Favorited: Rudy Francisco
Poet shoutout and studying spoken word
Renowned spoken word poet Rudy Francisco recently performed at the Motor House, a popular art museum and event venue in Baltimore. Francisco, known for his engaging and relatable poetry, took on an unexpected role at the event by personally scanning tickets at the entrance. His performance blended humor and poetry seamlessly, creating an intimate atmosphere that captivated the audience. His effortless transitions between comedic moments and thought-provoking verse.
Rudy’s honest, his experiences are relatable and his expression so powerful it squeezes the heart like wringing out a wet rag.
Rudy has always been a favorite poet of mine. As someone who studied poetry endlessly in high school, was the editor of a lit magazine and emerging poet myself, Rudy was someone I looked up to and always dreamt of meeting and interacting with. Rudy’s work is raw, unique, and has incredible ability to generate tears and laughter in the same poem. What I mean by raw is there is no shielding emotions in his poems. Rudy’s honest, his experiences are relatable and his expression so powerful it squeezes the heart like wringing out a wet rag.
Rudy Francisco is a one of the most recognized voices in Spoken Word Poetry. At the age of 21, Rudy completed his B.A in Psychology and decided to continue his education by pursuing a M.A. in Organizational Studies. As an artist, Rudy Francisco is an amalgamation of social critique, introspection, honesty and humor. He uses personal narratives to discuss the politics of race, class, gender and religion while simultaneously pinpointing and reinforcing the interconnected nature of human existence.
Francisco is the author of three full-length poetry collections, Helium (Button Poetry, 2017), I’ll Fly Away (Button Poetry, 2020) and Excuse Me As I Kiss the Sky (Button Poetry, 2023). Rudy was the first spoken word poet to perform on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and was most recently seen on ABC’s The Bachelorette as the contestant’s poetry coach.
Excerpt from Rudy Francisco’s biography on the Button Poetry website.
Sometimes writers, those experimenting with poetry or simply seeking inspiration to cure writers’ block, lean on an author’s style or iterate on a favorite piece to encourage our own writing. Here is a poem I live, by Rudy:
My Honest Poem
I was born on July 27th, I hear that makes me a Leo
I don't really know what that means
I'm 5 foot 6... and a half. I weigh a hundred and forty-five pounds
I don't know how to swim, and I'm a sucker for a girl with a nice smile
And clean sneakers
I'm still learning how to whisper
I'm often loud in places where I should be quiet
I'm often quiet in places where I should be loud
I was born feet first and I've been backwards ever since
I like ginger ale... a lot.
I've been told that I give really bad hugs
People say that it feels like I'm trying to escape
Sometimes it's because I am, and secretly I get really nervous
Every time someone gets close enough to hear me breathe
I have this odd fascination with things like sandcastles and ice sculptures
I assume it's because I usually find myself dedicating time to
things
That will only last a few moments
That's also why I tend to fall in love with women
Who would never love me back
I know it sounds crazy, but it's actually much easier than it seems
And to be honest, I think it's safer that way
See relationships, they often remind me that I'm not afraid of heights or falling
But I'm scared of what's gonna happen
The moment that my body hits the ground
I'm clumsy. Yesterday, I tripped over my self-esteem
I landed on my pride and it shattered like an iPhone with a broken face
Now I can't even tell who's trying to give me a compliment
I've never been in the military, but I have this Purple Heart
I got it from beating myself up over things I can't fix
I know it sounds weird but sometimes,
I wonder what my bed sheets say about me when I'm not around
I wonder what the curtains would do if they found out
About all the things that I've done behind their backs
I've got a hamper that's overflowing with really, really loud mistakes
And a graveyard in my closet, I'm afraid that if I let you see my skeletons
You'll grind my bones into powder and get high on my fault lines
Hi, my name is Rudy
I enjoy frozen yogurt, people watching
And laughing for absolutely no reason at all
But I don't allow myself to cry as often as I need to
I have solar-powered confidence, I have a battery-operated smile
My hobbies include editing my life story, hiding behind metaphors
And trying to convince my shadow that I'm someone worth following
I don't know much, but I do know this
I know that heaven is full of music
I know God listens to my heart beat on his iPod
It reminds him that we still got work to do.
See Rudy perform My Honest Poem:
My challenge to you all, this week, is to write ‘An Honest Poem,’ inspired by Rudy Francisco. Yes, you! Put your pen to the paper and just write.
Stay real, rabbits!