SPOKEN WORD POETRY

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POETRY BY MATTHEW S. RUCKER Aside form being a painter, Matthew Rucker is also a Slam Poet and a spoken word performance poet. He has performed his poetry on television, radio and stages both big and small throughout the US. Matthew is the Minnesota Grand Slam and Erotic Slam Champion for 2005 and 2006. He competed against 74 other Slam Teams from around the world as a member of the 2005 Minnesota Slam Team at Poetry Slam Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico and helped lead his team to semi-finals. In 2006 he competed in the Individual World Poetry Slam Championships, in Charolette, NC. Matthew Rucker was a member of the Minneapolis team for the Midwest Slam League in 2003 and 2004, and he is a recipient of the 2004 Verve Grant from SASE (the Write Place) funded by the Jerome Foundation. The Verve Grant is the only spoken word grant in the country. Matthew used the money to develop, produce and host the biggest and most dynamic poetry Slam in Minnesota. The "Soap Boxing" Poetry Slam happens every first Monday, at The Artists' Quarter - a jazz club in Downtown St. Paul. For more information visit www.soap-boxing.com. He retired from competition in 2006. Matthew now devotes his poetic energies to coaching poets in National competitions. The St. Paul Soap Boxing Slam team competed at the National Poetry Slam in 2007 and 2008. They made to semi-finals both times, finishing in 15th place overall in '07 and 13th place overall in '08. Under Matthew's coaching, the St. Paul Soap Boxing Slam team took first place at the 2009 National Poetry Slam in West Palm Beach, FL. Proving that St. Paul has one of the best Slam scenes in the country, and some of the world's best Slam poets.     Matthew has a chap book for sale, "Fragile" (just five dollars each) Refer to the contact page to send us an e-mail to order a book or to get more information. You can also request info on upcoming events, competitions, and appearances. Wanna hear his spoken word instead of read it? Matthew now has a spoken word CD "Something About My Pants" Available now for just ten bucks. It contains 13 of his best poems - both live and studio recordings. Below are three of Matthew's Performance poems... Enjoy!. Sorry - but content is not edited - read on with caution.   to find out more about Poetry Slam visit www.poetryslam.com or www.soap-boxing.com
“NEVER ENOUGH”   I’ve got a big can of gasoline here and I’ve painted rooftops and lawns cleaned up the abandoned lots and placed artificial flowers on the top of every weed it’s prettier from up there, so spin the prop I - might be prettier, from up there   I wish I were chocolate I wish I were a kitten Anything that brings that sparkle glow to your eyes THAT – smile, to your face   I don’t build airplanes that were never meant to fly and I sure as hell wouldn’t climb in one and push it off a cliff I learned those lessons when I thought I was invincible and still lived through it   But who cares about falling – who cares about flying? I want to be the sky the sky you stare at and daydream of flying and falling and falling in love with clouds who shadow and shelter and cool you from the burning sun you love so much as it bakes your skin thicker than my needles can plunge   Tell me - the truth tell me where the lock is – where hope is buried because time hasn’t pried your tongue away from your teeth or bent your lip to a smile, let alone an answer   Anything - to be Sunday - a child’s eyes a perfect glass of wine on a Tiki lit porch something softer, smaller, safer a happy place – better and calm   When they ask who you love you’d say my name when they leave you alone for too long you’d call my name when they pull your teeth you’d scream my name   I am – the one the one who won’t step on your feet on the dance floor the one who won’t bite your kiss, bounce your heart, look – away   I’ve run the stats on my life and I am a good man but I wish I were chocolate I wish I were a kitten (I guess sweet, brown, and covered in fur just ain’t enough)   Instead, I’m your ocean beautiful and blue filled with a million dangers   But why jump in, when you can just – watch the waves when the beach soft sand and sun lets you rest and cry without competition and nothing – a piňa colada can’t fix as I drown myself   I - will - be - sleep, vacation, a winning lotto ticket, the honey – not the bee the party – not the mess the sexy dream and no alarm to interrupt it   climb in I’ll take you up there and prove it I’ve built it well and we’ll land hard, and bruised - but happy with a “Holy shit, what a ride” grin on our faces and you’ll see my hands are warm and I’ll see more, than bricks   Take a bite I taste like chocolate   Run your hand down my back I promise I’ll purr.
“WE”   We sweet tooth stare at each other like desserts we were too full to finish Lying in bed – naked and warm hands on our bellies – forks in hand   As we wait to digest sex and restore our hunger back to obsession she slips passed my permission and lets trip the question “What are we? what is this?”   At this – I need wait – no more I pull myself over her like a blanket that dreams of being a parachute kiss her twice, then watch her lip quiver dance as I slide inside to answer – with body – language   We are thunder and lightning, meeting like the big bang – on rose pedals moon flower wrapped around morning glory a sunrise at midnight – our shadows are timeless we eclipse perfection   We levitate above the bed like porcelain snowflakes reflecting the light of a sun, too cool to melt us we orbit each other – Jupiter moon dance Spiraling towards a black hole into the eternity that lies behind your eyes the vortex of passion no man can escape – and I – am – man you prove this to me every time we touch every time my hands turn your fear into a match, and light it   This is love baby – violent – vicious – chewing on our necks Tornado man and earthquake woman let’s destroy this bed, together, we will wreak heaven   Two fingers, a tongue, and a dance beat and we will cum until our bodies look like waxed surfboards riding crests of sex – as the otters play on our backs   Two sane people driven mad by passion’s poison dripped from heart tipped arrow wounds bleeding reason – lust transfusion we don’t make good choices no more   Take my hand and lead me to that place of curled toes and bent breath if this be the cleansing – let us be dirty forever you floating dove whisper you make love – like you own the patent   I am wasp on blooming orchid you are Billie Holiday’s voice – in physical form but we are deaf – when our headboard screams for mercy and rotting fists pound casket roofs in protest - to keep it down   I went to hell today just to prove that the desire to see and touch you again were the wings I could use to fly back   You’ll find no secrets here an un-stained glass window in the house of love looking out onto the fields of forever where the children of our minds play hide and seek with reality tag – with divinity – and welcome compared to your reality – my dreams are bad improv my disbelief suspended like a wish in a soap bubble hovering above you one breath – and I am free   You are Christmas, and birthdays, and life wrapped in ribbon arms, curled like fingers my lady gift – we wrap each other delicate and pretty so we can wail in joy, as we tear each other open to reach inside – pull out our gifts – and play   We - are - beautiful we make love so beautifully angels come down from heaven to guide me inside you and their highest choir sings halleluiahs to our orgasms until we fall back into pillows raise sheets over us like white flags   Licking our forks clean not a crumb left on the plate.
“HAPPILY EVER AFTER”                                     So – I was playing pool in a basement bar with a good lookin’ girl we were just friends but ‘round there – that was hardly common knowledge we were smiling and laughing and having a good time it was happy hour after all   –   we were just doin’ our part   Last shot of the night… I look up from the table to gloat about my imminent victory when I saw some guy – some stranger – walk right up and start talking to her now – I may not be linebacker big – but it still took a lot of metal to approach a    ‘could be another man’s girlfriend’    and ask her out and that’s exactly what he did   I didn’t look around the room at that moment – but if I had I’m sure I would have seen Cupid peeking out from behind a barstool because accidents don’t happen like this and crushes don’t give a man the kind of passion required to do what he did and he did and it was at that very moment – Thad Roe – became one of my heroes and consequently – Susan’s future husband   I saw love stirrin’ that night so I stuck around to watch the tornado - and boy did it come spun and danced and tore through them like a trailer park it shook up both their worlds – in all the right ways so much so that they’re still dizzy to this very day   So close - you’d think they were bound together by bungee cords so mushy - they make oatmeal seem stiff so frisky - they make bunnies blush   They’re a match made in heaven           because this is how it was supposed to happen and we are all here as witnesses that there needn’t be princes or witches or a child’s imagination to make a fairytale to come true   So now comes the test of     ‘happily ever after’   As the evolution of a relationship progresses and even changes the very color of the fabric of love and affection we can forget that which was once most important to us, the things that made moving through the day that much easier, or even fun those little things - often replaced by routine and familiarity   Dates - are replaced with errands vacations - with trips to the mall making love - with sitting in front of a television and hands that were once held - may rest in laps, or in pockets   Time is a chisel that hacks away at the very foundation of romance and intimacy routine is the Chinese water torture of monotony, that drives us mad or worse – away from each other           It happens   –   but it doesn't have to   Embrace the way you feel about each other right now remember why you proposed remember why you said yes hold forever in your hearts – the feeling you experience when you say ‘I do’ and your love will always be fresh and exciting   Keep your first kiss in your pocket place memories and moments, in a box on your dresser, like jewelry take them out as often as you can, and wear them proudly   When you’re sitting together on a bench - thirty years from now I want you to do everything in your power to gross out every teenager around with public displays of affection   Young lovers think they have that market cornered           prove them wrong show them that you still have fires raging inside you show them that they are amateurs – and that you are professionals show them that you can love better than the storybooks dare tell and that you will live happily ever after.