SwearI recently purchased a book by the Albuquerque Poet Laureate and slam poet champion, Hakim Bellamy.

Swear is divided into three parts: the first section contains political poems about the Occupy New Mexico/Occupy Wallstreet movement; the second section contains more general political poems; and the third section deals with Hip Hop and more personal poems. I particularly liked "Jamesetta" about Etta James and "Immortal Technique," a great poem about race.

Hakim also touches on issues in New Mexcio, the struggles of Genearation Y, the education system that fails poor kids. There's intimate heartache in his poems about poverty.

I have a degree
in sociology
and survival
and only one
is coming in handy.

Bellamy is great with a calm, angry diatribe and his poems have forceful endings. And is as much a comment on America as  "McDonald's apple pies."