Meet my friend Therosia, and meet her stage.
On Saturday, January 25, I had the privilege of sitting in on one of her live shows and the recording of her DVD called "Love 2 Life."
The poetry night was held at First Baptist Church in Tempe, where my friend, my brother and I rode the elevator up to the second floor where the performance took place. We emerged into a room of friendly, anticipatory faces, snacking on Sun Chips and drinking sodas. Wandering toward the performance area, we were met by Therosia's wonderful paintings, which she was auctioning off for a wonderful cause.
The night was dedicated to raising money for the International Justice Mission and their fight against the horrible realities of human trafficking. The International Justice Mission partners with state and local authorities to intervene in human trafficking situations. Not only do they work to remove individuals from these hostile situations, but they also help them through the process of recovery afterward.
With this in mind, Therosia took the stage to share her beautiful gifts and talents in poetry and song. Mind you, I had seen her perform one of her pieces a week earlier at a retreat. However, nothing prepared me for the amazingness that ensued.
I have been to spoken word events in the past, but this was different. Therosia performed with a live band. The room had organized lines of seats, but also maintained some interspersed round tables draped in tablecloths and dimmed lighting from red-encased candles.
The poetry told the story of a woman in love and each piece reflected a part of Therosia's life. I can barely put into words how wonderful and mind-blowing it was to experience the performances. Each song had its own voice and character, cracking drums, the flow of guitar strings, heart-wrenching piano.
Naturally, I decided to pre-order the DVD of the show, which she was recording. By purchasing her work, we were also able to donate to her organization of choice, helping to better the outcome for those in human trafficking situations.
In an earlier blog post in the fall, I had mentioned how I thought literature was magical because of the fact that it fits into every facet of society. Here, word, while it wasn't written, became a body for change. Words have meaning, and Therosia's words had a powerful intention.
You can learn more about the Love 2 Life event here, and if you so choose, go like Therosia's Facebook page here!
I'd love to know about more spoken word poetry nights! You can reach me at arabusa@asu.edu or on Twitter @marie_eo.
