Poetic Revelations: My Journey into Soul Fire Wednesdays

By Kiana Jones

My poetic debut at Soul Fire

      I had the privilege of attending LLP and Southern Word’s Soul Fire Spoken Word and Poetry Club session this past Wednesday night. This event is held on Wednesdays at 5:00 P.M. in Humanities Room 103 hosted by faculty adviser Dr. Michelle Pinkard and Tia Smedley of Southern Word.
       There were many colorful words spoken in this fiery session from listening about the streets of St. Louis to Dr. Pinkard challenging us with word games to “think about things deep but not profound”. 

       When you first walk into a Soul Fire workshop, you will note a prompt on the board. This week's prompt explored the importance of the process of questioning: “Sometimes the question is the point. Write a poem that begins with a question about your life…see where it takes you."   I felt the best method of observation was participation, so I wrote a poem starting with the question, “Who is Kiana?” Here is my contribution to the spirit of the eveninging:

Hey y’all it’s ya girl Kiana aka KJ aka Fanny Mae aka School Teacher aka the little country bumpkin from Montgomery, Alabama aka Gumptown

Yes I eat white sauce

Yes I shuck corn

Yes I say “Howdy do!” aka “Hello”

Yes I love eating cornbread and greens

Yes I eat honeysuckle

Yes I have wild hair

Yes I love turkey necks

Yes I’m from the rundown part of Montgomery

However don’t take me being country as dumb

No I don’t know any rednecks

No Alabama isn’t full of incest

No I didn’t live on a farm

And no I don’t like the rebel flag

Again it’s ya girl Kiana aka KJ aka Fanny Mae aka School Teacher aka the little country bumpkin from Montgomery, Alabama

I encourage you to come by Soul Fire on Wednesdays.  The conversation is good, the poetry is live, and the snacks are free.  Until then, I will continue to question what deep, but not profound.