Poetrè — The Balance of Laughter and Truth

“If you don’t get butterflies, you don’t care. That fear just means you love this.”

— Tre Flemming (Poetré)

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Origin & Influence

Tre Flemming, known to audiences as Poetré, stands at the rare crossroads of comedy and confession — a performer who turns honesty into healing and laughter into light. From middle school through high school, Tre was a proud drama kid, discovering early on that a single voice could change the atmosphere of an entire room.

“I fell in love with how a voice — your own or one you’re embodying — could move people, make them feel, and shift a room’s energy.”

That early fascination became the seed of something deeper. His first original piece, “Only God Can Judge Me,” was written from a place of reflection and performed at a church service. Watching the congregation fall silent, Tre realized his words weren’t just being heard — they were being felt. That day, the stage stopped being a platform and became a calling.

Tre was raised in a family of educators and creatives who never treated his dreams as unrealistic. Instead, they nurtured them — teaching him that discipline, imagination, and love could coexist.

“Because of that foundation, I don’t see limits — just possibilities.”

Influenced by Will Smith’s versatility, Dave Chappelle’s honesty, and Maya Angelou’s emotional grace, Poetré learned to walk the line between humor and vulnerability, carrying truth with a wink and a heartbeat.

Struggles & Transformation

After years of doing stand-up, Tre reached a turning point. Comedy had been good to him, but he wanted to speak to more than laughter. “I wanted to say something that sat in the soul, not just the funny bone,” he admits. Poetry offered that — a space where pain and punchlines could coexist.

“I stepped away from stand-up because I wanted to say more than jokes. Now, I’ve learned how to fuse truth and laughter into one voice.”

His journey through mental health challenges became the heart of his writing — not something to hide, but something to translate into healing for others. Tre doesn’t shy away from the hard parts; instead, he stands in them, using each performance as both confession and connection. “I want my voice to show life’s reality — but also that healing is possible,” he says.

Performance & Process

The stage, for Tre, is sacred ground.

“It feels like home — more than any social circle or crowd offstage.”

Before every performance, he centers himself with quiet reflection — speaking to God and his ancestors before stepping into the light. His intention is always the same: to make someone in the crowd feel seen.

His poem “Scripture” remains one of his most personal works — a piece that walks through trauma, resilience, and redemption. It was also the first time his family heard truths he’d carried privately for years. That moment opened not just hearts, but understanding.

Mission & Legacy

If there’s one message Tre hopes audiences carry home, it’s simple yet powerful:

“Move in love — even when it’s hard.”

To him, being part of I Am The Poet means more than performance — it’s testimony. Every time he speaks, he’s standing for something larger than applause. “My words hold weight,” he says. “They’re not just art — they’re truth.”

And if someone’s seeing him for the first time? Tre doesn’t chase perfection — he chases feeling. “If nothing else,” he says, “I want them to feel something.” For him, freedom of sound means having the courage to speak truth without fear — not for controversy, but for advocacy, healing, and understanding.

Hosting & Creating Space

When Tre began hosting shows, his goal was simple: to create an atmosphere where everyone — poet, musician, or first-time listener — felt like they belonged.

“Hosting carries more responsibility. It’s not about you — it’s about making everyone shine.”

He’s learned how to turn each event into an experience, connecting every element so that the energy flows like a story. The biggest challenge? Balancing schedules, promotion, and the moving pieces of collaboration. But even that, Tre takes as part of the artistry. “It taught me that being a great host is like being a conductor — every voice, every moment, every emotion has a role.”

Defining Moments

One decision changed everything for Tre Flemming: the day he turned one of his poems into a film. It expanded his vision beyond the stage — proving that poetry could live on screen, reach new audiences, and tell stories in ways he’d only dreamed of.

If his poetry could reach one person, he says it would be Tavis Brunson, the late spoken-word legend whose spirit and cadence often draw comparison to his own.

“People tell me they see a lot of Tavis in me. I’d just want to know what he thought of my work.”

Off-stage, Tre is quiet and reserved, often lost in thought. But once the mic is in his hand, the shift is undeniable. “It’s like stepping into sunlight,” he says. “When I walk off, it fades — like solar power at sunset.”

Closing Reflection

Every line Tre writes and every laugh he draws from pain circles back to one truth:

“I am the poet because poetry is life — and Poetré is my life.”