Word jam

They came armed with leather-bound journals, computer printouts and yellow legal pads.

Under the spin of a disco ball, in a lounge filled with plush velvet couches and poufs, local poets gathered for an event unusual to Laguna — a poetry slam.

“Poetry needs a foundation — needs a stage — in Laguna Beach,” said Rick Conkey, organizer of the event. “Although there have been poetry societies here before, there’s been nothing on a major level.”

So Terrell Washington Anansi brought his “Street Testimonies” performance art to Club M last Thursday as part of the weekly Help Blue Water benefit series. He also invited local poets to perform their own works in hope of earning a prize.

Though the turnout was small, the energy in the room was tangible. Poets sat around drinking Red Stripe, sharing techniques while the stage was decorated with couches, floor coverings and a red velvet cordon.

Poets found out about the slam from the Internet, primarily, and came from around the county to perform.

Leila, originally from Iran, volunteered to go first. She sprawled on the couch, barefoot, as she read “Heartbeat” to the crowd; in a throaty voice, she spoke of love and soul.

Holly then read a rhyming poem about self-discovery, the conclusion to which drew aahs from the crowd.

Gene, stack of loose papers in hand, ran a hand through his long hair before reading a riddle and asking the audience to solve it.

Audra read about voluptuousness; she dedicated the piece to a friend.

Gina, with strong cadence, spoke of being a seed saver, of water and earth.

RoCom, a member of Anansi’s group, performed in his hip-hop voice, with a touch of slam familiarity. “Most genius goes unnamed. So let me add my name to the list,” he intoned.

Finally, Jessica read three haikus, which were arrayed in nonstandard format. For example, a haiku called “Aha Moments” reads: “Sitting silent/Listening for God/A lone dog barks.”

Gina was the winner, taking home a $50 gift certificate to Whole Foods.

As the crowd arrived and poets signed up to read, Anansi practiced in half-song, half-speech style. During “Dreamtime,” he alternately channeled Cee-Lo from Gnarls Barkley and Carl Anderson of “Jesus Christ Superstar” fame.

“I’m losing my dreams,” sang Anansi, in narrow dreadlocks and Chuck Taylors.

The crowd was then addressed by Conkey of HelpBlueWater.com, who organizes the special events to raise awareness and funds for ocean and environmental preservation.

Help Blue Water has planned sessions featuring Brett Dennen, Jason Feddy and Elvis Schoenberg’s Orchestre Surreal in previous weeks, and will host Common Sense on Sept. 14.

On Sept. 21, the organization will hold a concert in honor of the UN International Day of Peace, and on Nov. 4 they will hold the second annual Blue Water Music Festival at the Festival of Arts.

In the meantime, Conkey and Anansi hope to hold the slams monthly.

“We’re going to do a series of these, but this is the first,” Anansi said; he noted that although the city had poetry societies in the past, there was never a regular venue for poets to perform.

After the open mic portion of the evening, Anansi started his “Street Testimonies,” which began with a soulful cello recording. He performed with members of local hip-hop group “Closed Heart Surgery,” whom he has been working with for the past year in developing “Street Testimonies,” a fusion of hip-hop, music and spoken word.

“I wanna survive my drive-by love affairs,” Anansi snapped, staccato. Between pieces, he referred back to an intricately decoupaged portfolio, with sketches of women on the cover.

Anansi cited scat performer Cab Calloway for allowing listeners to “forget their ethnicity,” saying that songs like “Hi-Di-Ho” allowed people to get beyond their own cultural barriers at the time.

He hopes that slams offer the same freedom today.

For more information on Help Blue Water and other upcoming shows, visit www.helpbluewater.com.