M E L I S S A R O S E
MELISSA ROSE
Spoken Word Artist
melissarosepoetry.com
BIO
Melissa Rose is an internationally recognized poet hailing from the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area and currently based in Eugene, Oregon. With a passion for spoken word that ignited in 2001, she has left her mark on the poetry community by competing in numerous regional and national competitions. As a proud member of five National Poetry Slam Teams, including the Palo Alto Slam team that achieved 5th place in the Group Piece Finals at the National Poetry Slam in Oakland, California, Melissa has showcased her talent across over 30 cities in Germany and Austria. In 2010, she was honored to be a featured poet at the prestigious German National Poetry Slam in Bochum, Germany.
Melissa shares poems addressing mental illness, sexual assault, addiction, and the resilience of humanity. Her work vivid, powerful imagery with raw emotion, inspiring audiences to heal through their pain and share their own stories of discovering light in dark times.
POEMS
"When the afternoon finds you passed out on the couch I still put my head to your chest just to remember what the world sounds like when played to your rhythm.
I want to bring the beach home, gather shells from the sand and hold them to your ear so you can listen for the sound of the strength it takes to admit that your imperfections are what make you whole
and beautiful.
And bottles are what made you empty."
Excerpt from "Empty"
"I was the cloud that inspired you to dream. You were the spider that sucked out my insides. I was the undertow that devoured you. So in this lifetime Thank. God. All we did was smile
as we passed one another."
Excerpt from "Timeline"
"I was to believe that somewhere we all live the lives we wanted. One version residing in Europe. Another version shaking the right hands at the right time. Another version able to let go completely. A version that played sports in high school. A version that died too young. I want to make this timeline one my children never want to run from..."
Excerpt from "Quantum"
"What do you see when you look at me? Can you tell me what I am supposed to do? I am 27 years old, and I have never felt more lost. I am here, always in transit. Always moving, but standing so still. Always running, but never going anywhere. What would happen if I stopped running long enough to see what I am running away from. Am I too scared to see all of the darkness I have bestowed upon my own life? The queen of my own mess, I have created a kingdom of disappointment and told myself this was the best I was ever going to get..."
Excerpt from "Baggage"