I remember hearing this in 2012. Went to bed listening to it and pretty much know it by heart. whew. This poem changed my life and I swear after hearing this - I decided to stop doing myself a disservice with settling for something because it was convenient or because it was the only option. This poem was a part of my journey in waiting for God's best for me. Two years later and it is still touching life and reminding me of the beauty of love
This is still such a wildly important piece to me. I've never been able to get it out of my head. Maybe it's stuck swirling in my soul, I don't know. But thank you.
Or ask God, If I could borrow the breeze for just a moment, and blow the shoreline of every beach into a giant hourglass made just for us, and say THIS, is how long I will adore the things about you that no one else even notices.
Not one thing is sad in this poem, yet I cry. It's the utter beauty and honesty that clothes each and every word and the deep down desire to find someone one day that will be as willing to love all of me, as the man in this poem...
“i dreamt of you nightly; hunted for your smile in every audience that i broke for. hoping that i could literally steal a glance; download it onto my retinas; and replay the moment our eyes first played freeze tag. and neither one of us wanted to stop being it; so we just kept on touching; hoping that father time would just give a hall pass. and allow us to orbit one another forever..” the images in my head. thanks joshua.
Stopped by to listen to my favorite poem in the whole world. I anticipate each line like I never heard it before. Still get chills multiple times as he speaks. Still reach for the replay button.
"And maybe love is a club, that we both got into for free. And we just haven't stop dancing for all these decades cause we really like the music in here"
Yeeeesss Josh, you are simply amazing!! I've been following you and Alysia and Britney Wilson, since seeing all of you on Brave New Voices. I like everyone else I'm sure was just overwhelmed with talent, soulfullness, deep feelings and the love you all have for the Spoken Word. I stopped writing years ago and needless to say you all have inspired me to stop wasting my God-given gift and start again. Bless yall.
Joshua Bennett is my all time favorite. I remember seeing this a little over a year ago. I really wish these poets from the Strivers Row were put into our English books. Every word he speaks is pure beauty and sounds like a symphony
He was born with a gift forged by circumstance and refined by creative presence. He has the ability to make poets dream again, and continue to inspire artists to keep writing. If no one else, he has inspired me..
I alwayz wished I was talented enough to write beautiful poems like this. I will just have to settle for this bc this is one of the most amazing poets I have ever heard. So blessed.
This made my very little, fist-sized heart skip several beats... One day I will be that girl for someone too :). Joshua my man you are blessed with a gift that makes total strangers feel like they've known each other for an eternity...
This is quite beautiful. First time I heard this I got goosebumps...If the world would share this kind of true love... WE'd have far less sadness. Truthfully beautiful!
Since like 2013, this poem lives rent free in my mind. I learned it off by heart for the first girl I actually fell in love with. A girl I haven't spoken to in years but a moment in history I wouldn't trade for a single thing. And it's crazy cause now I am actually writing this comment being an ocean away from my family, yet the first time I heard this, I was in high-school
I listened to this when you first posted it. This is my definition of love,m. I recite it by heart. I share it often. I listen to it often. Thank you. Even 7 years later. Thank you.
i just binged the title to find out what it meant and it made me love this poem all the more.... Balaenoptera is a genus of Balaenopteridae, the Rorqual whales, and contains eight species. The species Balaenoptera omurai was published in 2003. Balaenoptera is the most diverse genus of its family, the only other member being the Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae.
Balaenoptera is the genus of rorqual whale species, including the largest animals of all time: the Blue whale, the Fin whale, Sei Whale, Brydes whale and others. Inspiring animals, so much so that this poem takes their name as its title
Your words allow me to keep my own hope strong that maybe there is a man who will appreciate me for all of my imperfections instead of tallying my faults. Thank you.
I came searching for this comment just to tell u I wrote my 1st poem this morning. It felt SOOO good, I cried for a while. It was a feeling that I couldn't even describe. I thought about this poem and this comment and smiled. Thank u
ive watched this over 20x replayed it in my hear double that & attempted to write with such conviction more than I can account for & all I can say is must be nice to have found your balaenoptera
First time i listened to this poem, i believed in pure love. Unfortunately, there is very few of us who would experience this no matter how much we wished or worked for it. It takes just one terrible choice or judgement of character to fall into the hands of broken people who rip the innocence away from you. Goodluck to those who find it. There are far tol many people with horrible childhood to have this beauty spread around.
Crazy how when you're trying to find your style and voice you've been trying to achieve then you actually see it in action from someone else is breathtaking and motivating. Can't wait to see him at Colorado College this week.
