Poets recited their works about life, love, struggle and society at Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl in Flossmoor on Friday evening, March 20. The event was organized by the Flossmoor Art Council and hosted by Atlanta-based poet Theresa tha S.o.n.g.b.i.r.d.

This was the second part of a two-night event, Floss-Flow. Homewood-Flossmoor High School students performed the previous night, and adults across the Chicago Southland recited their poetry on the second night.

Flossmoor Art Council Executive Director Troy Holmes said he overbooked tickets for Friday and was proud of the turnout. The store was packed with about 40 to 50 people.

Theresa tha S.o.n.g.b.i.r.d., a Grammy nominee and H-F graduate, introduced the performers, recited her own poems, sang and energized the crowd between acts. She said the only rules for attendees were to be supportive and silence their phones.

While the poets performed, audience members cheered, laughed, chapped and yelled out expressions of encouragement.

Matt Kuhnen and Joelle Kuhnen managed the sound system and sold wine, candy and Flossmoor Art Council stickers.

Theresa tha S.o.n.g.b.i.r.d. performed a poem-song hybrid celebrating the talent, strength and resilience of Black women. Audience members, especially Black women, happily sang along to the refrain “All that Black Girl Magic” and snapped their fingers.

Gary Daggett, a Flossmoor village trustee, recited a poem about his wife wanting him to throw out an old, worn-out T-shirt, and why he refuses to do it.

“Often times, I don’t think that wives and girlfriends understand the sentimentality that men owe to a T-shirt,” Daggett said, explaining the poem. “It’s holey. It’s dirty. It’s messed up. But it holds so many memories of things that they went through. And it’s a comfort and security.”

Most performers were scheduled beforehand, but an unscheduled poet, Flossmoor resident Jordan Miller, also took the stage at her mother Jeanne Miller’s request, who had recited poetry earlier that evening.

Jordan shared a poem titled “Hate.”

“I hate that I always hate,” Jordan said in her poem. “I have to hate because I’m told to hate. I hate because I’m Black. I hate because I’m a woman. I hate because I’m sick. I hate because I’m different. (…) Hatred owns and controls us.”

Uxmar Torres, a Joliet resident, recited a poem called “The Wrong Ice is Melting,” a pun on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Torres said he was afraid that his friends and family members could be deported. The poem also voiced anger at ICE detention centers and the children of undocumented immigrants being separated from their families.

“What if you woke up quick to a rattling, chain link at Camp America, where they make you piss where you drink?” Torres said. “Now imagine waking up to a missing mother and father after sleeping on concrete and sipping on the toilet water.”

On the previous night of Floss-Flow, four Homewood-Flossmoor High School students recited their poetry at Conservatory Vintage & Vinyl. Holmes said the students walked there after attending a two-hour workshop led by Theresa tha S.o.n.g.b.i.r.d. at the Flossmoor Public Library.

H-F English teachers J.R. Willard-Rose and Jeanne Miller recruited the teen performers.

Flossmoor Art Council President Shannon Keys said that “in these times,” art events like Floss-Flow are “healing,” adding that it’s important to show the youth how they can make and pursue art.

Community members interested in future Flossmoor Art Council events can follow the organization on Facebook or Instagram or keep an eye on flossmoorartcouncil.org.