I Remain UnFlappable; Poetry Is It

 

I continue to marvel at how poetry permeates every pore in the eco-system. I continue to experience unrivalled gladness at the unexpectedness of poetry.

I remain unflappable.

In mid-October this year 2023, Mahiri Books, Uganda's leading online bookstore, approached me with a proposal to expand my territory with a short video clip of me reading a poem from my second poetry collection, 'Dress me in Disobedience.'

To of my favourite poems in the collection are 'Bujumbura' and 'In The Restaurant.' Bujumbura uses Lake Tanganyika as a metaphor to describe the lifestyle I observed, and the after effects of political decisions, like a boomerang. 

It was previously published in Wasafiri Magazine in 2015.

In The Restaurant,' is one of my first erotic poems, written in 2006. It was part of my official declaration that I was a poet. Previously published in 'Drumvoices Revue,' in 2007, the validation gave me next level confidence.

I have been asked countless times by journalists worldwide to speak about my poetry journey, which I usually start with 

'At the age of six, I was drawn to the musicality of words and wanted to be a part of that creation. My father bought me lots of books to read and as a child, my school encouraged reading and writing, which I excelled at.'

It is true that childhood does influence our decisions as adults.

At the same time, those with sordid pasts, histories and herstories that they would rather leave behind in the darkness of decades gone, do not have to be defined by their past. Certain memories leave us hapless.

At 47, I am still redefining my career and taking on new skills, tasks, rewriting my ambitions and setting super ambitious goals, and watching myself as I surpass them, elevating myself to advanced goals.

Poetry is a space for me to be as imaginative as God when He created the world. How is that not miraculous?

Poetry is a time for me to declare all of my goals for the next 60 years. How is that not miraculous?

I write in honour of poets worldwide, of those who participate in poetry and those who publish and market poetry in various forms.

Thank you!

Bless!

Bev