This poem is about butterflies and death. It is one of many published in a new anthology, "Where I see the Sun -- Poetry in Contemporary St. Martin" Get your copy. 5.30.13

Here lies two pieces of wonderful, a first in its kind. On May 30, 2013, House of Nehesi Publishers will unveil 25 poets and the anthology of contemporary poetry in St. Martin during the opening of the 11th annual St. Martin Book Fair. I spy with eye my big smile. 

Have you ever seen a brown pelican in the constant company of egrets or a humming bird 'chillin' with the neighborhood parrots? And I am not talking about a painting or picture of someone's creative doodling. I'm wondering if you've seen them in person. If you have, you're probably part of a very small percentage. And if you look, closely, you are probably the brown pelican or humming bird. 

I've spoken to enough artists to know that too many are not living their creative passions or dreams because of life's responsibilities, a watermelon in comparison to their pea-sized gifts. Some teach; some work in administration; some, like Khaled Hosseini, author of 'And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite Runner, practice medicine. So, naturally they are surrounded by a type of person from their 'daily bread' jobs. 

I whipped around the other day, taking inventory of the people around me and it was as I suspected, gallons and gallons of educators, excellent people, but the vocabulary, challenges, stories were centered around just that, lesson plans, pedagogy and the mental/ moral needs of the child or teenager. Sigh. 

'No man is an island' Right? An artist just as well may be one considering that solitude is needed for creation. The only difference is that an artist will have a frequent ferry back and forth to the main land, which is regular 'ole' life and social interaction. So, let say our artist is currently on the main land, shouldn't he or she be surrounded by engaging issues, creative minds, events, mentors and, of course, an audience?

Anyone who influences your creative output should be welcomed: those who criticize, those who encourage, those who will change. And as a result, your creative work is pruned and shaped. In the end, you grow. However, if you are surrounded by those who do not demand such creativity from you and you are too busy  or distracted to produce, then we have a problem: stagnancy, a very dangerous space, especially if you were born to create. 

Find strength, support and accountability in numbers. Be it a mentor, attending an event or sharing your latest work with a friend. Be sure one of those pillars surrounding you speak to your creative soul.

I am excited that St. Martin cherishes all art forms, allowing new generations of artists to grow and be nurtured. So mark your calendars for another event of words. Young poets, go out and learn and maybe by this time next year you'd be performing on the 2nd Annual Spoken Word Festival. 

I have been thinking a lot lately about the evolution of an idea, how it takes an extraordinary amount of time and action to bring it into fruition. I have also been thinking about the best ways to protect it, even from myself. 

Yes, the irony is it is like a secret that I know and I have to hide it from myself because I want so much to share it. However, if I share it so close to its conception it will be released without much harm but prematurely. And I am left never knowing what its full potential could have been.

Sometimes telling your ideas may cause you to slump into passivity and complacency. Sometimes telling your ideas may cause others to discourage you and sometimes telling your ideas may even lead to theft because someone took your spoken words and had the courage to follow it through and not just talk about it. 


Some ideas are too young to be handed out to every ear that is willing to listen because some persons are curt and quick to shoot them down. As the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary defines the verb 'incubate' as follows: "to maintain under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction". And negativity is not favorable. On the other hand, the right person or mentor can guide those same ideas in such a way that they blossom and bear fruits.

I've discovered that climbing each step of action before the idea's birth is helpful because turning the anxious excitement of sharing into the determination to get it done is both helpful and urgent. So if you want to tell it, get though the motions first, reward yourself, go to step two, make it happen and let your actions speak louder than your words. Another method that is helpful is to set a deadline for revealing your idea, and go about your normal life more at peace because a time has been set. Finally, remember the longer you hold on to your idea and work on it the better the quality will be.

Imagine if ideas were to rolled off our tongues, copyrighted or as recorded patent words, so many of us would be well off, but they don't. Treat your ideas like your health, protect it. Don't know how? Do the research. We are in the information age. 

Protect. Protect. Protect. Then manifest. 

Simple, honest and powerful are the words I would use to describe my mini interview with Jenice Forbes, winner of the Soualiguan Fyah competition on March 15, 2013. 

Find out where she gets her inspiration and what tips she has to offer.  

Her November 2012 performance for St. Maarten Academy's 5th form Motivational Day. 

My laptop had a heart failure and I panicked, mildly at first. Then the questions came at rapid succession: What if I lose every file? What if I can't remember the notes I've made? Would I have to start from scratch? Why didn't I back up my work? Do I really want the technician to have access to my work? Who should have access and in what order? If I could use my laptop now, which files would I rescue if I had a five minute window? 

For some reason, brief moments of loss sets our brain on fire. That fire burns everything that is unimportant to our very souls. Suddenly we wake up, focus and delve into action with such urgency that makes me wonder if those quiet moments before were even lived. I had gotten busy and that anesthesia set in, making me forget about that 'protect your work' road I was traveling on. 

I did make strides towards putting a portfolio together, but I think I sat back, crossed my legs and smiled too hard. And now with the uncertainty of another lurking attack on this grey-headed device, I have launched into rescue mode, plan B, C, D down to Z, thinking if this fails, I have that, if that fails I have this and so on. 

Wow, wake up calls are not exciting. However, the wonderful things about them  are you have a second chance, and you have a window of exquisite clarity. If you protect your assets, your creative work, you save time, and minimize the possibility  of getting a headache in the future. If you don't protect your work, the future becomes victimized. 

After some reasoning I concluded that if I lose every file, I'll survive. I would not have to start from scratch or worry about forgetting because from then to now there was growth. My work was not back up because I allowed other things to take precedence in my life and now my priorities were reshuffled to where they should be so that although I haven't yet figured out my hierarchy of people who'd have access to my work (a lesson learned from Misery, the movie), the first person would definitely not be a computer technician.

I'm still on plan B and hope to mobilize to the others soon. As my five minute window is now flung open to two hours and ticking, I've rescued my work, and did some serious reflection. Poetry and Writing are part of my heart. I must be careful who I give it to when it is young and I must ensure that it is safe from aging devices, physical destruction and wondering eyes.