Rize Simmons is on a winning streak. The Windsor High School senior and two-time state champion of the Poetry Out Loud competition is focusing on his preparation for Nationals next month, set in Washington, D.C.
In the competition, students perform other people’s poems as an exercise in comprehension, memorization, and presentation. Simmons recited three poems, one of which he presented on Colorado Matters. Simmons said the poem, “Eddie Priest Barbershop and Notary” by Kevin Young, a Barbershop and notary speaks to him as a young biracial man.
“I really love the poems in that style, like the storytelling because I feel like as I'm trying to interpret it and perform it, it's just so visual and it makes a lot of sense for me and the audience,” Simmons said.
The state competition is put on by Governor Jared Polis and Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and Empowered, a non-profit focusing on arts.
“Poetry has the incredible ability to uplift, empower, and inspire young people, helping them to discover their voices and express the universal human experience. Through Poetry Out Loud, we see students like Rize Simmons embrace the power of language, displaying creativity, confidence, and passion. For the second consecutive year, Rize’s dedication and talent have earned him the title of State Champion.” said Jesse Martinez, the CEO of Empowered.
Simmons fell in love with poetry through this contest. During his freshman year, his English teacher Ms. Johnson offered students extra credit to compete in their school-wide version of this competition. He’s been smitten since.
“I learned the poem, ‘I Look at the World’ by Langston Hughes and I remember just thinking to myself about how I had never come across a piece of writing that was just so relatable to me personally and that's really where my love for poetry started,” Simmons said. “I can always remember that opening line. ‘I look at the world through awakening eyes in a Black face, and this is what I see.’ I mean, I feel like as a person of color, as I am biracial, we can all understand a point in time where we felt that way.”
Beyond Nationals, Simmons is looking at colleges currently to pursue a career in sports broadcasting, but he plans to continue fostering his love for poetry, including trying his hand at writing his own poems one day.
“The poetry, I'm always going to keep a part of my life just because of where it's gotten me so far. And it's a good release of pent-up emotions.”
