On Friday, October 19, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) and International School of Beijing (ISB) gathered at YCIS for a meeting of the words with The Bookworm Poetry Project Finals. The students spent the week before the inter-school slam honing their word skills with guest slam poets Luka Lesson, Omar Musa, and Bodhan Piasecki, and finalists from both schools showcased their hard work in a friendly yet raucous inter-school slam-off. Check out two of the winning poems at the end of this post.
Before the 16 finalists took to the stage for the competition, visiting poets Lesson, Musa, and Piasecki each performed one or two of their works, which included singing, rap-style rhyming, and prose. By request, Piasecki, who is from Poland, performed his work about the linguistic and spiritual toils of learning a second language, which in his case was English.
Three people had the unenviable task of judging each of the finalists: Josh Kernan of The Hutong, Danni Zheng of Split Works and JUE Music and Art Festival, and Vicky Mohieddeen of Electric Shadows. As the finalists performed their pieces, students from both schools whooped, clapped, and stomped their feet in appreciation of particularly poignant or amusing lines or works.
After a brief but no doubt tortured deliberation, the judges awarded first place to ISB student Kevin Liao, who is in grade 11. Second place went to ISB grade 10 student Vivian Zhang. Tied for third place were YCIS students Hugo Lesage, who is in year 9C, and ISB student Rebecca Qian, who is in grade 12. Special recognition went to YCIS student Gianna Chun for her performance, and to ISB student Amanda Song for her deft rhyming.
Kadi Hughes, program and marketing manager for The Bookworm and emcee of Friday’s slam, said that coordinating the slam with this year’s Poetry Project is “a great way to engage with the community and with students. Ultimately the project was not about who won, but rather about creating an event and environment that encourages these incredibly talented kids to write and perform for each other.” Visiting poet Luka Lesson will perform at 8pm tonight, October 26, at The Bookworm.
Below are two poems from the competition. The first, Dear God, is by winner Kevin Liao. The second, called My Brother, is by YCIS winner Hugo Lesage.
Dear God
Dear God,
This is your epitaph on the tombstone for the hold you held on my life.
For tonight there is nothing left for me but remembrance of our strife.
Dear God,
I’m lying in a pile of broken glass.
Is there nothing you can do? Can you help me at all?
When push came to shove why did you let me fall?
Dear God,
I was laughed at in Biology when they taught us evolution.
Where were you to help me defend myself or start a revolution?
No pain no gain, but I’ll make this simple and plain, I hurt and you weren’t there.
Dear God,
He’s gay. He hided it, concealed it, put it away, and tried to keep his feelings at bay–
But even the simplest of feelings could betray.
That’s how they found out and told him he’s going to hell.
God’s mad, they say, so don’t ask, don’t tell.
Dear God,
They’re fighting.
The glass is cutting into my skin. It’s biting.
They curse and yell each other’s name,
and sometimes I think it’s my blame.
I’m praying to you. Are you listening?
I’m looking for you. Are you glistening?
My knees are scraped and bleeding.
I’m looking to you and I’m pleading.
Dear God,
I think I might be letting go, breaking the flow, and I feel different but really not ambivalent.
Because when you’re gone I can synthesize without the need to proselytize.
I can follow without wallow. Without the need to swallow my pride at every snide remark.
I don’t have to look for a sign that I’m not mine nor shy away from the fear that I might die. In fright that the next thing I do is a crime–
because I’m running a race of time away from the clock of death that might chime–
at any moment.
This is most lamentable because it’s not acceptable to cut your ties
and stop the lies from flowing into your head.
Now I’m drowning in a pool of my own blood God, and you know what?
I think you’re cruel.
Others might find me rude or offensive or get very defensive—
But I hope they don’t mind that I find that there’s a line that I crossed– and I can’t go back.
There’s a fire that I used to have that I now lack.
For I don’t hate you nor judge your belief,
I’m just saying mine ended up giving me nothing but grief.
Dear God,
This is your epitaph on the tombstone for the hold you held on my life.
For tonight there is nothing left for me but remembrance of our strife.
by Kevin Liao
My Brother
My brother’s called Antoine, he likes reading comics,
His birthday is the 3rd of December 96.
He likes music, sports and is very ambitious,
And whenever he wants to help he’s super generous.
He started taking drum lessons at the age of 8,
And now he became a pro someday he’s going to be the best.
He plays at church, in a band, and in a musical,
He even learned piano, guitar and saxophone.
If I have any trouble doing my homework,
He just comes and says “YO! Do you need any help?”
He’s in CFLB, so he helps me with Chinese,
And sometimes I really don’t know I say “Hey! What are these?
I haven’t told you how he looks; he’s handsome and strong,
He grew up in summer, he’s 180 cm long.
Now everyday he works out to get some six packs
And his hair cut’s freaking awesome he should never wear a hat.
My brother’s actually pretty good at school
He got many A* this is really cool
But now he gets to choose all the subjects he will do
So it’s easier to get good grades “Phew!”
I see him every day, he composes some songs,
He uses many instruments including the Gongs!
He never made a rock song, or reggae, or pop,
But he’s really into it looks like he will never stop.
My brother has a BIG… Quality!
He meets random people, they chat very easily
He talks about his life and asks them some questions
And when we have to leave he says “Wait, just a second!”
When he goes to the toilet he stays there for an hour
Because he reads magazines about computers
He likes any kind of technology
When he repairs our PCs he says “this is really easy”
Every Saturday my brother and I play tennis.
When we play together we just try not to miss.
When I play with him I experience true bliss.
Someday he should be called Antoine Twiss.
If he plays basketball he plays like this.
Go to the three point line, shoot, and SWISH!
He is really good at sports, he can run really fast.
He’s just STOP… He’s the best
My brother’s called Antoine, he likes reading comics,
His birthday is the 3rd of December 96.
He likes music, sports and is very ambitious,
And whenever he wants to help he’s super generous.
Hugo Lesage
Photos by Ellis Friedman
