In a month that begins and ends with a long weekend, there are a lot of choices for those who love a good poetry show. The weather has been a bit cool but the poets are still heating up microphones in venues across the region. A couple of legends make appearances early and the month ends with a bang. Take a look at what's on tap in our monthly spoken word events roundup below.

HOT TICKETS

DMXX: THE DWAYNE MORGAN 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY / AUGUST 7 / 8:30PM / LULA LOUNGE / $20 ADV - $25 DOOR

Morgan is a spoken word legend who has performed internationally and provided some of the most exciting and well-attended stages for spoken word artists in the city. It is only fitting that he should host a show celebrating his two decades of artistic excellence. Anniversaries are always a one-time event and this one should be an affair for the ages.

"WE TELLIN' STORIES YO": PERFORMANCE & INTERVIEW WITH D'BI YOUNG / AUGUST 8 / 7PM / PAINTBOX BISTRO / FREE

The day after Dwayne Morgan celebrates, the city is treated to another local legend spending time with the people who have supported her over the years. Internationally acclaimed dub poet, playwright and Dora Award-winning actor d'bi young anitafrika will perform an intimate set and share words of experience in this free show. Go to this link for event registration info.

SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO SPOKEN WORD CIRCUIT PRESENTS LOCAL SLAM TEAM SWAP / AUGUST 15, 21 & 28

The SOSWC is a consortium of spoken word groups that stage monthly spoken word events in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Toronto and York Region. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, they will bring a high-profile artist each month to perform at the venues on the circuit. This month, the Circuit sends their teams out to partner communities in their annual team swap. This year, the YorkSlam Team performs at the Burlington Slam Project's Anything Goes Slam (August 15), the Burlington Slam Team visits Toronto at the Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam Song Lyric Slam FUNdraiser (August 21), and the recently crowned provincial champion Guelph Slam Team goes to the YorkSlam Summer Season Show #3 in Richmond Hill (August 28).

TORONTO POETRY SLAM FT. MIKE MCGEE / AUGUST 31 / 8PM / DRAKE HOTEL UNDERGROUND / $5

The Labour Day long weekend starts off with a bang when two-time American individual slam champion and Tons of Fun University (T.O.F.U.) member Mighty Mike McGee performs his hilarious, poignant and incisive poetry at the city's largest recurring slam event. This slam is also part of the TPS season that will select the 2014 Toronto Poetry Slam Team. Watch for the Toronto International Poetry Slam the following night for a mega back-to-back of holiday slam awesomeness.

OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS

• Sunday Poetry / August 4, 11, 18, 25 / 11:30am / Ellington's Music & CafĂŠ / free
• Roots Lounge Open Mic & Poetry Slam Scarborough / August 4 / 7pm / Yvonne's Coffee Haus / $5
• R.I.S.E. Poetry Movement / August 5, 12, 19, 26 / 6pm / Burrows Hall Community Centre / free
• The Art Bar Poetry Series / August 6, 13, 20, 27 / 8pm / Q Space / PWYC
• The Beautiful and the Damned hosted by Philip Cairns / August 8 / 7pm / Q Space / PWYC
• Lizzie Violet's Cabaret Noir ft. sol knots, Andraya & Tania Joy / August 11 / 7pm / Q Space / PWYC ($5 suggested)
• Toronto Poetry Slam ft. Alessandra Naccarato / August 11 / 8pm / Drake Hotel Underground / $5
• Acoustic Soul Tuesdays / August 13, 27 / 8pm / Passione Sports Bar / $5
• BAM! The Toronto Youth Slam ft. Apollo the Child / August 14 / 6pm / The Central / $5
• Toronto Wordstage / August 14 / 7:30pm / Q Space / free
• Hot-Sauced Words / August 15 / 8pm / Black Swan Tavern / PWYC
• Plasticine Poetry hosted by Cathy Petch / August 18 / 6pm / Pauper's Pub / free
• Roots Lounge Open Mic & Poetry Slam / August 18 / 8pm / Harlem Restaurant / $5
• Loose Leaf Poets & Writers / August 19 / 7pm / Maple Leaf House Grill & Lounge / free
• The Emerging Writers Reading Series / August 20 / 8pm / Duffy's Tavern / PWYC
• The Underdog Poets Academy / August 25 / 7:30pm / The Central / free
• Queen Gallery Poetry Night / August 27 / 7pm / Queen Gallery / PWYC

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar or check out the Cytopoetics Events spoken word blog for local info updated weekly during the month.

Have a spoken word event coming up that you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.