Why Rives is my favorite Slam Poet

"if you still cannot fathom the imagery and ecstasy of
eons or ions
spun into speech
from your actual spasms
by a soul, in a room,
with an immortal mouth
gnashing loudly for true love over loneliness
and moaning to the moon, the moon, the ever-loving moon
so that all the neighbors know it --

-- if you can't fathom that,
don't fuck a poet." from Dirty Talk by Rives
"Last night I dreamt
I was little again and
I could hear back then
but the silence in my house
was deafening."  from Sign Language by Rives

"I was born
as deaf and as quiet as a starfish
but if I had been born a man
I would pray
to the lord above
every night at the top
of my fucking lungs
just to thank him
for giving me
voice." from Sign Language by Rives

"And then maybe I...played with myself,
and it's exactly what you're thinking.
But if I did, it was only to put
the mental motion picture of our naked night together
on replay and replay and replay
so touching myself was just like...
Tivo in a way." from Kite by Rives

"Just so you know--

My weird mind wanders and my brave heart breaks.
I've nailed some milestones, but I've made mistakes,
Cuz I got more faults than a map of California earthquakes.

I am taking a nap beneath your covers.
Wake me if you like me.
Wake me if you want me
Wake me if you need another poem.

Your once and future lover
has made himself at home." from Kite by Rives