Running Joke
By Ellie Medea-Kapp
Did you know that you’re a running joke?
Yet when he grips my hands till they crack I want to run,
it seems that we see you, wherever we go,
we always see you, you see,
I wasn’t there when you pulled that knife, but whenever I hear your name
I want to plunge that knife like you are the deep end.
With how many texts mention you,
avoiding saying your name,
words that accurately describe you,
creep,
stalker
The fact I still see you makes me sick, the fact that we’re scared of you makes me feel i’m bleeding,
Bleeding
Bleeding
like you should be.
The poem above, “Running Joke” by high school sophomore Ellie Medea-Kapp, was the winner of the 2024 Page Poetry Contest hosted by IC Speaks.
“I think this piece does a wonderful job of conveying anger and relating to a broader issue of systems and individuals letting predatory behaviors slide or normalizing them to cope,” Yassie Buchanan, the contest’s judge, said of the poem. “I think that speaking to a broad audience with a specific experience is overall a sign of great writing, which I see being done here.”
Buchanan is the assistant director of IC Speaks, a program within Iowa City Poetry that hosts weekly spoken-word workshops at City, Liberty, Tate and West High schools. Developed by poet Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey, IC Speaks also holds community events like the High School Open Mic at the Englert Theatre, Porchlight Hangouts at the Porchlight Literary Arts Center (next date: Saturday, June 15 from 2-5 p.m.) and, of course, the annual Page Poetry Contest in spring.
“As a spoken word performer, Ellie is the kind of performer that gets better every time they touch the stage,” Rainey said. “Ellie channels passion from the page and brings it to the stage.”
Little Village caught up with Medea-Kapp over email to gain a little more insight into their award-winning work.
How old are you? When did you start writing poetry, and why?
I am 15, I started writing about a year and a half ago. I go to City High School and I’m a sophomore, going on junior. I had started reading more news and I needed a safe outlet for my anger. My mom had been writing for like a decade and I decided to start writing as well.
Do you prefer your poetry on paper or read aloud?
I prefer reading my poetry out loud. It’s much easier for me to communicate emotion and anger through speech than writing
The tone and subject of “Running Joke” are quite haunting. To the extent you’re willing to share — what inspired it? What did you draw from?
It isn’t really my story to share but it’s just how I feel towards a couple specific people who hurt people I care about, and about the sort of survivor’s guilt I have.
Is this poem similar to your other work?
Yes, it’s kind of similar. A little bit darker but the style is similar.
Who is your favorite poet?
I’m a big fan of Phil Kaye and Rudy Francisco. (Basic answer but they’re known for a reason.) I love how unique their writing styles are.
What role do you think poetry will play in your future?
I think, and hope, that poetry will play a pretty big part in my future. I’m on IC Speaks slam team this year and we’re going to DC for Brave New Voices, so that’s a super exciting experience.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s June 2024 issue.
