Poetry has the power to change people — even if they don’t want to be changed. That was the undeniable truth presented by poet duo Khalisa Rae and Eric Thompson during their afternoon teaching spoken word poetry in D.H. Hill Jr. Library. 

Their portrayal of the spoken word art form seemed to pierce the hearts of the students who attended, casting a new light on the power of poetry. 

“I’ve seen the powerful catalyst that writing and poetry and art is in the lives of the generations that are coming before us,” Rae said. “It can change lives, change hearts, change minds, but also it can introduce young folks to something that they have never explored before.”

The afternoon of exploration began with Rae and Thompson’s slam poetry workshop, which opened a discussion about what poetry is and how it can work in the lives of those around us. 

Several students said that for them, poetry has been inspiring, a method of expression and a way to heal. Thompson said poetry can be an avenue to “survive and thrive,” sharing that for him, it has been a way to take a deeper look at his own human experience. 

Rae said growing up, poetry was a form of escapism that eventually developed into a love for writing, acting and storytelling. 

The workshop had different slam poetry performances by audience members. For example, Ashley Lumpkin, a North Carolina-based writer, performed a piece that crafted a powerful analogy between the story of “Noah’s Arc” and her history in a violent household. 

Another poem titled “Dear Grandma” was performed by Durham native G Yamazawa and recounted his relationship with his elderly grandmother. 

Students shared their thoughts on why the poems resonated with them afterwards. Many students said they latched onto Yamazawa’s narrative about respecting elders and celebrating their lives and connection to their culture and those around them. 

The session ended with a brief writing exercise and sharing session that allowed students to try their hand at creating some poetry themselves. 

Later that night, Rae and Thompson returned to D.H. Hill Jr. Library with a striking performance of their own work. Students filed into North Forum, and its ambiance and stillness invited students on an internal journey. 

Thompson’s performance brought a new meaning to storytelling and was a testimony to his heritage, his manhood and his faith. He touched on topics like what it means to be emotional as a man with a vulnerability that left students awestruck by his words. 

“It’s very important that we share our stories,” Thompson said after the performance. “Because without our stories, there are a lot of people out there who may be suffering through something and they need that connection, that understanding that, ‘Hey, this is my story, but I’m still here.’”

Rae followed up his piece with some excerpts from her novel. Her narrative was striking, and her style of writing is designed to discuss the uncomfortable. Rae’s unique perspectives on the concepts of sex, religion and race, which she said “are always in opposition with each other, or so we’re told,” delivered an undeniably powerful message. 

“A lot of people have come to us and been like, ‘You touched on topics that I have never been able to figure out how to articulate,’” Rae said. “We were able to connect and it almost gives them permission for their story to be ok because they hear us being vulnerable and talking.” 

“I really liked it, especially the poem about body image,” said Morgan Shilling, a second-year studying biology, about Rae’s message. “I think that’s really important and needs to be talked about a lot. I really liked her perspective on it, … especially saying that she couldn’t talk about it a lot, and she wished the world would expand for her instead of the other way around.”

For students who missed this performance, there will soon be another opportunity to interact with these talented poets. Rae and Thompson have been working together to host the upcoming Griot and Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference in Durham. The event will take place Nov. 10-12. For more information, check out the Griot and Grey Owl website.