SouthFlorida.com | Teen Link South Florida

Most of us think "spit" has to do with saliva, but young poets at the Write Side Poets 3rd Annual Youth Poetry Slam gave the word new meaning: an innovative and dynamic approach to poetry.

After four rounds, the Fort Lauderdale team was declared the winner, followed by Jacksonville in second, Miami third, and Tampa Bay fourth.

"[But] it's not about spitting the winning poem," said Asia Davis, University of Miami sophomore and member of the Fort Lauderdale Write Side team. "It's about changing someone with the poem you spit. We're trying to get a message out."

With the animated styles of the performers, it was clear this "message" was one of passion.

Raw, fire-like energy emanated from each voice. Their emotions ranged from anger to grief to insecurity, each articulated in a fluid and engaging way.

The poets did not simply recite their poetry but altered their faces and bodies with each poem's intensity in a performance. Their positions were distorted and unconventional - glowering expressions rather than complacent smiles and hunched backs rather than straightened ones.

However, the grit, the pain and the ugliness contributed to the beauty of the event.

"[Written] poetry tends to be more introspective," Nova High senior Jared Moore said. "But slam poetry is a more expressive medium. It's completely different."

The slam drew a diverse audience of supportive friends, parents and strangers. They joined together in collective gasps, snaps and appreciative murmurs during the show, hardly missing a beat during the fast-paced delivery of the poems. Hearty applause and cheering followed each performance.

"The performances really touched me," Somerset Academy sophomore Julyanna Quinones said. "I could relate."

Her comment was echoed by conservatively attired adults as well as teens in jeans and T-shirts.

"Our purpose is to bring people from all over the state together, bonded by poetry ... to provide a bridge of sorts," Write Side Poets founder Ray Dominguez said.

Mission accomplished.