"Crutches"

"It's hard for me to express myself /'cause I can't protect myself if I'm exposed."
- Britney Wilson, Brave New Voices, Team New York

" Look how the smile in your face, then they back bite."
Maino- " Hi Hater"

I don't know how true the first statement is for anyone else, but in my opinion there has never been a more accurate statement uttered in the history of all slam poetry.


For me, when I'm standing there, it's as if I'm naked, skin peeled off and all scars are on display for viewing. I am exposed in a way that the physical eye may not perceive, but that the emotional eye, that third eye, scrutinizes.


There is complete venerability on that stage, in front of those people, you cannot protect yourself from the harsh words, the criticism, the naysayers.

The armour placed around your soul becomes transparent. You put your soul on the line, in hopes that there's that one person out there that hears you, sees you, relates to you.

All to often we let people's negative feed back seep into our subconsciouses like Philly Cheese steak grease through a brown paper bag. You start second guessing your ability, what hurts the most is when you think you've killed it, that you were up in front of the crowd, singing, flowing, dancing, or whatever and everyone is singing praises to you superb delivery, and there's that one... that negative Nancy nigga, that plants the figurative seed of self doubt.
When you're standing there, expelling your truth and spitting out the best and worst parts of you, there will be haters, no doubt.

This is where the Maino quote comes into play. There are those snakes in the grass whose forked tongues cut like two-edged swords that will compliment you to your face and tear you to shreds behind your back.

It disgusts me, causes a revolt in my belly forcing me to heave into the porcelain goddess, that is the toilet, of my mind.

I guess it's a perpetual cycle, they talk shit, I use it as inspiration and they talk more I write more.
It's like the chicken and the egg, which came first, no one seems to know, but the haters just add verses to my prose. ( Rhyme unintended)
Look at me, trying to sound all confident and what not, but I don't want fame, I'm self-conscious and admit it gladly, as the haters smile in my face and then talk behind my back. It's really hard for me to express myself because I can't protect myself if I'm exposed as imperfectly human.