Monrovia – On Saturday, March 31, 2018, the Liberia Poetry Society (LPS) hosted its monthly Open Mic Night Poetry Showcase at A La Lagoon Hotel and Restaurant on the Congo Town Backroad in Paynesville.
Adrienne Tingba, Contributing Writer
The show, with a diverse demographic of attendees, showcased the talents of the amazing members of the LPS, a 25 member poetry initiative founded by William Pharell Anderson, and encouraged its audience to engage the show by performing works of their own. Invited by a member of the LPS, Ingel Sabrina Clay, I was opportune to attend and share some poems of my own. The event, overall, was well attended, and served as a platform for young people to share their emotions through carefully thought-out poetry.
There is a short poem by Mallarm that says; “Poetry is the language of Crisis”, and with every performance by members of the LPS and the audience, those words kept resurfacing in the back of my mind. “Poetry is the language of crisis”…. The topics explored by each Poet carried this theme of crisis. Through their performances, it was apparent what types of crisis the youth of Liberia are experiencing as they poured their hearts out with words.
In the Liberian society, the voices of the youth are often silenced and not given much attention. In fact, it is speculated and stereotyped, that the youth do not have many insightful ideas or thoughts as pertaining to the issues of the society which directly or indirectly affects them. However, through the medium of Poetry, they are making their voices heard in hopes of reaching the general public and educating them on the emotional, physical, and mental challenges they are faced with. There were poems on issues such as; Suicide, Racism in Africa, Racism outside of Africa, Religion, Sex, Jealousy, the increasing drug and drinking habits of the Liberian youth, etc.
With the profound exploration of such topics by young people, it is inspiring to see where the future of the nation is headed.
Poetry is the language of crisis, and through this language, the young people of Liberia are ensuring their voices are not only heard, but also recognized.
The Liberia Poetry Society encourages new members to reach out to them and join via social media: Instagram/Facebook: LiberiaPoetrySociety.
Interested parties are also welcome to attend their monthly open mic night, which is held every last Saturday of the month. There you can meet and engage with members of the LPS.