Silence: Spoken word artist Ife Martin’s winning poem

We asked young poets to share their words, their passion and their perspective around the prompt of Detroit’s motto:

“We hope for better things. It shall rise from the ashes.”

Ife Martin wrote passionately about Detroit and she performed her piece on Livernois during the debut of the Mint Showcase. She is one of our 2020 Metro Detroit Youth Arts Competition winners, and a high school student from West Bloomfield.

Here is a line from her poem Silence:

Our fire glows against the same moonlit sky that silhouettes our city

A beacon of hope that shines bright through the darkness

A promise – our forever flames burns.”

Poem is © Ife Martin and please see her perform it all in this video, created by Mint marketing director Kelly O’Neill:

Her piece is one of three winners who chose the “rise from the ashes” theme. Other visual pieces are on display in windows along Livernois. as the  Mint Showcase on Livernois continues through Nov. 1.