For my found poem, I chose to focus on the issue of sexual harassment. The poem is based off of the song “Break a Bitch Neck” by Akinyele featuring Kool G Rap. Immediately after reading the graphic lyrics to this song, I knew I needed to talk about it. Derogatory language is unfortunately common in a lot of hip hop and rap music today, and it promotes the taking advantage of women and using them for their bodies. As a woman myself, I found it extremely offensive and repulsive. That is why I used the artist’s words against him to speak from the perspective of the victims of such cruelty.
I started by using words such as “dancin’ girls” and “living dead” to symbolize the way in which sexual harassment destroys spirits and takes lives away from innocent people. I ended the poem with a hint of revolution, concluding with the line “you’re a woman” in order to make is clear that being a woman is a strength… not a weakness. I added rips and cracks filled with flowers along the edges of the paper to correlate with the title, symbolizing the power of women to grow from their experiences and persevere.
After creating my own found poem, I can’t even imagine filling an entire book! I really admire the way in which this form of art can take one thing and make it a completely new one through a new perspective. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that change can only be made if we change our perspective first.
