Writing on Week Nineteen

This past week was out of the ordinary, as I attended a nude poetry reading at the Solstice Cafe. The event was called "Poetry in the Raw" and was a fundraiser to send a local team of poets to Halifax to compete in the National Poetry Slam. These seven brave poets: Steven J. Thompson, Missie Peters, RadaR, strong.cottonwoods, Jane Bee and shaye avec i grec bared their souls, and everything else, on stage to a warm, understanding and receptive audience. Their performances were so powerful, the nudity was secondary. After a short time, the general focus was taken off their bodies and invested in their beautifully vulnerable words - all recited from memory.
A portion of the audience also showed their support to the troupe by stripping down as well. Myself included. I spent the latter part of the evening comfortably baring 'my girls', and didn't think twice about it or for one minute feel oggled by some disrespectful spectator. The environment was safe, the vibe was good and the context was clear. We were being human, together, and the poetry was set on promoting positive body image and self-actualization. Beautiful. I am sending out my best wishes to these amazing poets - set the competition on fire!!