It’s not all bongos and dark glasses – the Say What! Poetry Jam has everything from breakdancers to rappers.

All varieties of performers engage and entertain whoever gathers at the Say What! Poetry Jam once a month at the House of Bricks in Des Moines.

Leonard Beil, creator of the poetry jam, says the open mike poetry jam is different from a “poetry slam,” because it isn’t about competition.

“With a monthly show, everyone looks forward to it,” he says.

Beil started the poetry jam in February 2004. Together with LaunchPad DMI Entertainment, the record label that his partner, Bo James, owns, he hopes to bring poets and artists to the foreground of the Des Moines community.

“It became my baby,” Beil says.

Jerry Lowe, manger of the House of Bricks, says the performances can be just about anything.

He says people read their own poetry or short stories. Sometimes, he says, they even perform vocal or instrumental music. A DJ plays music in between the poetry.

“We do get some people who regularly come,” Beil says. “Some of them – most of them – are native to Des Moines.”

There are many poets who plan to perform Thursday. Chill’n, from Waterloo, has been performing at the poetry jam since August. Known off the stage as Cherie Nelson, she runs her own poetry jam in Waterloo called “Say Yes to Poetry.”

“I’ve been slammin’ poetry for 13 years,” Nelson says. “I’ve been writing poetry since I was 12, so I’ve been writing for 24 years now.”

Nelson is a Chicago native and when she moved to Iowa in 1993, there were few outlets for her art. She eventually started her own poetry jam in September 2004. The Say What! Poetry Jam in Des Moines, however, tends to attract a larger audience.

“It’s always beautiful to perform when the people are engaged,” she says. “[Say What!] draws a diverse crowd of people.”

Performers often plan to perform before the jam, Nelson says, and there is also a sign-up sheet for novice poets or visiting artists. Everyone has a chance to perform original poetry, or if they choose, read poetry from other artists.

“My poetry is all original – I never perform anyone else’s,” she says.

“And everything is from memory. I never read.”

Jason Herron, known as “Jai Den,” has often performed at the poetry jam. He has lived in Des Moines since 1993.

“I try to attend as often as I can,” he says. “It’s a unique function.”

Herron is primarily a hip-hop performer, although he says he considers poetry and hip-hop to be essentially the same. He has performed in Des Moines, Minneapolis, Iowa City and Kansas City.

Herron, who describes his poetry as being about everyday blue-collar life, only performs his poetry at the House of Bricks.

“No one in town is doing it like this,” Herron says.

The greatest part of the poetry jam, Lowe says, is that the artists and the performances are always different. It’s hard to know what to expect.

“Listen to thoughts, music and poetry and maybe even get drunk.” Lowe says.