QLPORYT Presents Linette Rabsatt: Encore Poetry Interview and Reading

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Welcome to the quintessential listening poetry

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online radio and YouTube podcast Streamed live

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from the heart of Washington DC Here you'll find

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a portal to vibrant voices Echoing souls and

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an ongoing celebration of the extraordinary power

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of language So prepare yourself to join host

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Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram and his special guests

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as they explore traditional and spoken word forms

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of poetry. Hello, everyone. This audio recording

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is an encore presentation of my recent interview

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with Lynette Rapsack. Lynette is from the Virgin

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Islands. It has been writing poetry since 1996.

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with over 200 poems to her credit. She shares

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her work through her blog and various social

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media platforms. Her poetry aims to inspire and

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uplift all who read or listen. So sit back and

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enjoy this session with Lynette. I thoroughly

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enjoyed our conversation and hearing her remarkable

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poetry. Let's start this poetic journey. What

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is poetry? Poetry is an art form where you can

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express yourself in so many different ways. You

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don't necessarily have to rhyme your words. You

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can pace yourself. You can just have fun with

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it. I call it my ability to play on words to

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bring a positive message. Your ability to play

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on words, to bring a positive message. Tell me

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more. Slash that out for me. Sure. So let's say

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I'm feeling down or I'm feeling inspired. I'm

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feeling stressed. I could use poetry as an avenue

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to share something positive. I could even share

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something that hurts me. I could share tough

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situations that affect me and especially things

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that affect the world. So poetry is that vehicle

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without the music because of course, Music is

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poetry. Songs are poetry with music in the background

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with instrumentals. So I use my words and my

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spoken voice to bring across a message. Lynette,

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knowing what you know about the world, there

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are people out there who believe that poetry

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is dying. What is your take on it? Is poetry

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important? Talk to me. Poetry is extremely important.

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I think about the Calypsoanians here in the Caribbean.

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The same thing with poetry. Our job as poets

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is to share and educate people. It is to inspire

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people. You go back to the Bible, you think about

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the great Samist who penned words that we repeat

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today on a regular basis. The Lord is my shepherd.

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That is a poem that speaks to the depth of God's

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love for us and our ability to love God as well

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and to appreciate everything that he's done for

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us. So poetry is not dead. And once there's music,

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poetry will never die because whether you enjoy

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the spoken word or you enjoy the sung word, it's

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all the same. It's about getting that message

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out there. So poetry is not dead. an early experience

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where you learn their poetic language had power.

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I never thought of myself as a poet. When I did

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literature classes in high school, I was struggling.

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I was like, I don't understand these things.

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But when I got to the University of the Virgin

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Islands and I met Dr. Vincent Cooper, he really

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encouraged me. He shared poems from Langston

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Hughes and Mutabaluka. And we had to do some

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writing assignments. And that's where I started

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to play around with it. And he encouraged me.

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He was like, you have a gift. I didn't think

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so. I thought it was for me. But he kept pushing

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me. And I'll share one of those pieces later

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on in the show where he just encouraged me. And

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here I am today. And the rest is history. So

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Lynette. What do you write about? What are some

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of the predominant themes of your work? A lot

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of my work centers around community and a lot

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of the trials that we go through as human beings

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on a one -on -one just living and then societal

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issues. I write about climate change. I write

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about love. I write about peace. I write about

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fun things. And my themes are all over the place.

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I am an eclectic kaleidoscope of playing with

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words. Kaleidoscope playing with words. So, Lynette,

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if you're a kaleidoscope, if I asked you what

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is your signature poem, which one of those categories

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would it fall in? Which category is closest to

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your heart? That's a very good question. I would

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say it would be raising awareness in general.

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I think that's a predominant team. And one of

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the things that I've heard from persons is that

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my work, I always try to end on a positive note

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because I feel that despite what you're going

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through, there's always a silver lining along

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the way. So I always try to keep positive in

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everything I do on my job, with my family, with

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my writing. So that's what people would say.

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She always tries to take a positive spin on everything.

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I'd like you to share two points. Thank you.

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The poem that I'm going to share is one of my

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earliest pieces from the 90s. It's called For

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Real. And I think this is one of them that I

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had submitted to Dr. Cooper. For Real, who am

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I that I want to be you? How to myself I am so

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untrue, to bleach and blush my beautiful face,

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throw down my blackness for the next man's race.

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All how the lie has burned my head, sob says,

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hair morphs, then falls dead. The stress, money,

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the tears, the burns must raise my back, blackness.

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Oh, when will I learn? That's the first piece.

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And then the second piece is actually dedicated

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to my grandfather, Sanford Rapsat. May he rest

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in peace. It's called Black Diamond. My thick,

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nappy hair. makes you think that I'm rich but

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it's the sweet melanin that runs through my veins

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that is the precious jewel. My deep dark dangerous

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eyes are my small change that takes Take the

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attention from my dark, bold legs. As I walk

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by, watch me shine, because my body carries the

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heat of my passion, my ancestors' generations

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of intensity, immensity, and richness. My heritage

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is my treasure, my traits, my vision, my mentality,

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all expensive and desired, the descendants of

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a black diamond. Thank you. So Lynette, how does

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a poem begin for you with an idea, a feeling,

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a form, or an image? It's a combination. Sure.

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It's a combination of all of those things. Sometimes

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it comes from a conversation. One of my best

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friends, Dr. Deirdre Weepita, she and I talk

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constantly and she would say something or I would

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say something and I'd be like, I'm going to write

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down that line and I'm going to make that into

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a poem. Other times it might be I'm out in my

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garden picking my fruits or doing my little weeding

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and manicuring around the yard and something

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comes to me. And also for National Poetry Month

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in April there were some writing challenges that

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were shared in one of the online poetry groups

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Papi's Poetry Corner. And we had writing prompts.

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And then in another book that I'm in, Cultures

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of Pros and Poetry and Stories, we share picture

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prompts. So a picture prompt this month was actually,

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we call them Jack Spaniards, their paper wasps.

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I think I'll share that poem later on. You know,

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all great writers. have great writing influences.

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Who are some of yours? And what makes them great

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in your eyes? So my influences, like I was saying

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before, Mutza Baruka, Langston Hughes, but I

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would definitely say Bar Mali has been one of

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the greatest influences from me because just

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the way that he wrote and the way his words impacted

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people So I would say he's definitely one of

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my top lyricists and as a poet and even two pack

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Because I like the rhyming like the rhythm. I

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like the energy that they put into their work

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They'd say that you see the world with complete

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honesty one should look to comedians musicians

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artists and poets What do you think Lynette emerges

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from you naturally as you share and write your

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poetry? I'm giving the world a piece of my heart

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with every poem that I share. I really want to

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inspire people to do well and to be their best

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selves. I want to raise awareness about the challenges

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that we face as a people. for me specifically

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as a Virgin Islands person, as a Caribbean person.

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So I think that those are my influence and that's

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where I put my focus when I'm writing. I have

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a question. Does it hurt you to write poetry?

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If not, why not? I don't think it hurts me to

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write poetry because I've participated in poetry

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competitions. won prizes. So it definitely does

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not hurt me even though I say I'm giving you

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a piece of my soul. That makes me happy. It makes

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me happy to be able to send voice notes to people

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or to put stuff on YouTube and get the feedback.

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So definitely no hurt involved. I asked that

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question because the world we live in is not

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always pretty. And the things that we write about

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are not always pretty. These writings are based

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on our own stories, our own lived experiences.

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So that's why I asked that question. What I'd

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like to know now is, are you willing to be hurt

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by the poetry of others? I love. participating

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in online poetry readings, because that's where

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you get to hear the diversity that's out there.

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So it's definitely not heard. Now, I'll tell

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you there's some pieces when people share them,

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the tears come down because you realize these

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people have been through so much. But the fact

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that they can share it and put it out there,

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they can heal, they can grow, and they could

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inspire other people as well. Lynette, please

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share two more horns. Thank you. Sure. It's called,

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music is poetry in motion. Words with emotion

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taught to a beat. movement in sound, instruments

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on fire, swinging inspiration, love in audio,

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sex in stereo, shouting with rhythm, speech synchronized.

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Music is in all of us. Thank you. Okay. Is there

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a line in that particular poem that pleased you

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in terms of including it? in the pool or a lie

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that challenged you and you were not sure whether

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you should include it in the pool. That's a good

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question. I would say the swinging inspiration

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would be the line that I would say is my favorite

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because I don't think that anybody else has ever

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put those two words together, swinging inspiration,

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but I love to dance. Swinging inspiration. You've

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been writing since 1996. How do you think your

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work has changed and or developed since that

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time? What are you doing now that you did not

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do then? My work has definitely changed and as

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I share more poetry tonight you will see the

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difference because I think at first I would have

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spoken more about my blackness. So the first

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two pieces but definitely about me identifying

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myself as a person, as a black person, loving

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my natural roots and everything. But my work

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today, my rhyme schemes have changed. I'm playing

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more creatively with literary devices using a

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bit more alliteration. I love alliteration. I

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am widening the teams a bit more, I think, because

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we do a lot of poetry competitions here in the

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Virgin Islands. That's where I'm writing more

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about climate change and things like that because

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typically I wouldn't write on pieces like that.

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But because we have certain avenues, I'm able

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to expand my writing a bit more. But of course,

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attending the online poetry readings with a global

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audience, you're getting to hear people use different

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styles and that definitely influences the way

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that I write. What is it about the poetic device

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alliteration that intrigues you? I'm not sure

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but I just find myself and I usually like pair

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up things and not pair but I usually go in threes

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Like big bad bougie I use a lot of repeated sounds

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on whether it's just the consonant or it may

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be emotion devotion motion using themes like

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that I find somehow my brain always clicks and

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then by the time I'm finished I may say I'm not

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going to rhyme this poem because I like to challenge

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myself to go further and further outside the

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box and I say I'm not going to rhyme this poem

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but then no matter what there's a line in there

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that rhymes or balances itself out it sounds

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like You really enjoy the talent of finding out

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new things about poetry, the different forms,

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the different devices. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Yes. You are correct. Like I said, when I share

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some more pieces. Yes, I'd like to hear more

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of your work. Todd, share three points. Okay.

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This poem is called The Nurturer. Seeing him

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is a richness of fulfillment. I cannot understand

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the depth of this love. Completion is only secondary

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to the achievement of being nurtured, inspired,

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and commended by one who distinctly resides in

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loving peace with himself, his surroundings,

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and his being. Acceptance of his philosophy is

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a mere decision, delighted and uplifted by the

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assets of his heart and loving spirit. That's

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the first piece. And then I'll share one called

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Arrest. This poem was actually published in Virgin

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Islands Colony, an anthology of poets here in

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the wider United States and British Virgin Islands.

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So here is Arrest. I've never done well on my

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own. My future seemed like it's almost gone.

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As much as I try to succeed, depression kicks

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me at the heels. Surely, I've seen greatness

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and I have exercised excess patience, but the

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troubles of my life seem to multiply my strife.

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I feel I can't survive. I feel the stress of

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being alive. There's no sign of deliverance toiling

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hard for mere pittance. Believing there's a promotion

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but the only promoting is a notion. Some say

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I should feel blessed but my life's been an empty

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nest. I do appreciate my surroundings and I have

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received free higher learning. But my definition

00:19:10.150 --> 00:19:13.589
is clouded and my eyes have been shrouded. I

00:19:13.589 --> 00:19:16.910
never learned about the responsibility or the

00:19:16.910 --> 00:19:21.529
hardships of raising a family. I let people dictate

00:19:21.529 --> 00:19:26.369
my life and use my talents as their device. And

00:19:26.369 --> 00:19:29.549
now that I'm depressed and stressed, I face my

00:19:29.549 --> 00:19:34.829
time on the life arrest. And then a short one,

00:19:34.950 --> 00:19:37.730
this one is called I Have. I usually share this

00:19:37.730 --> 00:19:42.309
poem. if I'm visiting students, especially then

00:19:42.309 --> 00:19:47.309
the elementary primary level. I've seen the fall

00:19:47.309 --> 00:19:51.930
and I've seen the fall and rise. I have traveled

00:19:51.930 --> 00:19:55.529
to the hilltops as I ask God to open my eyes.

00:19:56.069 --> 00:19:59.390
I've roared like a mountain lion. I've risen

00:19:59.390 --> 00:20:02.470
to the mighty call. I have lived in the naked

00:20:02.470 --> 00:20:05.730
nature and I've sat in trees, majestically tall.

00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.359
I've prayed with the downtrodden and I've given

00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:12.640
them a helping hand. I've seen the struggles

00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:16.200
of 10 ,000. I walk with them on the black sand.

00:20:16.579 --> 00:20:20.819
I want to be among the mighty. I love nature's

00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:25.140
open call. I wish for peace among the nations

00:20:25.140 --> 00:20:29.579
and for us to stand strong and tall. Thank you.

00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.119
That was an exceptionally powerful set of poems.

00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:37.490
As I listened to you, there was a difference

00:20:37.490 --> 00:20:41.289
in your voice. It was stronger, a different resonance.

00:20:41.690 --> 00:20:44.990
Wow, very, very nice. Let's talk about the third

00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:48.970
piece. Were there lines in that particular poem

00:20:48.970 --> 00:20:52.450
that you felt really pleased about in terms of

00:20:52.450 --> 00:20:56.109
including or you felt challenged as you thought

00:20:56.109 --> 00:20:57.849
about whether you should include them or not?

00:20:58.089 --> 00:21:01.759
Okay, with this particular poem... I don't remember

00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:04.380
what was happening to me in life at the time,

00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:09.200
but when I wrote the first four lines, because

00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:13.960
those would be the first four lines, the mighty

00:21:13.960 --> 00:21:16.960
fall and the fallen rise, the hilltops and asking

00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:22.480
God to open my eyes, I would say that's the part

00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:26.700
that touches me the most. The praying with the

00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:29.039
dawn trotting and giving them the helping hand.

00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:32.660
That's the path where I would I struggle as a

00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:35.839
human being and struggled as a writer to put

00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:37.859
that together bearing in mind that I started

00:21:37.859 --> 00:21:40.759
off with the mighty fallen and then having to

00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:44.059
pray with the downtrodden. What I'd like to know

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:49.819
is is writing a poem letting you guard down or

00:21:49.819 --> 00:21:54.759
building a wall? It depends on what the poem

00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:59.509
is about. Sometimes it is letting that guard

00:21:59.509 --> 00:22:03.970
down and putting yourself out there to be vulnerable

00:22:03.970 --> 00:22:10.210
as well. It could be up a while because you don't

00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:13.190
want to face something and you prefer to express

00:22:13.190 --> 00:22:16.190
it in words because I've been through situations

00:22:16.190 --> 00:22:20.990
and I've written poems because okay, I can't

00:22:20.990 --> 00:22:23.190
express it. I can't go out there and scream.

00:22:23.390 --> 00:22:26.089
I can't post certain things on Facebook, but

00:22:26.089 --> 00:22:28.890
I could. take my time and put it nicely in a

00:22:28.890 --> 00:22:33.650
poem and who's close to me will understand exactly

00:22:33.650 --> 00:22:37.130
what I'm trying to say. Other people will be

00:22:37.130 --> 00:22:39.210
like, oh, that's so creative. And in the meantime,

00:22:39.450 --> 00:22:43.569
my heart is breaking. I'm hurting. Right. I know.

00:22:44.990 --> 00:22:51.769
And that they say that poems are often like living

00:22:51.769 --> 00:22:55.309
creatures. Once out there, there's not what you

00:22:55.309 --> 00:22:58.680
can do to correct or improving? While others

00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:01.579
edit meticulously, not leaving much from the

00:23:01.579 --> 00:23:05.440
original draft form, what is your take, Lynette,

00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:10.180
on the editing process and poetry? With the editing

00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:13.259
process, I'll be honest with you, some of the

00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:17.380
older poems from in the 90s have gone back and

00:23:17.380 --> 00:23:21.200
made some changes. Typically, when I write something,

00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:24.380
I just make sure I do the grammar check and I

00:23:24.380 --> 00:23:27.569
do my spelling check. And once I'm okay with

00:23:27.569 --> 00:23:32.710
that, I typically don't change it. But depending,

00:23:33.130 --> 00:23:36.369
let's say someone asks me to do a poem for church

00:23:36.369 --> 00:23:40.250
or for a particular event. I may tweak something,

00:23:40.390 --> 00:23:42.849
because sometimes people ask weird things. Because

00:23:42.849 --> 00:23:44.509
obviously, okay, Mother's Day is coming up. I

00:23:44.509 --> 00:23:46.569
have a lot of poems about moms, so I don't really

00:23:46.569 --> 00:23:49.529
have to tweak anything. But one time I had to

00:23:49.529 --> 00:23:52.730
do a performance for my job, and I wanted to

00:23:52.730 --> 00:23:57.180
be able to get involved. So I did some repetition

00:23:57.180 --> 00:24:01.299
with the word yes. So I could get the audience

00:24:01.299 --> 00:24:05.559
involved and also send the inspiring message

00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:10.380
while making it interesting. So to me, I try

00:24:10.380 --> 00:24:12.859
to cater to work based on the audience, depending

00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:15.779
on what it is, especially if somebody asks me

00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:18.259
to perform. And of course, obviously, if I'm

00:24:18.259 --> 00:24:21.180
doing something for church, I'm going to make

00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:25.359
sure that it's wholesome. It's godly. If I could

00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:26.799
make references to the Bible, I'll make sure

00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:30.299
I do that. Lynette, when you think about poetry,

00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:35.839
what do you think makes your work unique? Now,

00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:39.779
it would be easy to say, well, I'm unique, and

00:24:39.779 --> 00:24:42.140
that's fantastic. That's a fantastic answer.

00:24:42.799 --> 00:24:46.339
But I want you to flesh that out. What do you

00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:49.380
think that you bring to the poetry world that

00:24:49.380 --> 00:24:53.579
is different from someone else or group? Talk

00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:58.930
to me. I think that my ability to play with words

00:24:58.930 --> 00:25:05.670
and play on words makes me unique. I think also

00:25:05.670 --> 00:25:10.390
my ability to hear certain things and then drawn

00:25:10.390 --> 00:25:15.230
it and turn it into a poem because on one of

00:25:15.230 --> 00:25:18.650
the poems, the next one I plan to share would

00:25:18.650 --> 00:25:21.410
tell you exactly why I'm saying that because

00:25:21.410 --> 00:25:26.059
it's a poem about Bob Marley. But when I say

00:25:26.059 --> 00:25:28.440
Bob Molly vibrations people are thinking I'm

00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:31.039
probably talking about Smoking weed or something

00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:33.839
like that, but it's actually his song titles

00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:38.960
in a poem and The way I perform it. I think that

00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:43.700
all of that is what helps me to be unique Share

00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:47.420
the poem I look forward to hearing it. So this

00:25:47.420 --> 00:25:54.769
poem is called Bob Molly vibrations As I catch

00:25:54.769 --> 00:25:59.150
a fire and stir it up, jamming in my mind is

00:25:59.150 --> 00:26:04.450
how to satisfy my soul. There is so much trouble

00:26:04.450 --> 00:26:08.309
in this world, but yet I feel like an iron lion

00:26:08.309 --> 00:26:12.349
in Zion. I know I'm never waiting in vain because

00:26:12.349 --> 00:26:15.950
this exodus is more than a natural mystic. I

00:26:15.950 --> 00:26:20.900
ask myself, could you be love? But I know that

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:23.539
while you feel I am on a raster man vibration

00:26:23.539 --> 00:26:27.720
I'm just gonna chant down Babylon and then I'll

00:26:27.720 --> 00:26:30.799
get up stand up because the system that was designed

00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:34.319
to screw us will never beat us because this one

00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:40.059
love Positive vibration is all we need to live

00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:43.819
up free up and sing the redemption song. Thank

00:26:43.819 --> 00:26:54.630
you You know, your delivery is perfect. What

00:26:54.630 --> 00:26:58.170
is the relationship between your speaking voice

00:26:58.170 --> 00:27:00.890
and your written voice if there is a relationship?

00:27:04.230 --> 00:27:08.190
I usually type up my poems and then I, depending

00:27:08.190 --> 00:27:12.650
on what it is, I play it back. So I let Microsoft

00:27:12.650 --> 00:27:15.650
Word read aloud, read it back to me and listen

00:27:15.650 --> 00:27:18.150
to how that sounds because of course that's monotone.

00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:22.400
And then, I mean, do it as a voice note and hear

00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:26.680
how I sound, but I tend to practice the poems

00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:29.019
sometime. And that's why I like having the YouTube

00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:32.960
page, because that's a way to put the work out

00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.819
there and to get me performing, because really,

00:27:35.859 --> 00:27:37.279
actually what I want to do is more performance.

00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:41.799
So using the YouTube and hearing the playback,

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:43.920
then I know, okay, I need to focus this word

00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:47.779
differently. I need to emphasize this phrase

00:27:47.779 --> 00:27:53.400
more. And I guess growing up in church and doing

00:27:53.400 --> 00:27:56.200
recitations that have this and different activities,

00:27:56.579 --> 00:27:59.680
I have the next to show the voice when I need

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:01.740
to treat. And actually one of the persons who's

00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:06.079
on with us right now, she taught us to drama.

00:28:06.650 --> 00:28:08.890
And she came to support me tonight. So I just

00:28:08.890 --> 00:28:12.670
want to say shout out to Mrs. Manners and to

00:28:12.670 --> 00:28:15.069
Justin Hatch for being here with me tonight.

00:28:15.670 --> 00:28:19.789
Very nice, very nice. When you read Lynette,

00:28:20.069 --> 00:28:24.849
you come alive. There's a different radiance,

00:28:25.430 --> 00:28:30.569
a different regalness. It's a wonder to see.

00:28:32.890 --> 00:28:37.200
So when the poem is at the starting line, Who's

00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:42.819
driving? You or the poem? That's a very good

00:28:42.819 --> 00:28:46.380
question. Depending on what it is, it might be

00:28:46.380 --> 00:28:49.660
the poem. And there are other times, I guess,

00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:54.160
if I'm writing for a competition, and sometimes

00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:59.559
you have to force it, so writing me to, I take

00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:03.740
over. But when the words are flowing, that's

00:29:03.740 --> 00:29:08.200
the poem. that's the inspiration coming. Especially

00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:12.000
when you do picture prompts, I love picture prompts

00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.240
for that reason because you look at the photo

00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.480
and very often when I do picture prompts, it

00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:21.859
looks nothing like the picture, but there's something

00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:25.859
about whatever is being depicted that kind of

00:29:25.859 --> 00:29:28.859
evokes the emotions in me and I'm able to draw

00:29:28.859 --> 00:29:39.569
from it. Sure. Let me see what I can find to

00:29:39.569 --> 00:29:43.049
share with you. Okay, this is a more recent poem.

00:29:43.250 --> 00:29:45.990
This is another one where I played with alliteration.

00:29:46.609 --> 00:29:51.829
It's called Under. I don't think that you understand

00:29:51.829 --> 00:29:55.269
how underwhelming it is when you underestimate

00:29:55.269 --> 00:29:59.490
your power. You may say that you are under siege

00:29:59.490 --> 00:30:03.130
or underappreciated, but these undertones only

00:30:03.130 --> 00:30:08.250
serve to keep you underground. And while my poems

00:30:08.250 --> 00:30:13.549
may be unsound, underneath it all, I try to unseal

00:30:13.549 --> 00:30:16.769
the secret dealings, the undeveloped feelings

00:30:16.769 --> 00:30:21.369
that underpin the unending reams of dreams that

00:30:21.369 --> 00:30:24.690
are so disruptive, that are so corrupted. Look.

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:30.000
You can't let anyone undervalue your words. No

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:32.900
one should be able to undermine the values that

00:30:32.900 --> 00:30:39.779
underpin your fate. Now, do you understand? Thank

00:30:39.779 --> 00:30:44.920
you. So this other poem is called De -Stress.

00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:48.359
Because of course, life is full of stress. So

00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:53.420
de -stress. Life is full of test. It's almost

00:30:53.420 --> 00:30:57.019
like a crazy contest with no context and you

00:30:57.019 --> 00:31:00.460
spend most of the time being frustrated and vexed

00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:03.599
feeling stressed and distressed with no avenues

00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:08.140
to de -stress. But I must confess that sometimes

00:31:08.140 --> 00:31:11.940
the best defense against stress is to ignore

00:31:11.940 --> 00:31:15.740
the mess and take time to invest in just feeling

00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:19.980
and doing your best because every day is another

00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:23.519
test. and whether you run from the east to the

00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:27.539
west, somewhere there's going to be a pest. Something

00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:31.059
will make you feel hopeless. Someone will be

00:31:31.059 --> 00:31:34.539
ghetto or classless. And you still have to smile

00:31:34.539 --> 00:31:37.880
like you're feeling the best, like you're living

00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:41.920
a lavish life of richness. But maybe I digress

00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:44.779
because living at your best is where you get

00:31:44.779 --> 00:31:49.000
past the emptiness. So find your happiness even

00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:52.259
if it's only temporary. and has no permanence.

00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:56.000
But remember, conflict unaddressed is another

00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:59.400
ingredient for this stress. So you have to use

00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:03.579
your common sense. Challenges are the cause of

00:32:03.579 --> 00:32:06.519
stress, but that doesn't mean the outcome won't

00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:10.059
be the best. because stress also has its goodness.

00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:13.660
When you get that feeling, sometimes you just

00:32:13.660 --> 00:32:17.140
have to consider forgiveness. And yes, just take

00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:20.640
a rest from the conflict and distress, the nonsense

00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:24.039
and the pettiness from the major media madness.

00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:27.539
Maybe just mind your business, walk away and

00:32:27.539 --> 00:32:32.119
just focus your time and invest in yourself.

00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:38.269
Thank you. When you think about your craft, being

00:32:38.269 --> 00:32:42.130
a poet. Do you view yourself as being a storyteller

00:32:42.130 --> 00:32:48.849
or a wordsmith or a combination? These two. Okay,

00:32:48.890 --> 00:32:52.309
I think I'm a combination based on the different

00:32:52.309 --> 00:32:56.210
things I've written. So definitely the poem distress.

00:32:56.869 --> 00:33:02.009
That's a wordsmith. But when it comes to other

00:33:02.009 --> 00:33:04.430
poems, like I wrote a poem about my great grandfather,

00:33:04.950 --> 00:33:08.640
that's That's the story teller in me because

00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:10.900
in my heart of heart I really want to be able

00:33:10.900 --> 00:33:14.420
to tell stories, but I just Haven't gone down

00:33:14.420 --> 00:33:19.960
that road. I guess the poem is a short version

00:33:19.960 --> 00:33:24.000
of being able to put the work out there and Sometimes

00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.559
people just need a little sprinkle a little fairy

00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.059
dust. So the poem is like the little fairy dust

00:33:29.059 --> 00:33:32.640
Here's some inspiration take that go and be great

00:33:32.640 --> 00:33:37.640
go and feel sad but know that tomorrow is going

00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:44.039
to be different. Let's imagine for a moment that

00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:48.539
writing a poem is like baking a cake. What are

00:33:48.539 --> 00:33:51.640
some of the ingredients that you'll need to write

00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:57.940
the poem? A concept or an idea that you want

00:33:57.940 --> 00:34:02.019
to express. For me, sometimes it's just one line

00:34:02.019 --> 00:34:05.690
and then I run with it. You definitely want to

00:34:05.690 --> 00:34:09.070
consider how you line up your poem visually,

00:34:09.650 --> 00:34:11.829
because it's one thing to be able to perform.

00:34:12.750 --> 00:34:14.449
But when you look at it, sometimes people still

00:34:14.449 --> 00:34:17.309
write the poem basically in a paragraph. So you

00:34:17.309 --> 00:34:19.909
need to understand what poetic form is. And it's

00:34:19.909 --> 00:34:22.269
good to do research to understand what the different

00:34:22.269 --> 00:34:25.510
types of poems are. because whether you do a

00:34:25.510 --> 00:34:29.429
haiku, a sunnet, free form and what I'm realizing

00:34:29.429 --> 00:34:32.789
from going to these online readings is that there's

00:34:32.789 --> 00:34:35.150
so many things that we've never thought about

00:34:35.150 --> 00:34:39.130
or that we were never taught in school where

00:34:39.130 --> 00:34:41.010
what people are doing with their poetry especially

00:34:41.010 --> 00:34:47.289
visual poetry and shapes. You know poetry is

00:34:47.289 --> 00:34:50.789
so eclectic and so different you could just have

00:34:50.789 --> 00:34:53.900
so much fun with it. And of course, I encourage

00:34:53.900 --> 00:34:57.079
people to look up literary devices, understand

00:34:57.079 --> 00:35:01.519
sounds. So even though you may be reading the

00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:06.159
poem the way you write it, your voice comes into

00:35:06.159 --> 00:35:10.039
the reader's head. Or if you're performing it,

00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:14.039
knowing when to do that pause, and when to soften

00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:17.420
that face. So you make the reader tune in a little

00:35:17.420 --> 00:35:19.900
bit more, or the listener tune in a little bit

00:35:19.900 --> 00:35:22.639
more to say, okay. I get where she's going, I

00:35:22.639 --> 00:35:26.079
feel her pain, or I feel her energy, I feel her

00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:30.219
singing, I feel her dancing. For me poetry you

00:35:30.219 --> 00:35:33.460
have to do your research, you have to read other

00:35:33.460 --> 00:35:37.659
poets, listen to other people, whatever music

00:35:37.659 --> 00:35:40.780
inspires you, whatever you enjoy, take some influences

00:35:40.780 --> 00:35:45.579
from that as well too. What do you think your

00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:50.639
work, your poetry conveys about the human condition?

00:35:51.949 --> 00:35:56.630
My work and the human condition, I think I try

00:35:56.630 --> 00:36:00.849
to capture a lot of different aspects of the

00:36:00.849 --> 00:36:03.630
human condition. Even if you just look at our

00:36:03.630 --> 00:36:08.349
basic needs, the food, shelter, the ability to

00:36:08.349 --> 00:36:13.110
be free, loving yourself as a person, your self

00:36:13.110 --> 00:36:16.750
-esteem, the struggles you go through on the

00:36:16.750 --> 00:36:21.050
job, or just out in the traffic. the nature around

00:36:21.050 --> 00:36:23.369
you the things that are impacting our planet

00:36:23.369 --> 00:36:26.550
the politics because definitely politics plays

00:36:26.550 --> 00:36:32.230
a very big role in the way we write because your

00:36:32.230 --> 00:36:35.570
writing is usually influenced by what's happening

00:36:35.570 --> 00:36:39.269
around you so for me I try to draw from all these

00:36:39.269 --> 00:36:42.510
different things and share my words with the

00:36:42.510 --> 00:36:48.889
world. Lynette in this life that we live there's

00:36:48.889 --> 00:36:54.610
good There's bad. There's ugly as well as indifference.

00:36:54.949 --> 00:36:57.949
What do you view as being the role of a poet

00:36:57.949 --> 00:37:03.449
in modern day society? The role of the poet is

00:37:03.449 --> 00:37:07.510
to highlight the good, the bad, the ugly and

00:37:07.510 --> 00:37:10.449
the indifferent. Now the key thing is when you're

00:37:10.449 --> 00:37:14.489
crafting your messages. It could be all bad.

00:37:14.869 --> 00:37:18.730
It could be all ugly. It could be all good. But

00:37:19.780 --> 00:37:22.980
If all your messages, so if me as a poet, if

00:37:22.980 --> 00:37:25.039
everything that I'm saying is just about the

00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:28.679
ugly, after a while people will tune out. So

00:37:28.679 --> 00:37:31.739
you need to be able to highlight the awesome

00:37:31.739 --> 00:37:33.840
things that are happening. But then you need

00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:36.280
to hold people accountable with those words as

00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:39.719
well too because poetry is an excellent avenue

00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:43.519
to be able to hold people accountable and let

00:37:43.519 --> 00:37:47.150
them know, hey, we're not. happy about this especially

00:37:47.150 --> 00:37:49.230
when it comes to politics like I said depending

00:37:49.230 --> 00:37:51.309
on the type of work that you do obviously you

00:37:51.309 --> 00:37:52.989
won't go out there and say that you're right

00:37:52.989 --> 00:37:55.989
upon about your boss being the worst person but

00:37:55.989 --> 00:38:01.869
you could write a poem about a snake and it could

00:38:01.869 --> 00:38:05.010
be about that situation but you use your metaphors

00:38:05.010 --> 00:38:07.730
you use your literary devices that's what they're

00:38:07.730 --> 00:38:13.969
there for. Some believe that we're required as

00:38:13.969 --> 00:38:18.579
poets to write about social issues or those things

00:38:18.579 --> 00:38:23.300
that happen in our world. Small picture and big

00:38:23.300 --> 00:38:28.500
picture. But what if I want to write about rocks

00:38:28.500 --> 00:38:33.880
and trees? Why am I required to write about social

00:38:33.880 --> 00:38:37.440
issues? Talk to me. Tell me what are your thoughts?

00:38:38.840 --> 00:38:43.320
I think that each person, everybody's unique.

00:38:44.929 --> 00:38:48.269
So, you know, I could write about rocks. I could

00:38:48.269 --> 00:38:51.329
write about the issues in the world. Some people

00:38:51.329 --> 00:38:54.710
just enjoy doing that one particular thing. There's

00:38:54.710 --> 00:38:56.630
an avenue for them. There are people who are

00:38:56.630 --> 00:38:58.449
going to enjoy that. There are people who need

00:38:58.449 --> 00:39:00.969
that. And then there are persons who are always

00:39:00.969 --> 00:39:04.550
political. This is happening. That's happening.

00:39:05.170 --> 00:39:08.190
Places on fire. And there's a need for that.

00:39:08.630 --> 00:39:10.389
So that's why you need to have the balance. Everybody

00:39:10.389 --> 00:39:12.230
can't be saying the same thing. And the same

00:39:12.230 --> 00:39:15.139
thing with music. Every music can be everything

00:39:15.139 --> 00:39:17.960
every song on a radio can be ready Every song

00:39:17.960 --> 00:39:20.059
on YouTube can't be hip -hop. You need to have

00:39:20.059 --> 00:39:22.239
that mix because some days you wake up and it's

00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:24.840
Okay, I'm feeling like I could listen to some

00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:27.320
young doc today and then another day I would

00:39:27.320 --> 00:39:29.739
say I need to hear some Bob Marley. I need to

00:39:29.739 --> 00:39:33.099
Mellow it down then another day be like, okay,

00:39:33.099 --> 00:39:34.980
I need some coke Franklin because I need to calm

00:39:34.980 --> 00:39:39.880
down even more So you need to have the balance

00:39:40.619 --> 00:39:42.579
It can't just be one thing. It can't just be

00:39:42.579 --> 00:39:44.699
one message out there. It needs to have that

00:39:44.699 --> 00:39:48.260
mix. Based on what you know about the world,

00:39:48.980 --> 00:39:54.539
your own lived experience. What color is poetry?

00:39:56.719 --> 00:39:59.800
Poetry is a kaleidoscope. To me, it can't be

00:39:59.800 --> 00:40:03.960
one color. Because even with emotions and even

00:40:03.960 --> 00:40:10.019
when we as humans go through things, a lighter

00:40:10.019 --> 00:40:13.260
skin color. If you're happy, you will laugh till

00:40:13.260 --> 00:40:17.380
you turn pink. If you're sad, you could see the

00:40:17.380 --> 00:40:20.579
facial expressions change. If you're angry, you're

00:40:20.579 --> 00:40:24.780
going to turn red. Even as a human being, if

00:40:24.780 --> 00:40:27.039
I get bruised, it's going to turn purple even

00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:33.079
though I'm dark skinned. So for me, poetry can't

00:40:33.079 --> 00:40:35.219
be one color. It has to be that kaleidoscope.

00:40:35.420 --> 00:40:38.670
It has to be At one end of the spectrum, white

00:40:38.670 --> 00:40:41.889
one day, it needs to be dark another day. Some

00:40:41.889 --> 00:40:44.510
days it's yellow. Some days it's green. Maybe

00:40:44.510 --> 00:40:47.409
I'm just a little envious of everybody. But I

00:40:47.409 --> 00:40:49.869
think it needs to be a combination of everything.

00:40:52.510 --> 00:40:58.250
Please share another poem. Sure. So this poem

00:40:58.250 --> 00:41:03.530
is a political poem. It's called writes. I'm

00:41:03.530 --> 00:41:08.500
always hungry. But nobody wants to feed me. I

00:41:08.500 --> 00:41:11.380
don't know why. They just ignore me. The doctor

00:41:11.380 --> 00:41:14.280
says I'm dirty. The teacher doesn't want to teach

00:41:14.280 --> 00:41:20.480
me. They say I'm stupid. I try hard, but nobody

00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:24.360
at all wants to bother with me. I can't get a

00:41:24.360 --> 00:41:29.360
job. This makes my life hard. It's real hard

00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:34.260
all the time. But it's a surprise. They're letting

00:41:34.260 --> 00:41:42.159
me vote. I'm thinking is the law of the mother

00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:47.139
country that is that let me vote. I have suffrage,

00:41:47.260 --> 00:41:50.980
but the elected ones don't realize that I'm suffering.

00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:55.059
Thank you. Wow. I think I like to hear you say

00:41:55.059 --> 00:42:04.530
that one again, please. Sure. always hungry,

00:42:04.550 --> 00:42:09.610
but nobody wants to feed me. I don't know why

00:42:09.610 --> 00:42:15.690
they just ignore me. It says I'm dirty. The teacher

00:42:15.690 --> 00:42:19.690
doesn't want to teach me. They say I'm stupid.

00:42:20.230 --> 00:42:25.309
I try hard, but nobody at all wants to bottle

00:42:25.309 --> 00:42:29.510
with me. I can't get a job. This makes my life

00:42:29.510 --> 00:42:34.750
hard. It's real hard. all the time. But it's

00:42:34.750 --> 00:42:41.469
a surprise they're letting me vote. I'm thinking

00:42:41.469 --> 00:42:45.789
it's the law of the mother country that is that

00:42:45.789 --> 00:42:51.210
let me vote. They call it suffrage. But the elected

00:42:51.210 --> 00:42:56.670
ones don't realize that I'm suffering. Thank

00:42:56.670 --> 00:43:00.969
you. Tell me about the message in that poem.

00:43:04.239 --> 00:43:07.019
So this is one of my early poems that I wrote

00:43:07.019 --> 00:43:12.159
at UBI. So this is a very old poem. I think this

00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:17.679
is one from 1996. This poem, it was the first

00:43:17.679 --> 00:43:21.119
time I learned the word suffrage, the right to

00:43:21.119 --> 00:43:24.739
vote. So I don't know, in my head, I started

00:43:24.739 --> 00:43:27.719
to play with, okay, suffrage, you have the right

00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:31.639
to vote, but we're suffering. The roads have

00:43:31.639 --> 00:43:34.440
potholes. The water isn't running the way it

00:43:34.440 --> 00:43:38.219
should run. The salary's at salarying. And in

00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:41.820
my head, I'm like, suffering, suffrage. So that's

00:43:41.820 --> 00:43:44.440
where I started off with, I'm always hungry and

00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:47.539
just building it from there and then twisting

00:43:47.539 --> 00:43:50.980
it around to say, hey, I have suffrage, but yet

00:43:50.980 --> 00:43:54.960
I'm suffering. The end was melancholy because

00:43:54.960 --> 00:43:58.300
I can vote. I have children. My son is over 18,

00:43:58.619 --> 00:44:01.659
so he can vote. But then you look at the state

00:44:01.659 --> 00:44:03.460
of the country, you look at what's happening

00:44:03.460 --> 00:44:05.480
in the world, and it's okay, are these elected

00:44:05.480 --> 00:44:08.420
leaders really paying attention to what's happening?

00:44:08.699 --> 00:44:12.360
We are suffering. All right to vote is what gave

00:44:12.360 --> 00:44:17.219
them that job. But yet, here we are, broken,

00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:19.460
so many things that need to be addressed, whether

00:44:19.460 --> 00:44:21.980
it's education, mental health, it's a lot that's

00:44:21.980 --> 00:44:27.000
happening. So even as I say these words now,

00:44:27.380 --> 00:44:30.340
it still breaks my heart. This form still breaks

00:44:30.340 --> 00:44:32.639
my heart today because we are still suffering.

00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:35.739
More people have the ability to vote, but yet

00:44:35.739 --> 00:44:40.559
they still continue to struggle as a people.

00:44:41.739 --> 00:44:47.340
For me, living is just a challenge in itself,

00:44:47.860 --> 00:44:51.900
trying to understand myself, monitoring my behavior,

00:44:52.340 --> 00:44:56.460
how I react. how I deal with things, how I deal

00:44:56.460 --> 00:44:58.199
with people, especially as an HR manager, because

00:44:58.199 --> 00:44:59.920
of course being an HR manager is about dealing

00:44:59.920 --> 00:45:02.480
with humans and their emotions, their compensation,

00:45:02.840 --> 00:45:09.159
things that affect them. When you hire someone,

00:45:09.460 --> 00:45:12.699
you hire them and their family, their broken

00:45:12.699 --> 00:45:16.199
car, their home that's maybe taken away from

00:45:16.199 --> 00:45:20.239
the bank, you hire them as a full person. And

00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:23.639
just the same with poetry. It's about evoking

00:45:23.639 --> 00:45:26.699
that emotion and trying to send that cam, send

00:45:26.699 --> 00:45:29.000
that word out there. But of course, sometimes

00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:31.659
it is about putting a little fire under people

00:45:31.659 --> 00:45:34.119
to say, hey, wake up. It's time to do something

00:45:34.119 --> 00:45:39.860
different. It's time to call, make a call to

00:45:39.860 --> 00:45:43.519
action. So some poems are about calling to action

00:45:43.519 --> 00:45:47.739
and saying, hey, guys, let's do this. What do

00:45:47.739 --> 00:45:50.340
you think makes poets different from other people?

00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:57.519
I think poets are regular people who just are

00:45:57.519 --> 00:46:02.099
more in tune with being able to share their work.

00:46:02.260 --> 00:46:04.239
And this is the thing with poets. Not everybody

00:46:04.239 --> 00:46:07.820
wants to share. Because I have this one friend

00:46:07.820 --> 00:46:12.500
who I love so much, Toya Foy. She's just so amazing.

00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:14.980
At some point, we're going to get her to build

00:46:14.980 --> 00:46:17.559
the courage to come on your show. Because she

00:46:17.559 --> 00:46:20.820
has a lot to say. All right. She's invited. I'm

00:46:20.820 --> 00:46:26.099
going to work on her. And being a poet and putting

00:46:26.099 --> 00:46:30.380
the work out there, it puts you in that uncomfortable

00:46:30.380 --> 00:46:34.880
position. I've been on the stage where I've said

00:46:34.880 --> 00:46:37.599
things I shouldn't have said, but I know better

00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:41.320
now. Sometimes you have to grow and learn and

00:46:41.320 --> 00:46:46.179
get yourself together, but definitely you can

00:46:46.179 --> 00:46:49.909
see I love poetry. The encouragement from Dr.

00:46:50.070 --> 00:46:54.090
Cooper really inspired me to put the work out

00:46:54.090 --> 00:46:56.809
there. At that time, they used to have poetry

00:46:56.809 --> 00:47:01.730
readings while we were there in school. And you

00:47:01.730 --> 00:47:04.730
get more encouragement. And when I came, because

00:47:04.730 --> 00:47:06.550
that's in the United States Virgin Islands, I

00:47:06.550 --> 00:47:08.269
actually live in the British Virgin Islands on

00:47:08.269 --> 00:47:11.510
the island of Tortola. And when I came back home

00:47:11.510 --> 00:47:13.889
from school, I would send my poems to the newspaper

00:47:13.889 --> 00:47:16.289
because I actually saw a few people sending this.

00:47:16.969 --> 00:47:20.449
to send my poem too. And that's how people get

00:47:20.449 --> 00:47:23.690
to know that I'm writing, I'm into poetry, and

00:47:23.690 --> 00:47:26.829
that's how at church they would say, okay, can

00:47:26.829 --> 00:47:29.769
you share a poem or if there's an event that

00:47:29.769 --> 00:47:31.710
one of the government departments is doing, they

00:47:31.710 --> 00:47:37.010
may reach out to me. But I personally feel I

00:47:37.010 --> 00:47:40.130
use the analogy, I use the parable from the Bible

00:47:40.130 --> 00:47:43.329
about the talents, and I take it literally. I

00:47:43.329 --> 00:47:46.849
don't look at a talent as being a coin. I look

00:47:46.849 --> 00:47:49.989
at it as your gift from God and if you have a

00:47:49.989 --> 00:47:54.090
gift from God it's your job to share it writing

00:47:54.090 --> 00:47:56.730
the poem or keeping it in your head or keeping

00:47:56.730 --> 00:48:00.510
it locked away in a book isn't helping anyone

00:48:00.510 --> 00:48:03.530
it isn't helping you as a person to develop further

00:48:03.530 --> 00:48:06.170
and it's not inspiring anyone and that's the

00:48:06.170 --> 00:48:09.329
point of poetry and music to share it because

00:48:09.329 --> 00:48:12.309
I keep saying the same thing it's about getting

00:48:12.309 --> 00:48:15.570
that message out there and inspiring people to

00:48:15.900 --> 00:48:18.239
see something different and to understand that

00:48:18.239 --> 00:48:21.480
change is inevitable. So share the work. I'm

00:48:21.480 --> 00:48:24.320
encouraging anybody who's listening, please share

00:48:24.320 --> 00:48:30.039
your work with the world. Please share with me

00:48:30.039 --> 00:48:38.000
the titles of five of your poems. Okay, a Michael

00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:46.179
Jackson story, our treasure. Let me see, inspiration,

00:48:47.099 --> 00:48:51.599
unable to sleep and loving me. So that's fine.

00:48:51.699 --> 00:48:57.139
All right. Okay, okay. My questions are as follows.

00:48:58.059 --> 00:49:04.320
Are titles important? And what comes first? The

00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:09.760
title or the poem? I think titles are important.

00:49:10.360 --> 00:49:12.949
They're not mandatory. but they are important

00:49:12.949 --> 00:49:17.449
so that when someone sees the title, it may intrigue

00:49:17.449 --> 00:49:21.010
them to want to read more. For me, the titles

00:49:21.010 --> 00:49:24.429
come after. So I would put the piece together,

00:49:24.530 --> 00:49:26.409
even if it's something for a competition or something

00:49:26.409 --> 00:49:30.469
that somebody asked me to write. The title comes

00:49:30.469 --> 00:49:34.590
after I put the piece together. I think one that

00:49:34.590 --> 00:49:38.650
I did for a climate change competition, I think

00:49:38.650 --> 00:49:41.139
I got lazy that day and I just made it. made

00:49:41.139 --> 00:49:44.039
a title, Climate Change. I have another one,

00:49:44.460 --> 00:49:47.699
Planet and People in Harmony. I think that was

00:49:47.699 --> 00:49:50.599
a theme for something. So depending on what the

00:49:50.599 --> 00:49:53.119
theme might be, I might use that, but I like

00:49:53.119 --> 00:49:55.420
to play around with my titles. I don't think

00:49:55.420 --> 00:49:58.079
my titles are always the right things either,

00:49:58.760 --> 00:50:01.780
but at least if I'm able to search for it, and

00:50:01.780 --> 00:50:03.579
especially because I share a lot of poetry on

00:50:03.579 --> 00:50:06.380
my blog, it needs a title. I can't put everything

00:50:06.380 --> 00:50:11.210
I'm saying untitled. We've reached the part of

00:50:11.210 --> 00:50:14.570
the program. That's my personal favorite part.

00:50:15.329 --> 00:50:18.150
This is what I view as being a mini poetry lovers

00:50:18.150 --> 00:50:21.230
concert. This is an opportunity for you, Lynette,

00:50:21.690 --> 00:50:24.929
to share four or five of your poems back to back

00:50:24.929 --> 00:50:29.710
uninterrupted. No questions from me. Lynette,

00:50:30.730 --> 00:50:37.170
you're on the stage. Yes. So I am going to give

00:50:37.170 --> 00:50:42.269
you some additional pieces. So I'm going to share

00:50:42.269 --> 00:50:45.510
a poem about the Virgin Islands first. It's called

00:50:45.510 --> 00:50:51.250
Our Treasure. A gem that is worth more than gold.

00:50:51.610 --> 00:50:55.809
and is full of history untold. An oasis where

00:50:55.809 --> 00:50:59.050
you can replenish your health, where nature is

00:50:59.050 --> 00:51:02.889
the true wealth. A pasture, a place that settles

00:51:02.889 --> 00:51:05.989
the soul, where the seawater never turns ice

00:51:05.989 --> 00:51:10.150
cold. A creation with natural wonders and sights,

00:51:10.730 --> 00:51:13.969
where the trees sway in the light like kites.

00:51:14.519 --> 00:51:18.179
a banquet of beauty, nature, and flavor with

00:51:18.179 --> 00:51:21.900
tasty fruits and tea bushes that you can savor,

00:51:22.699 --> 00:51:25.380
a population of people with friendly smiles,

00:51:25.900 --> 00:51:28.739
a flora and fauna in expanse for many miles,

00:51:29.199 --> 00:51:33.579
of birds soaring freely in the sky, and sea life

00:51:33.579 --> 00:51:40.119
that exponentially thrives. Our BVI, loved and

00:51:40.119 --> 00:51:44.380
cherished by many worldwide. who often come to

00:51:44.380 --> 00:51:48.179
visit and reside. Thank you, that's my first

00:51:48.179 --> 00:51:52.179
piece. And then the next piece that I'm going

00:51:52.179 --> 00:51:57.639
to share is called Unable to Sleep. This is one

00:51:57.639 --> 00:52:01.139
that I wrote for a poetry, the Poetry Month Challenge

00:52:01.139 --> 00:52:03.559
that I talked about in Papi's Poetry Corner,

00:52:04.280 --> 00:52:10.099
Poetry Group. Weariness is not enough. Neither

00:52:10.099 --> 00:52:14.440
is drariness to make me fall asleep. No matter

00:52:14.440 --> 00:52:18.280
how deep I think, nor how many sheep I count,

00:52:18.619 --> 00:52:22.840
the hours fly by. I am still awake and alert,

00:52:23.320 --> 00:52:26.619
so I pray to be inert so that my thoughts don't

00:52:26.619 --> 00:52:29.860
wander and constantly meander through the purple

00:52:29.860 --> 00:52:35.019
purples of my mind. As I recount embarrassing

00:52:35.019 --> 00:52:39.300
moments, snap judgments, broken commitments,

00:52:39.940 --> 00:52:42.900
thoughts that are indecent, failures that are

00:52:42.900 --> 00:52:46.840
recent, possible entrapment, dreams should be

00:52:46.840 --> 00:52:51.880
full of enjoyment. Because being lost in sleepless

00:52:51.880 --> 00:52:54.760
thoughts is like experiencing a nightmare that

00:52:54.760 --> 00:52:57.860
plays on your brain. And the only way that I

00:52:57.860 --> 00:53:02.500
maintain sanity is through prayer as the hours

00:53:02.500 --> 00:53:08.380
elapse. That's my second piece. And then I'm

00:53:08.380 --> 00:53:13.179
going to share another piece I'm scrolling through

00:53:13.179 --> 00:53:18.440
my, ah, this one is called what I really wanted

00:53:18.440 --> 00:53:22.619
to say. This is what I really wanted to say.

00:53:23.300 --> 00:53:28.639
I like this place and the pace that I'm going

00:53:28.639 --> 00:53:32.579
because I'm growing and knowing where I came

00:53:32.579 --> 00:53:37.950
from, how I defied the naysayers and those who

00:53:37.950 --> 00:53:41.929
didn't want to see me win because they just wanted

00:53:41.929 --> 00:53:46.829
me stuck in sin, seeing me as a broken pin that

00:53:46.829 --> 00:53:50.230
can never be mended. But in the end, I ended

00:53:50.230 --> 00:53:53.570
up living beyond defeat, breaking barriers and

00:53:53.570 --> 00:53:56.670
kicking away the seat. I really wanted to say

00:53:56.670 --> 00:54:00.530
that I love you because you inspire me to be

00:54:00.530 --> 00:54:05.780
a more articulate and thoughtful poet. inspired

00:54:05.780 --> 00:54:09.980
to be the best me. Thank you for that piece.

00:54:10.940 --> 00:54:13.360
And since we talked about colors, I'll share

00:54:13.360 --> 00:54:16.820
colors and then one last poem after that. So

00:54:16.820 --> 00:54:21.820
colors. Today was like a splash of red and blue.

00:54:22.920 --> 00:54:26.960
I didn't know how to counter, but I saw me in

00:54:26.960 --> 00:54:31.079
you. At points it was low with a hint of yellow.

00:54:31.530 --> 00:54:35.110
Despite the situation, I tried to keep mellow,

00:54:35.469 --> 00:54:39.489
but my heart was tense of purple and beige. I

00:54:39.489 --> 00:54:43.210
couldn't help anyone. I was in a perturbed phase.

00:54:44.130 --> 00:54:47.070
Could it be that my tears were black or did I

00:54:47.070 --> 00:54:51.010
focus too much on the talent I lacked? Maybe

00:54:51.010 --> 00:54:54.489
I'm the monster with eyes, Pickle Green, because

00:54:54.489 --> 00:54:57.269
I've gotten too focused on friends who remain

00:54:57.269 --> 00:55:02.429
unseen. Maybe my lips are shade. of Maroon, from

00:55:02.429 --> 00:55:05.309
kissing the feet of those who bay at the moon.

00:55:05.849 --> 00:55:08.949
But when I'm happy, my eyes turn brown because

00:55:08.949 --> 00:55:13.070
it's easier to smile than to wear an ugly frown.

00:55:13.869 --> 00:55:16.889
And the last piece that I'll share with you is

00:55:16.889 --> 00:55:20.630
one that I love to share. I just need to find

00:55:20.630 --> 00:55:28.579
it. It's called Journal. Yes, Journal. I can

00:55:28.579 --> 00:55:33.079
write a poem every day. I guess that means I

00:55:33.079 --> 00:55:37.780
have a lot to say. I think I can affect some

00:55:37.780 --> 00:55:42.280
change. I think my poems will help you understand.

00:55:43.260 --> 00:55:47.320
I think my pieces from an amateur hand will make

00:55:47.320 --> 00:55:50.940
you think, help you understand that sometimes

00:55:50.940 --> 00:55:56.449
life is a real demand. My simple words from a

00:55:56.449 --> 00:55:59.949
thought which occurred while making juice or

00:55:59.949 --> 00:56:03.769
eating fruits, reading fiction or inhaling truths

00:56:03.769 --> 00:56:08.190
might inspire you to write your own or make you

00:56:08.190 --> 00:56:12.110
think about what is shown. My poems may not all

00:56:12.110 --> 00:56:15.610
come from experience, but seeing through someone

00:56:15.610 --> 00:56:19.670
else's events. Poems of love and community life,

00:56:20.150 --> 00:56:23.719
poems of politics and peace alike. I hope I encourage

00:56:23.719 --> 00:56:27.360
you to write. Your pen is your messenger. Use

00:56:27.360 --> 00:56:31.380
it well. You may not know the joy you tell. The

00:56:31.380 --> 00:56:36.820
heart you may inspire. Love of poetry. Styles

00:56:36.820 --> 00:56:45.019
of fire. Thank you. I really do enjoy writing

00:56:45.019 --> 00:56:46.880
and playing with words and I was saying that

00:56:46.880 --> 00:56:49.880
I have been an avid reader from the time it was

00:56:49.880 --> 00:56:54.159
very I read a lot of fairy tales and a lot of

00:56:54.159 --> 00:56:57.920
different books. And I think that helps to influence

00:56:57.920 --> 00:57:01.659
me the way that I write. And definitely the class

00:57:01.659 --> 00:57:06.780
at UVI just opened my eyes a bit more. If I didn't

00:57:06.780 --> 00:57:08.699
have that experience, I don't think I would be

00:57:08.699 --> 00:57:11.039
on here today and have that level of confidence.

00:57:13.039 --> 00:57:16.280
Now, do you believe that you were destined to

00:57:16.280 --> 00:57:23.760
be a poet? it might be true that I'm destined

00:57:23.760 --> 00:57:29.639
to be a poet because from 1996 to now that's

00:57:29.639 --> 00:57:35.300
a very long time and when I look at my work and

00:57:35.300 --> 00:57:38.099
I would say I'm probably destined I would have

00:57:38.099 --> 00:57:40.440
never taught that I would have never taught I

00:57:40.440 --> 00:57:43.260
would have been a HR manager either but there

00:57:43.260 --> 00:57:46.619
I am today I think I'm a life of anomalies and

00:57:46.619 --> 00:57:49.599
just being different and sometimes doing things

00:57:49.599 --> 00:57:52.539
on the spur of the moment. Even though as you

00:57:52.539 --> 00:57:54.360
get older, you tend to plan things and be more

00:57:54.360 --> 00:57:56.280
organized. But when I was younger, I was spontaneous.

00:57:57.300 --> 00:57:59.880
So sometimes it's just to have the encouragement

00:57:59.880 --> 00:58:03.980
and having the right people behind you and saying,

00:58:04.280 --> 00:58:06.159
hey, I think you have something and I really

00:58:06.159 --> 00:58:09.179
have to give that shout out again to Dr. Vincent

00:58:09.179 --> 00:58:11.800
Cooper from the University of the Virgin Islands

00:58:11.800 --> 00:58:15.579
for just. encouraging me and everybody from the

00:58:15.579 --> 00:58:18.719
rock collective in St. Thomas, United States,

00:58:18.820 --> 00:58:22.079
Virgin Islands, the Kalalu Ports here in the

00:58:22.079 --> 00:58:24.880
Virgin Islands, people like Allyson Blacks -Archer,

00:58:25.039 --> 00:58:29.579
Deidre Whitley -Peters, Toria Foy, Justin Hart,

00:58:29.719 --> 00:58:32.659
who's on here April Glass School. It's so many

00:58:32.659 --> 00:58:36.239
people that I could mention who have really been

00:58:36.239 --> 00:58:38.699
there for me and who've encouraged me, Akid Shinori,

00:58:39.260 --> 00:58:41.469
Arthur Nellie V. Yeah, I have a lot of people

00:58:41.469 --> 00:58:44.429
in my corner who really support my work. Yeah,

00:58:44.710 --> 00:58:49.469
that's wonderful. What do you think? Since 1996,

00:58:50.489 --> 00:58:53.030
your beginning, in terms of your writing, what

00:58:53.030 --> 00:58:57.989
have you learned about yourself? I think I've

00:58:57.989 --> 00:59:01.369
learned quite a bit. I've learned that I'm more

00:59:01.369 --> 00:59:05.670
patient. I've learned that I'm a bit deeper.

00:59:06.269 --> 00:59:09.010
I think I was when I was younger, young people

00:59:09.559 --> 00:59:12.079
you don't think about anything, you don't plan

00:59:12.079 --> 00:59:14.539
for anything, you're spontaneous. Somebody say,

00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:16.360
hey, come, let's go ahead. You just pack up and

00:59:16.360 --> 00:59:19.780
go. No passport, nothing in you. You're out there.

00:59:20.559 --> 00:59:23.699
But I've learned to be more reserved, to come

00:59:23.699 --> 00:59:28.139
a bit more in tune with my emotions and using

00:59:28.139 --> 00:59:32.539
the ad form to be able to express and knowing

00:59:33.079 --> 00:59:35.199
especially having children that helped me to

00:59:35.199 --> 00:59:37.519
grow a bit more because I think I went through

00:59:37.519 --> 00:59:40.500
a dead phase when I wasn't writing. But that

00:59:40.500 --> 00:59:45.139
blog, my blog words of ribbon, I think that pushed

00:59:45.139 --> 00:59:46.820
me quite a bit because I was like, okay, I want

00:59:46.820 --> 00:59:48.579
to build content. You don't want to be a content

00:59:48.579 --> 00:59:51.360
creator. And you can't be a content creator if

00:59:51.360 --> 00:59:56.840
you don't have content. And it didn't start off

00:59:56.840 --> 01:00:00.260
being a poetry blog. It started off with just

01:00:00.260 --> 01:00:02.619
sharing random thoughts. But I said, you know

01:00:02.619 --> 01:00:05.280
what? At some point, we all have to leave this

01:00:05.280 --> 01:00:09.000
earth. And I would want to know that at any point

01:00:09.000 --> 01:00:12.519
something happens to me, the work is there so

01:00:12.519 --> 01:00:15.760
people can find it years and years to come. it

01:00:15.760 --> 01:00:18.400
would be there that hey she said this she said

01:00:18.400 --> 01:00:21.500
that maybe i had a premonition and i saw maybe

01:00:21.500 --> 01:00:23.420
i'm seeing something that would happen in the

01:00:23.420 --> 01:00:25.460
future i want people to be able to appreciate

01:00:25.460 --> 01:00:30.179
my work even after i leave wow we've come to

01:00:30.179 --> 01:00:33.099
the end of our poetic journey where can people

01:00:33.099 --> 01:00:35.380
find your work i know you've got the blog where

01:00:35.380 --> 01:00:37.760
else can people find your work because you have

01:00:37.760 --> 01:00:42.789
a book as well Yes. So you can find me on YouTube

01:00:42.789 --> 01:00:45.510
as well. Everything for me is L .A. Rapsat, even

01:00:45.510 --> 01:00:48.170
though people mix that up. My name is Lynette,

01:00:48.389 --> 01:00:52.389
but my YouTube is L .A. Rapsat. My Facebook is

01:00:52.389 --> 01:00:56.610
L .A. Rapsat. I also have a page, Lynette Inspire

01:00:56.610 --> 01:01:01.869
VI. And I have my Twitter Pinterest. And yes,

01:01:01.949 --> 01:01:04.610
I do have a book that I published. It's a Kindle

01:01:04.610 --> 01:01:08.010
version book. And the funniest thing about the

01:01:08.010 --> 01:01:10.340
book is that I don't have a kindle, but I have

01:01:10.340 --> 01:01:14.619
a kindle book. But in doing my research, I realized

01:01:14.619 --> 01:01:18.260
that, okay, that's a very free option for publishing

01:01:18.260 --> 01:01:21.579
and putting the work out there. So I just pulled

01:01:21.579 --> 01:01:25.559
about 14 or 15 of certain pieces and the Michael

01:01:25.559 --> 01:01:29.199
Jackson poem is in there. Just to share, just

01:01:29.199 --> 01:01:31.980
a snippet. Because people keep encouraging me

01:01:31.980 --> 01:01:34.900
to write a book. But let me tell you, when you're

01:01:34.900 --> 01:01:37.619
in the Caribbean, shipping is very expensive.

01:01:38.300 --> 01:01:41.019
So doing the Kungu version book was a lot more

01:01:41.019 --> 01:01:43.920
affordable for me. Very low cost. It literally

01:01:43.920 --> 01:01:46.559
cost me nothing. And my son is a graphic designer.

01:01:46.679 --> 01:01:50.260
He designed the cover page. So I have that book

01:01:50.260 --> 01:01:52.579
out there. At some point I'll do some more Kungu

01:01:52.579 --> 01:01:56.559
books. For right now, putting the work out on

01:01:56.559 --> 01:01:59.500
the blog, I think that works for me because at

01:01:59.500 --> 01:02:01.739
least it's free and people could find it anywhere

01:02:01.739 --> 01:02:05.860
in the world. And I personally feel that being

01:02:05.860 --> 01:02:09.579
a poet It will never make me rich. I don't want

01:02:09.579 --> 01:02:11.619
to be rich. I just want to be comfortable and

01:02:11.619 --> 01:02:15.320
lead a good life. But at the same time, I would

01:02:15.320 --> 01:02:17.480
like to be like artists like Mutaburuka where

01:02:17.480 --> 01:02:21.260
people invite me to travel and share the poetry.

01:02:21.960 --> 01:02:23.659
It doesn't have to be that they're paying me

01:02:23.659 --> 01:02:26.219
or anything like that, but just the opportunity

01:02:26.219 --> 01:02:29.119
to go and travel and perform at different venues.

01:02:29.760 --> 01:02:31.880
That's one of my goals that I would want to see

01:02:31.880 --> 01:02:35.699
happen. Where do you go from here? What's next

01:02:35.699 --> 01:02:40.920
for you creatively? Creatively it would be to

01:02:40.920 --> 01:02:44.639
keep adding to the collection. I honestly don't

01:02:44.639 --> 01:02:47.559
have a proper account because I think at some

01:02:47.559 --> 01:02:50.940
point I lost one of my files with my documents.

01:02:51.980 --> 01:02:55.920
But in one document, there's about 269 and I

01:02:55.920 --> 01:02:59.500
think on the blog maybe over a hundred. I would

01:02:59.500 --> 01:03:02.219
like to continue to build that collection and

01:03:02.219 --> 01:03:06.030
I would like to continue to enhance my writing

01:03:06.030 --> 01:03:09.409
abilities using other literary techniques, different

01:03:09.409 --> 01:03:13.809
poetic styles, and performing more online. I'm

01:03:13.809 --> 01:03:18.210
actually going to be featured on the CAPS online

01:03:18.210 --> 01:03:21.050
program in July. So I'll be sharing information

01:03:21.050 --> 01:03:25.530
about that in July. Yeah, so I've been, and I

01:03:25.530 --> 01:03:30.010
must say, COVID was a very hard time for everybody

01:03:30.010 --> 01:03:34.269
in the world. We lost so many people. But it

01:03:34.269 --> 01:03:38.210
opened other avenues for people like me who would

01:03:38.210 --> 01:03:40.110
have just been here putting stuff out on the

01:03:40.110 --> 01:03:42.010
blog and putting stuff out on YouTube and not

01:03:42.010 --> 01:03:46.090
getting the reception but the online Poetry readings

01:03:46.090 --> 01:03:47.750
because people open them up because people want

01:03:47.750 --> 01:03:52.010
to share It's giving me a new avenue for performance

01:03:52.010 --> 01:03:55.090
and being able to meet people like you and I

01:03:55.090 --> 01:03:58.429
must say a big appreciation and thank you for

01:03:58.429 --> 01:04:00.219
you because I When I sent the Facebook message,

01:04:00.340 --> 01:04:02.159
I was like, I don't know if he's going to answer.

01:04:02.340 --> 01:04:05.260
When he answered, I was like, let's do this.

01:04:10.460 --> 01:04:14.559
You're phenomenally talented. If there's anything

01:04:14.559 --> 01:04:20.579
that I can do to help out. I will. And I'm just

01:04:20.579 --> 01:04:24.159
glad you're out there. I'm just glad you're out

01:04:24.159 --> 01:04:30.809
there. Still craving poetry? Hundreds of episodes

01:04:30.809 --> 01:04:34.489
of the quintessential listening, poetry, online,

01:04:34.909 --> 01:04:38.710
radio and YouTube podcast are available to listen

01:04:38.710 --> 01:04:43.909
to or download on iTunes, Spotify and other streaming

01:04:43.909 --> 01:04:47.989
platforms. To learn more about the popular podcast

01:04:47.989 --> 01:04:54.650
or how to become a guest, visit www .ql .com.

01:04:54.170 --> 01:04:59.389
P -O -R -Y -T dot com. Till next time, take care

01:04:59.389 --> 01:05:03.710
and let poetry ring somewhere throughout the

01:05:03.710 --> 01:05:04.530
land.