National Poetry Month...Giovanni Rentas "speaks."

In the Second Anniversary issue, aaduna will kick-off publishing spoken word artists whose poetry is at its best when performed. We will publish two of Giovanni's pieces in print and provide a video of him performing those pieces as well as two others that we will not print. In this way, our readership can see the dynamism of seeing and hearing spoken word versus reading, the same work in a printed format.   (Tim Ogene, our recently appointed contributing editor for poetry, will offer his insights and advice on this burgeoning style of poetic expression in the non-fiction section of the journal.)

To continue our celebration of National Poetry Month, we are sharing the unedited version of "Enough" in print.  You are encouraged to check out Giovanni’s performance of this piece in the forthcoming issue.  You can then judge your reaction to seeing and hearing the vibrancy of spoken word poetry.

Enough

I awoke

When "they" told us we had to start

Stacking ketchup and mustard packets

Neatly into their bins.

Neatly one by one!!

Each packet!!

One by one!!

I'm done!

I awoke

When I saw

The majority

Of my fellow

Employees,

Were of the Latin minority

Accepting the

Conformity,

In

Taking orders

So one day

They can have

Seniority...

I awoke

When the man I was working for,

A man I never seen or met before,

Commanded me by "hey you scrape this gum off my floor"

Or you’re fired!!!

I know I wrote Giovanni on the application when I got

Hired!!??

I awoke

When they told me

All I will amount to

Is the change I count to!

"Your change is 35cents"

Thank you!!

No

Thank You!!

Because of you

I awoke!

Never will my days,

Be filled with repeat,

Slaving In a hot box

With jail dimensions

Of 5 feet,

Pretzel ovens

And hotdog grills,

Stepping in my own sweat

Which was knee deep!!

In this hell they don't repair your broken back

They replace it

Your life is worth more

Don't waste it

I awoke!

I awoke!

I awoke!!

Bendiciones will come

For the chains have broke!!

N.B. "Bendiciones" means blessings.

THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY ISSUE IS COMING…SOON…ARE YOU EXCITED?