Rachel Wiley - When We Were Kings

Rachel Wiley, performing at Camp Bar in Saint Paul, MN.

About Button:

Button Poetry is committed to developing a coherent and effective system of production, distribution, promotion and fundraising for spoken word and performance poetry.

We seek to showcase the power and diversity of voices in our community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.

[PhoebeFayRuthLouise]

“I am woman, hear me roar,
In numbers too big to ignore,
And I know too much
To go back and pretend,
‘Cause I’ve heard it all before,
And I’ve been down there on the floor,
No one’s ever going to
keep me down again...”
—Helen Reddy 1972

[romeodaynar]

This woman is so amazing she gives me reason to fight for who I am

[owenhooks]

“A king of the jungle is she.”
Beautiful.

[sibagesha]

We are coming for what is ours and we will all be kings one day👏😍😭

[penversity]

"Now my niece is 8 and skipping pizza day because all of the sudden she's worried if she's thin enough to be a queen."

There's two issues being raised here. First, how women are held to a standard dictated by what men like. Second, how young her niece is when she feels the need to fit that standard. We do our girls no justice by letting them accept a position as goods for men. Let us do better by our women and children.

[nicholasmartello]

"Your virus of glass" God I love her words almost as much as her voice.

[horsecrazy]

"swallows the right answers in class so as not to look too smart" this was literally me in third grade wow

[norelyly]

"King of the jungle,
Is she.
Now, my niece is eight and skipping pizza day,
Because all of a sudden, she's worried if she's thin enough
To be a Queen."

[letkettlecook]

Love her, this is on my bucket list. Wish I was brave enough.

[DamnItDylan]

Holy shit. I wanna share this poem with everyone I know.

[VinoVenitas]

This was amazing. I loved every line. Thanks for sharing this one

[tankyankee]

"YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER TOO."

She's serious about that. Be careful.

[emillyneary]

that was beautiful... absolutely fucking beautiful

[bqwadseertg]

Rachel will help her niece to be strong and be the perfect lion, I know it. I say this just based off of how every one of her poems makes me feel.

[pulchritudohumana]

if you're a teacher, don't give positive feedback when a little boy repeats an answer that a girl just made, and don't forget to give positive feedback when a girl corrects a boy.

[Zom.ba]

That's what a bad bitch looks like

[anthonyourbrother]

Make sure you ladies help train the right warriors... n'we'll take down all the poachers

[williamshepherd]

I have never wanted to punch a person more.

[HebrewsElevenTwentyFive]

Where were these women when men were fighting off lions and other beasts of the jungle to defend the caves. When men went off to war to protect our families time and time again. When we were underground in the mines, when we were constructing the cosy buildings you so love, when we were making sure that you had healthy conditions and modern medication so birth was safer and so much more. You were fine with being protected, now we give you the western world, air conditioned work environments, camera equipment, lighting, healthy living conditions, complete freedom of expression and speech, freedom to be obese and stand on a stage expressing your hatred of men who have created the fairest society for women *on Earth* . And this is your response? Zero gratitude. Whats worse is that 3rd wave feminists like this will jump to Islam's defence over ANY criticism despite their EVIL treatment of women. It would be comical if it wasn't so tragic. Also "We Wuz Kangz".