Houston Teens Drop Poetic Punches — These Champions Use TikTok Trends and Beyoncé to Tackle Climate Change, Fast Fashion & More

Having secured their second consecutive win at an international youth poetry competition, Houston’s Meta4 poetry team is already eyeing a three-peat. These talented young storytellers, known for their powerful performances, will take the stage at POST Houston next Saturday, September 28. 

Each year, Writers in the Schools (WITS) selects a fellowship of young poets aged 13 to 19 from across Houston to compete in slams nationwide. This year, Meta4 impressed judges with their thought-provoking poems on social issues, from fast fashion to gun violence. Their victory at the Brave New Voices competition in Washington, D.C. was especially poignant. They had to endure two brutal Texas storms and power outages during their preparation.

Guiding the team through months of preparation were Houston poet laureate emeritus and head coach Emanuelee Bean (better known as Outspoken Bean) and Meta4 alum and assistant coach Alinda “Adam” Mac. Their mentorship helped these young Houston poets refine both their writing and performance skills, pushing them to create deeply personal, powerful works.

“For Houston to have won two years in a row — fighting through natural disasters, going through weeks without power and showing up at WITS to charge our devices, to bond with their teammates and still find the energy to write — is such a big deal,” Mac tells PaperCity. 

Meta4 Explores Houston Through Poetry

During brainstorming sessions, Bean encouraged the students to build a “war chest” of poems. He wanted these collections to reflect the unique challenges facing both young people and Houstonians. The six fellows — Samiyah Green, Bella Kalra, Amaya Newsome, Cristina Perez-Ruiz, Mya Skelton and Adriana Winkelmayer — drew from Internet trends like TikTok’s viral Man versus Bear debate, as well as personal issues such as the importance of people pronouncing their names correctly.

“I want the topics to be authentic to the fellows,” Bean says. “We want the fellows to understand that their war chest is as strong as what they put into it.”

At the competition, Kinder HSPVA sophomore Bella Kalra performed her poem, “Texas Hold ‘Em.” The piece was a reinterpretation of the Beyoncé song focused on climate change. Kalra opened with a line from Queen Bey’s Cowboy Carter single. She then transitioned into a vivid recount of witnessing her first tornado, drawing cheers from the crowd.

“This poem was a paramount moment for me because it brought my two passions together — poetry and the environment,”Kalra says. “I wanted to convey the detrimental effects fossil fuels have on Texans every day.”

Future Poets Start Here

Although the competition season is over, prospective youth poets can prepare for next year. WITS’ Free Verse workshops begin October 18. Bean will lead the two-hour programs, where students will gain hands-on writing practice and perform in open mics. 

“Young people can have their first introduction to poetry in an intimate and unique way as we introduce poetry in new places around the city,” Bean says.

You can check out Meta4’s rooftop performance next Saturday, September 28 at POST Houston. Learn more about Writers in the Schools’ work here.