CLEVELAND, Ohio — Can you call something that’s a success a failure too? Aren’t the two at odds?

Not necessarily.

I’ll use both nouns to describe the Poetry Slam, which took place last week at the Main Library. Seven students from the Cleveland School of the Performing Arts performed. I’ll mention their stage names: Desi, Rain, Lay, DJ, Leylah, Tiya and Jabari.

I’ll also mention the 22-year-old comedian, Elijah Nevels . As MC, Elijah set the tone for a riveting night of spoken word.

In a half-filled auditorium, the teenagers bared their hearts and souls. All told gut-wrenching truths — truths that made you wanna holler like it was a revival at Antioch Baptist Church . From that perspective, the event proved a success.

Its failure was people’s absence.

Asked to help months ago,

See Full Page