Khadijah, Hermine, Jamal, and Natalie. I have never been a great fan of poetry, mainly because of my inability to understand the most profound forms, but these four poets captured my attention from beginning to end. I did not know what to expect before listening to these four poets recite their own and other's readings. Once it began, it proved worth my while to be in attendence. The first poet to speak, and my favorite speaker of them all, was Khadijah Queen. There were two things that captured my attention most about Khadijah, however in no sexual reference: her soft and soothing voice and her extreme beauty. It was as if these two things completely calmed the room, even before she began to recite her poems. The first poem she read, which she stated to be about love and violence, was a tad bit confusing. Poetry is truely an art form, and is extremely complicated. Yet, I was still engaged in her poems, even in my confusion. She spoke slowly and softly, and continously paused for just a short moment, adding an even more dramatic effect to her poems. Her last poem, "White Teeth," was I admit painful to hear. About a man biting off the nipple of his girlfriend, I found myself cringing as she spoke. However, I still found it to be a beautiful poem, ending with the lines "Even after it heals, I wonder if she will still find his white teeth irresistable." The second speaker I found very unique. She incorporated song within her last poem, "A Song For Mama". In a way, poetry is like music to the others. I thought her poetry was very creative. The third speaker, Jamal, was opposite from the first Khadijah. He spoke louder and at a much faster pace. Yet, his poetry focusing on war and "advice"(one on how to safely take a gun out of your mouth and second how to disappear completely) was just as engaging. I especially liked his last poem, "Did You Feel It?," which tells the story of a veteran who is unable to happily live life because of his post-traumatic stress from the war. The last poet, Natalie, a Native American (or Indian, as she calls herself) spoke dramatically. Each of the incerpts she read was personal. Telling the crowd about her crystal-meth addicted brother and the hardship of life on the reservation, she immediately allowed the crowd into her life and feel sympathy as she read her poems. Each of these poets are extremely talented. I find each of them inspiring. They all admited that writing does not bring them much money, so they have to work extra hard to make a living. Yet, they do not mind because they cannot imagine themselves in a life without their passion for writing. I hope to be able to live my dream as they do everyday.