What spoken word has taught me about women

I discovered the world of spoken word back in July 2009.  That has easily become tied for the highlight of my life this year (tied with my decision to finally learn how to play the doumbek, a middle eastern hand drum).  I was taken to a women’s spoken word event called Voices of Venus.  There, I met fascinating poets and audience members who made me realize that this event and its location (Umi Cafe) are soon to become my new “home”.  It was such an enlightening, refreshing, breathtaking experience to listen to women SPEAK UP. 

In August, I gave it a shot. 

I wrote a piece that ran for about four or five minutes, memorized it and delivered it in front of an audience.  It was everything that I wanted to say at the time.  And I did it in French and English.  I spoke about my dreams, about what I want, about what I don’t want and what life means to me – what it should mean for everyone: to live and experience and learn and teach.  I want to do a repeat of it, but not in front of an audience.. I have another little project in mind.  Later. 

What all of this taught me is that it is terrifying to stand up and speak your mind.  It’s terrifying to tell people what you really think when you’ve been conditioned to answer questions, to speak politely, to listen.

I read an article in the Globe and Mail about a month ago (I wish I’d kept it!!) that spoke about how women in Parliament don’t seem to raise too many questions or make comments when the subject turns to war or to typically male-dominated topics.  Women tend to raise their voices when it comes to the environment, social services or healthcare.  But war, finance and other topics lack female feedback.

That really pissed me off. That’s not the women I know. The women I know have things to say and don’t want to wait for an opportunity to say it. They create their opportunities. The women I know are strong and don’t say things to shock; they say things that matter because it MATTERS. I want that from my politicians and especially from my female politicians.

If there’s anything that this country needs, it’s more dialogue for and between women on topics that we rarely talk about.  We need to get angry.  It’s time.  We’ve not been active enough politically, socially, poetically about the things that greatly affect our lives.

At some point in 2010, I’ll be launching a contest.  I want to hear women’s voices on the topic of war and I want it to be HUGE.  (Le concours sera en Anglais ainsi qu’en Français).  Until the details of this idea become clearer and materialize, I want us to talk more about this stuff.  I want our female politicians to be stronger and louder and more confident.

I’m including a few videos with this post because my latest addiction has been French female rap.  There’s power in both spoken word and rap music that really deserves to be explored more by women.

J’ai passé quelques jours à faire de la recherche quant au rap féminin et j’ai trouver deux vidéos que j’adore pour leur pouvoir et leur message.  (Bon, j’me trouve finalement en train d’écrire en français et j’me sens tellement plus à l’aise.  Mon blogue devrait être un peu plus bilingue, eh?)

Donc les femmes, on se fâche un peu plus.  On laisse faire nos anciennes habitudes d’étiquette, de politesse.. y’a trop de choses à dire!  Écoutons, apprenons, laissons-nous présenter nos opinions, nos commentaires, nos inquiétudes, nos pensées, nos poêmes.  Disons ‘NON’ quand on veut dire ‘non’.  Disons ‘OUI’ pas afin de plaire mais afin de dire, ‘oui’, je veut le faire, je veut en parler: je n’ai plus peur.  Confiance.

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