Produced in collaboration with The Poetry Foundation, Ours Poetica was started in 2019 with this simple idea: Reading the words you love.
And that’s what this entire channel is all about. Poems, both original and classic, begin with an introducton and explanation from the reader to let listeners know what they’re about to experience.
Some poems focus on general concepts, while others get into specifics. For the most part, they’re fairly family friendly, but some wade into darker territory. And, like always, poetry is open to interpretation.
Some of the poems talk about life, religion, God, travel, wanderlust, love, passion, the importance of hard work and the value in community.
One poem in particular is called “BBHMM,” which stands for “B–ch better have my money.” This poem is a reaction to a song of the same name by Rhianna. It describes the music video attached to the song. We hear someone yearning to enjoy a “blunt,” wanting “to be naked,” and getting excited over lynching a white woman. We also hear references to prostitution, oral sex, a visit to a gynecologist and some profanity. The poem itself could encourage listeners to look up the music video which is rated MA for graphic and pornographic content.
A few poems deal with the difficulties of death. Some will deal with issues related to sensuality and sexuality.
In our digital age, it’s easy to see how something like poetry could take a backseat to more exciting online pursuits. But for lovers of the word—especially if you’ve got a younger student who likes to express himself or herself poetically—a channel like Ours Poetica could prove a rich source of inspiration and encouragement, as long as your family pays attention to occasional landmines like the example noted above.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
