"I Stand Alone"
Astria Gafford
Preface:
I'll be blogging/vlogging a bit about some of my own poetry, as well as occassionally posting some videos of poetry I find that inspire me to see #beautywithnofilter.
As far as my own poetry goes, several of the initial videos posted here will be a tad outdated, as they were originally recorded when I was sharing my pieces publicly on YouTube. After experiencing the theft of some of my words, I restricted all of my videos to 'private,' rendering them unable to be viewed by anyone but myself. Nevertheless, I would like to extend the invitation for the public to hear my heart again. I hope you can find something beautiful in the words shared here, whether spoken by me, or another poet.
This is a piece I wrote in June 2012 during my sophomore year at the University of Georgia. This poem talks about how I felt I was different from a lot of those I observed. I found myself very introverted, and put off by how many people seemed to believe that attention and validation were synonymous with value. I was inspired to write it because I felt like I didn't fit in with much of what I observed around me. I felt as though too many people were seeking validation by putting themselves on display, letting attention-seeking habits define who they were.
This piece still has a lot of relevance for me today, since I could easily be classified as an introvert. I don't make a point of attending a never-ending array social events, because I often enjoy just spending time to myself. But I can be a pretty social person too. The difference is, though, that whatever social or non-social choices I make, I make them for me, and no one else. This poem talks about how sometimes it seems that people make decisions based on some conformist idea of what makes them relevant or worthy of admiration. Of course, in reality, everyone is relevant. And you don't need to fit into any mold to be valuable. Being you is divine, with no sugar added.
Hope you enjoy!
Love all,
AG
"Ohm"
Saul Williams
Saul Williams is one of my all-time favorite spoken-word artists. His word-play, use of metaphor, and here, absoutely flawless employ of alliteration are beyond masterful. There is no question, you will see many posts from him here.Saul Williams is one of my all-time favorite spoken word artists. His wordplay, use of metaphor, and here, absoutely flawless employ of alliteration are beyond masterful. In my own interpretation of this piece, I hear Williams bring volume to silent meditation. He gathers all the value of what he hears, sees, and lives in the world around him and synthesizes it all into one solid experience. He seems to have meditated on it, and then blesses us with a soulful reproduction via a comprehensive oral representation of his urban world. So beautiful.
Love all,
AG
"Sheep"
Astria Gafford
"Sheep" is another piece I wrote while at UGA in October 2012. If you read my "I Stand Alone" post, you'll see that a lot of the thematic elements are similar between the two. This piece also speaks on how all too often people find value in whatever the majority deems trendy at the time. The additional message I intended to communicate here though is that uniqueness is almost always valued--to an extent. Which posits an interesting dynamic. When a trend first begins, it's unique and original, and thus admired. So others emulate it. But what's funny, is in the end, everyone is essentially trying to be "unique" in the same way, i.e. not unique at all. On the flipside, people who are deemed a little too different are looked down upon, or seen as something deviant. Who defines what's different enough, too different, or valuable? What gives them the right? And what becomes of people who follow the herd, make their own paths, or question the entire construct? This poem was me trying to answer these questions (and more).
Love all,
AG
"Esteem"
Astria Gafford
Love all,
AG