Last Saturday, Calil “Just C.O.S.” Cage stepped on stage to an open microphone to perform two spoken word poems he wrote titled “The Colosseum” and “Not Magic, Just Human.”

Cage read his work to a small crowd at Literary Cleveland’s new office in Larchmere. The creative writing center and arts organization’s annual poetry showcase celebrated the work of five Cleveland poets  recognized for their spoken word art and storytelling skills. 

He was also representing Sparrow’s Fortune, a poetry collective and nonprofit organization he founded in January 2022. The group of poets originally began as a performance art troupe with the intention of traveling to slam poetry competitions across the Midwest, Cage said. 

The collective’s mission expanded over the last year to help people use writing as an outlet to discover their inner artist, he said. Through word of mouth, partnering with local organizations and promotion on social media, the collective aims to connect with Clevelanders. 

“I like to think that [Sparrow’s Fortune] collective is utilizing our gifts and love for spoken word and poetry for community and creating dialogue that allows people to engage with art, the world and the people around them,” Cage said. 

‘Community starts by listening to one another’ 

Cage began writing poetry at eight years old, using it as a tool for self expression. Poetry helped Cage move beyond traumatic experiences he witnessed at a young age such as his father being incarcerated for drug trafficking, his mother’s experience with domestic violence, and growing up in a violent neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago, he said. 

“[Poetry] became a safe space for me and a way to reflect on all the things I was going through,” Cage said. 

Cage moved to Columbus when he was 12 years old after his father was released from prison. He graduated from Westland High School in 2017 and moved to Northeast Ohio to pursue a degree in human development and family studies at Kent State University. 

While in college, Cage got involved with the slam poetry scene in Cleveland. The energy in Cleveland’s art scene made him want to stay in Northeast Ohio and start his own group after graduating from college in 2021, Cage said. 

“I was someone who was scared to share my poetry on stage,” Cage said. “But connecting with artists in Cleveland and at school helped me see the power of spoken word art and poetry differently.” 

‘We set the bar for poetry in Cleveland’ 

Two years after the launch of Sparrow’s Fortune, Cage said the group hosts bi-monthly creative writing workshops for Cleveland adults and youth to help them process their emotions as a way to connect with each other and build community. 

It has also been a space for the group to challenge themselves through performance art and storytelling, he said. 

“We always try to teach and encourage in our workshops that the community starts by listening and learning from one another,” Cage said. 

Ray Makale, a young poet, model and rapper who joined the collective earlier this year, said the group has helped her rediscover her passion for spoken word art. Makale was attending Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, when Cage asked her to be a part of Sparrow’s Fortune. 

Makale repped her Black Sparrow’s Fortune sweatshirt when I met her at Asia Plaza. Her voice and demeanor were calm, unlike her poetry and spoken word art, which is more spirited, inquisitive and reflective. 

Before joining the group, Makale said she was writing her words in a recording studio. Her colleagues at Sparrow’s Fortune encouraged her to further develop the writing skills she has as a rapper, she said. 

“Finding a group of writers in a city who really commit themselves to their craft is hard to come by,” Makale said. “But they taught me that, no matter what, I am always an artist and must be committed to growing.” 

Avery LaMar Pope, a local poet and actor who has been with the group since its inception, said watching the group transform over the years has been a pleasure.  

“We really try to set the bar for poetry in Cleveland,” Pope said. “We have used this collective to not only sharpen our own talents and gifts of spoken word but also think about how we can use our artist collective as a model for community in the city.” 

‘I’m looking forward to what we do next’ 

Since Sparrow’s Fortune launched in 2022, the collective has hosted more than 40 workshops in the city and helped more than 400 people discover their love for poetry and art, Cage said. 

Last year, Cage received the Helping Hands Award from the Cuyahoga County ADAMHSBoard for his poetry and spoken word that highlights trauma, resilience, hope and healing in the Black community. He said it’s only the beginning of what he and Sparrows Fortune hope to achieve.  

“I think what we’re doing is unique and truly special,” Cage said. “I’m just looking forward to what our collective does next.”