shelter for Domestic Violence.
There will be feature performances by Tia, Shellie Warren, Mother 
Brunson,
Simply Sil and others.
The location: Kijiji's Coffee House at 7:30pm. The event is hosted by
Church.
     Different websites for poetry:
     www.nashrealm.com, www.blessthamic.com, www.churchdapoet.tk, and 
many,
many more.  
     With that the doors of the ?CHURCH? are closed.
 
(Church is the poetry editor for Everything Underground. Anyone who 
wishes
to submit poetry for inclusion in EU should send it to Church via his
website).