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Becky Who

Updated: Fri, 16 Jul 2021 11:06 pm

https://beckywhopoetry.blogspot.com/

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Biography

I am a slam poet who writes in English but lives in France, so I can genuinely claim to be often misunderstood. My dreams are to 1) be in print one day 2) slam in an English-speaking country. The whole wrong language/country thing makes it hard for me to enter competitions and such-like, but I did get through to the second round of the Grenoble heats of the 2018 "Nuits du Slam" which was pretty cool as the only "foreigner" there. As most of my poems are written to be performed, they don't always look quite so effective on the page. Please consider checking out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC47q4xrBnen1E3zACiOBx_A/featured I'm really happy to have found the WOL community - I find it a really friendly and encouraging place to share and discuss texts. Thanks guys!

Samples

There's a poem There’s a poem in your eyes I caught a glimpse as our paths crossed You looked elsewhere, a little lost Frowning about the everyday Missing house keys, bills to pay But deep down I saw a sadness that ached To be given words before it’s too late. There’s a poem in your mouth Yes, the booze is talking for you Tongue loosened by a drink or two But somewhere in your wine-soaked words A heart-felt message can be heard And treasured, to give to life some meaning Far beyond a pleasant drunken evening. There’s a poem on your lips There may be so much left to say But there the words will have to stay As now we are alone at last The time for speech has surely passed And if your lips quiver with things unsaid Let us put them to other tasks instead There’s a poem in my mind The moment I first saw your face The words began to fall in place But art, like love, can lose its way As time slips by, I know some day This poem will be all that’s left for me To hold and keep you safe in memory.

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.

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Comments

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Ian Whiteley

Mon 23rd Sep 2019 22:36

thanx for commenting on True Nature Becky - glad you liked it ?

Devon Brock

Thu 27th Jun 2019 22:41

Thanks for the likes, Becky. Looking forward to digging into your work. Reading your bio, I understand how difficult it is to present slam poetry on the page. On the page, lines gotta break somewhere, though sometimes those breaks are at odds with the rhythm of the voice. That is why I always read poetry aloud, ignoring the breaks. Doing so allows one to truly hear the voice of the poet.

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Ian Whiteley

Wed 3rd Apr 2019 13:38

thanks for the comment on 'recipe for disaster' Becky - glad you liked it ?

Alo Fettig

Fri 18th Jan 2019 09:35

how are you doing, i know that i did not say much about myself because I have a special reason of contacting you. write to me because is confidential, OK ( robinsonmike4999@gmail.com )

Big Sal

Wed 2nd Jan 2019 01:03

Happy New Year! ?

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M.C. Newberry

Thu 1st Nov 2018 15:49

Thanks for the link that you put on the "Royal Mint" blog.
It seems to me personally a case of "IF the spirit is willing..." for a successful outcome.
MC

Big Sal

Wed 31st Oct 2018 01:33

Thank you for taking part in something great. I will update you on anything of the book if you wish, just let me know.

Keep writing gems and keep going the distance.?? Your delivery and well-thought out flow make for something great.

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Taylor Crowshaw

Sat 27th Oct 2018 17:39

Hi Becky thanks once again for your lovely comment..?

<Deleted User> (19836)

Sun 7th Oct 2018 18:58

Thank you so much for commenting on my POTW. I do appreciate it!?

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Ian Whiteley

Tue 2nd Oct 2018 18:50

thanks for the comment on 'Bevin Boy' Becky - and congratulations on your poem of the week - sorry it's taken me a while to respond - I've been absent from the site for a couple of weeks
Ian

Big Sal

Sun 30th Sep 2018 15:13

John is right Becky, the talented need to keep at it.?

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John Marks

Sun 30th Sep 2018 00:49

Hello Becky. I had to write to tell you just how much I admire and like "There's a poem". The music of the poem is wonderful and the rhythm and metre are perfect. We all need to read between the lines of people's lives: not many adults escape unscathed and I certainly need to listen more closely both to what people say and what they don't say.


somewhere in your wine-soaked words
A heart-felt message can be heard

Best wishes. Keep writing, you are talented.


John E Marks

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Mae Foreman

Sat 29th Sep 2018 14:11

Hi Becky! Thank you for your nice words about my poem! I like your sample as well!
And I, too, love the idea of expressing oneself in a language other than their native one! For the same reason I like learning foreign languages! So far I know English, French and Turkish plus my mother language! I think it's fascinating to be able to see the world through eyes other than you own, to be able to communicate directly with people fron entirely different cultures. And let's face it, English is "linua franca", a universal language! It brings people who know it together! Keep slamming!

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Mae Foreman

Fri 28th Sep 2018 18:20

Becky, solidarite! I know how you feel! English is not my mother language either but I love it so much! I can't help it! It's the tongue of my heart! I write and think and read in it as much as I can! Kudos for putting your work out there! ?

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Ian Whiteley

Sun 16th Sep 2018 12:40

thanks for commenting on 'Above The Light Of The Morning Star' Becky - I'm pleased that you liked it :-)
Ian

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John Marks

Sun 16th Sep 2018 01:01

Thanks for noticing Becky.

Big Sal

Mon 3rd Sep 2018 14:20

Thanks for taking notice on the collaboration Becky.

To answer your questions, the collaboration was easy, went well, and I hope to do it again sometime. I actually wrote a follow-up verse for another poem called "Megalomania MV", and was just waiting for Ferris to have time so he could finish his verse.

We both wrote our verses separately, and then sent each other the verses so we could see it all together as one. From there I simply posted it after editing for grammar and mistakes.

If you would like to write a verse for it or another one so we could put it up, feel free to. Anything you come up with would be sufficient. If not, no worries!

<Deleted User> (19836)

Sat 18th Aug 2018 19:54

Hi Becky, I absolutely loved the comment you made on "Who Am I". Thank you. Jane?

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Taylor Crowshaw

Tue 14th Aug 2018 07:45

Thanks Becky. It is a complex relationship mother and daughter. I have 7 daughters it is hard to get it right. I miss my mum every day even tho at times we could clash strong personalities..xx

<Deleted User> (19913)

Sun 12th Aug 2018 02:17

Thanks for your comment on Jazz Becky. Look forward to dicovering more of your work.

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Martin Elder

Mon 6th Aug 2018 17:43

Hi Becky
Thanks for reading my sample poems and commenting on them. reading yours I concur with Frances you have a real talent and from the way you write a real passion that you need to keep feeding. I love the way your sample poem flows with that leading line There's a poem.....
Wonderful
I look forward to reading more

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Taylor Crowshaw

Sun 5th Aug 2018 09:19

Thanks for feedback Becky always good to receive.
?

d.knape

Sun 5th Aug 2018 03:26

who
is Becky Who

we wish we
only knew

the name's familiar
too

Oh
Horton Hears A
Who.

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Tommy Carroll

Sun 22nd Jul 2018 18:15

Ta la Tommy ,- )

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Becky Who

Sat 21st Jul 2018 23:21

Thank you so much Frances Macaulay Forde for your kind words – they really mean so much to me, especially as I am very new to putting myself “out there” poetically online. You may be amused to know this sample poem (which does need a title, now you mention it) actually exists in 2 versions – the original is much freer in its rhythm and rhyming scheme, but somehow I couldn’t leave the text alone until I’d got the pattern to match in every verse.

Regarding describing myself as a slam poet – I hadn’t considered the label as a restriction as such, but I have to say I chose this particular poem to post as a sample because it is one I consider to be closer to “page poetry” than “slam poetry”. The relationship between these art forms fascinates me. I guess a lot of poetry (although not all) can be successfully presented in oral form, and can benefit from being recited well, but for me slam poetry really needs to be performed to be fully what it is. Page poetry can make paper sing, but a lot of slam poetry loses something when restricted to written form. I have always tinkered with words, but my discovery of the slam scene allowed me to at last find my writing voice, and to also get my adrenalin fix from the performance “buzz”. Now I am keen to explore other poetic forms too. Unfortunately living in a non-anglophone country limits my opportunities for exchange and for getting some measure of the success of my writing (and performances). So I was overjoyed to find this website!

Thank you again, I look forward to exchanging further!

Frances Macaulay Forde

Sat 21st Jul 2018 02:33

Nice to 'meet' you Becky Who.
I absolutely loved every considered and carefully placed word of your sample poem which I presume is entitled 'There's a poem...'
I will certainly make sure I read everything you post, so looking forward to many more from you.

IMHO the words of this poem demonstrate a heightened poetic ability but you restrict the perception of your talent - you are so much more than a 'slam' poet!

d.knape

Tue 17th Jul 2018 11:16


thanks for reading my poem and commenting.
now i can go on.
Becky Who?
are you really a Who?
who knows.

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Becky Who

Mon 16th Jul 2018 15:05

Thank you Nicola Hulme, I really appreciate it. I'm rather new to all this...

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Nicola Hulme

Thu 12th Jul 2018 12:20

I love this Becky, well done.

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