Theresa Davis doesn’t take No for an answer.
Over the river and through the woods, Atlanta poet Theresa Davis hurdles obstacles and goes on to win the Women of the World Poetry Slam.
- Inkersa Oshun
- Poet Theresa Davis
A few strikes and she wins? Atlanta poet, spoken word artist and educator Theresa Davis won the Women of the World Poetry Slam held in Columbus, Ohio this month, in spite of a slew of setbacks. After registering and making travel arrangements, Davis spent weeks rehearsing for the big day only to find out, at the last minute, due to an error in communication, she was never actually registered.
Determined, Davis entered the Video Slam, the winner would automatically be entered into the main competition. She lost, but remained committed. “It was important for me to compete this year for a few reasons. The main one was a promise I made to my father. The last conversation I had with him before he died was mostly him shouting about how I wasn’t living my life. I was trying to disappear. This month is the eighth anniversary of his death and I wanted him to see my progress,” says Davis.
Davis flew to Columbus anyway in hopes of entering the aptly titled Last Chance Slam. Out of 15 poets, one would be chosen to enter the main competition. Davis went first and lost, again. Blame it on the judge’s inevitable score creep.
Now, it seemed, the only way she could make it into the main competition would be if another competitor dropped out. For most, if not at any point sooner, this would have been a breaking point. But stopping was not an option. “I love the experience of WOWPS. There is so much talent and so many amazing women it really is a win, win situation. I really had to settle my spirit into if it’s meant to be it will be,” says Davis.
Willing to take what she could get and eager to share her poetry, she signed up to be the “sacrificial poet” whose job was to open with a performance and explain the scoring system to the judges. Still, not eligible to compete, she attended the poet orientation session. Then, things turned for the better when another poet dropped out. Davis finally gained a spot in the competition.
After two days of competing, she placed third in a group of 12 poets going to the finals. She went on to perform a mixture of audience favorites and new works and won. “Finals was very surreal to me. I kept thinking WOW. I went from not in to winning the whole thing. Being able to do my fathers poem as the final poem heard in the competition was overwhelming. I kept saying to myself don’t fall apart, don’t pass out and don’t throw up because that is not sexy. I finished the poem and rushed from the stage before the flood of tears came. I felt proud and visible and when the fog cleared and I heard the applause I felt loved by my community,” says Davis.