Students illuminated the dark room with the glow of their cell-phones as they sat waiting. Ten minutes past 9 p.m., is it safe to say she will not show her face?

Unlike the faculty, whose presence was not made on campus, spoken word artist Kyla Lacey arrived at McFeely’s Coffeehouse Thursday night, slightly late from a delayed flight.

Lacey has performed at more than 100 colleges and universities across the country. She is known for her support for women, people of color and LGBTs. The Campus Activities Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards voted Lacey “Best Female Artist” in 2013 and 2014.

Lacey opened up with a light-hearted poem about a topic everyone can relate to: still having feelings for your ex. She explained how people often think they are over their former boyfriend or girlfriend, and then their ex goes liking their Facebook post and digs up old feelings. In her poem, she put a twist on these feelings by incorporating a math equation.

“One half is .5. That’s a percent of 50. Both of us wanting 100, but neither of us giving it... But even in your absence I’m still wondering what comes next. Looking at this, it can’t be right because I’m still problem solving for an X,” Lacey said.

Each poem had a backstory leading up to its creation. The one that hit the hardest was about Lacey’s abusive relationship with her former boyfriend, “Satan.” She vividly described how he punched her in the face so hard that it knocked her into a glass coffee table, leaving a scar, and how she still has nightmares gasping for the air he blocked off.

“The only time I would feel his love is when he would beat me. Because, see, his passion was in his rage,” Lacey said.

Repeatedly “Satan” told her he would stop, or worse, he tried to blame it on Lacey and say she was hurting herself. Through the experience, Lacey learned one cannot love someone into being a better person or change them if they do not want to be changed.

On March 27, 2009, Lacey left her abusive relationship for good. After realizing he could potentially kill her, she moved away from Orlando and started a new life. While “Satan” still tries to contact Lacey, she has not spoken to him in almost seven years. She is much better off without him and karma has finally caught up to him, giving him two ugly children, according to Lacey.

“He’s not on a poster next to Fetty Wap in Pennsylvania like I am,” Lacey said.

Despite her raw experiences, Lacey was able to rise above and have a positive outlook on life. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she travels to raise awareness about domestic violence to college students.

Lacey also addressed the belief that being gay is a decision. Before breaking into another poem, she discussed how she has watched several friends suffer being homosexual, and that she does not think it is something they would purposely put on themselves. In fact, one of her friends was killed in the Orlando shooting earlier this year.

“I don’t remember the day I chose to be straight. Maybe it was around the age of three when people make serious life decisions. Like do I like Barbie or do I really like Barbie? Transformers or transgender?” Lacy said as her voice rose.

Throughout Lacey’s performance, she joked around with the audience and made connections with them through their similar love for cats and the struggles of curly hair. By the end of the night, Lacey was like a new friend for several of the students.

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