Spoken Word Poet: Rudy Francisco

By: Neha Narayan

Rudy Francisco is an African American spoken word poet, born and raised in San Francisco, California. He completed his B.A in Psychology and then his M.A in Organizational Studies. He is also the 2009 National Underground Poetry Slam Champion and the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion.

As a spoken word poet, Francisco’s objective was to use personal narratives to convey the politics of race, class, gender, and religion. He promotes healthy, effective discussion of controversial subjects in hopes to raise awareness. His clever, emotional delivery allows the audience to empathize with the subjects of his works, and brings character into his performance. Francisco holds guest lectures and performs at multiple universities.

One of his poems, “The Heart and the First,” explores the concept of toxic masculinity. Francisco highlights how men are forced to suppress their emotions from a young age and are often not able to grow and live in an environment where they can be their true selves. He describes how men are conditioned to think with their fists before they can think with their minds.

“We learn that the heart is the same size as the fist, / But we keep forgetting they don’t have the same functions” (“The Heart and the First,” Francisco).

Another one of his poems, “Seventeen,” empathizes with teenagers and how truly exhausting it can be to fit in and feel comfortable in one’s own body. He uses a combination of humorous one-liners and anecdotes to put the audience in his shoes as an awkward teenager. As he progresses through the poem, he sympathizes with and encourages his younger self to embrace who he is and can be.

“At this age, I was a ballot box stuffed full of everyone’s opinions except for my own” (“Seventeen,” Francisco).

Francisco’s poem, “Letter to the Apocalypse,” targets the tendency for some to portray Covid-19 in a lighthearted manner. He personifies Covid-19 as an individual that needs to prove themselves worthy of being thought about and feared.

“Sometimes, you just have to remind people that you’re still dangerous” (“Letter to the Apocalypse,” Francisco).

Many of his spoken poems can be found on the Button Poetry YouTube channel, and his work and information can be found at https://www.iamrudyfrancisco.com/ and https://buttonpoetry.com/rudy-francisco/.

Rudy Francisco's poems challenge the mind, consciousness, and awareness of the real world. As you continue to seek knowledge from new sources, seemingly “less scientific” sources, such as poems, can enlighten one about topics that may be considered too serious for creative writing.