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Judah 1 takes us on a DMT level spiritual trip during ‘Threads and Lines’ as the clique examine expressing spirituality through poetry. Kuya David stands up for page-poetry during the ‘2 Piece’ and they all roast yet another IG poet to ash during the #poetry review. Judah 1 hits the clique with the shortest ‘Five for your Eye’ prompted poem in Pen Clique History!
[EPISODE INDEX]
- 1:06 – “3.2.1. Silence” by Judah 1
- 4:31 – “Threads & Lines”
- 17:06 – 2 Piece Combo | “Suburbia” – Phil Kaye
- 29:05 – 2 Piece Combo | @MS.Reflections
- 34:45 – 5 For Your Eye
A Mic and Dim Lights, a small community open mic running since 2000 in Pomona, CA, was where I first grew to admire Judah 1. I noticed him not only because of his poems but because his work as a leader pushing poetry forward. He was community-focused and had bars and spit with confidence. He would take this skill set to it build in the world outside of open mics and showcases. Judah showed a younger me that you could not only spit dope poems, but can better your community and self through poetry and the journey it can take you on.
Surrender to the journey is a lesson I’ve learned looking up to Judah. I’ve learned to let art take you where it will and be ok with that. From infusing my own work with spiritual lessons by looking for god in every poem, I have learned to trust the God inside of me, and let it direct where I take my work. When Judah took a Slam team to NPS, made of up of Pomona locals and people I quietly looked up to from a far as they almost won the whole thing (NPS). That solidified the potential of the poetry in my community. It planted a seed that I let slowly grow for years. Judah would start a storefront, a studio for musicians, artists, events and spiritual pursuits. This place brought me another moment of clarity as it was a new model for where we can take this poetry scene. Machine Pomona was a beacon for the always growing inspiration I’ve gained through Judah: Keep pushing poetry into spaces where it was not before, and to keep letting my poetry push me to places I have not been before.
As we set in on Pen clique there was a handful of poets from the Pomona scene I wanted as guests because they were personal heroes, and Judah was one of those who was always more to me than just a dope poet. Having his example in the back of my mind was fuel to even get this project off the ground. Knowing there was potential to do my own thing with poetry was heavily influenced by Judah and his trust of his own vision. My foundation was made stronger by hearing Judah spit poetry and take it beyond its typical boundaries. It’s important that we are out here inspiring each other to reach into our own dreams and work for what we want to see.
Judah came through to Pen clique ready as always, and gave us the shortest “Five for your eye” prompted poem in Clique history as well as some real honest critiques and technique insights during the show. There was a moment I am especially proud to show the world, something that crystallizes everything I have ever looked up to about Judah. Judah’s work is often cryptic and hard to understand — something I love about his poetry — but when addressing that idea as a critique, he reveals to us the intentional wonder he is putting into his work. He’s giving you “the Canvas” and the task of filling it up. He’s reminding us that poetry is offering us an opportunity to find something about ourselves or he says: “What does it look like to you? Ain’t that beautiful?… That shit is ill.” A statement that sums up a lot of my feelings about poetry and life; we all should be working to be uniquely ourselves and trust the God that lives in each one of us more confidently.
He, alongside Treesje Powers, now operate LionLike Mindstate, a showcase and community space and yet another means of inspiration for young poets. They are doing new amazing things with poetry. They showcase dope artists and a strong community presence and offering engaging shows and free art workshops. Lionlike are hosting Slams in Pomona, again showing the people in the community how far they can take poetry and their vision. Judah is a part of the foundation of my work; he’s unknowingly inspired this punk rock idiot to do what I wanted to with poetry and he’s still showing us that we can decide how far and where we take the art we love.
Write-up by Daniel Hees
Edited by Seraphina Lotkhamnga
Photos by Aubrey Rowe
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Pen Clique Presents: Word Spoken
We wrapped season 2 but stay tuned as we will be bringing y’all new interesting poetry content in the off season. First up is a swapcast from across the pond, “Word Spoken;” a poetry show hosted by Pen Clique fam Henry Betwick, featuring the best new poets in the UK scene. Henry dives into the stories and experiences behind his guests’ poems and presents it all with the high quality treatment we think poetry deserves. We love this show because of their captivating coverage of spoken word and we’re excited to put our listeners on to more exciting poetry content from the online poetry community. Subscribe to Word Spoken on YouTube and all podcast platforms, and stay tuned as we drop even more poppin poetry content throughout our off season.
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Episode 15 ft. Matthew Cuban Hernandez
How wild can poetry tours really get? Matthew Cuban Hernandez gives us the raw truth about his tour triumphs and blunders during “Threads and Lines.” The Clique explores how to overcome thick boy insecurities, as well as some huge poetry fails during the “2 Piece Combo.” Lastly, Cuban kicks his prompted ‘5 For Your Eye’ poem off top with another Pen Clique freestyle.
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Episode 1 ft. David A Romero
David A. Romero brings chicano poetry fire to ‘Threads and Lines’, The Clique debates Saul Williams in the ‘2 Piece Combo’ and Romero closes out the show with a LIT prompted poem for ‘5 For Ya’ Eye’.
