Poets jam at House of Culture
It was dubbed “Poets R Us”, a chance for anyone with a poem in their head, heart or notebook, to let it all hang out. An impressive crowd, mostly students, gathered Thursday evening at the Belize City House of Culture…and News 5’s Brent Toombs was on hand to capture the event on tape. Host was none other than the Grandmaster.
Leroy “Grandmaster” Young
“Ladies and gentlemen, this R us, this dah poetry, this dah expression.”
Jamie Yearwood, St. Michael’s College
“What the blind man saw was a world of destruction. What the blind man saw, no man with eyes will ever see. What the blind man saw, no man will ever live. What the blind man saw, no man will ever experience. What the blind man saw no man will ever know. What the blind man saw was real. Thank you.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“This is what poetry brings out in someone. It noh only bring out words, it brings out their soul.”
Ebony Cattouse, St. Catherine Academy
“When you look at me, what is it you see? It is my strength, my pride, my will? Or is it my hurt, my pain, my skill? Is it my knowledge, my joy, my faith? Or is it my fear, my anger, my hate? It is my kindness, my warmth, my honesty? Or it is my guilt, my abuse, my jealousy? Is it my beauty, my happiness, my smile? Or is it my colour, my ugliness, my style? When you look at me, what is it you see? Thank you.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“When I look at you I see positivity. When I look at you I get a overview of all the positive things you di do.”
Melissa Coleman, St Catherine’s Academy
“I ask the Lord to guide me, then an angel appeared beside me. Lights illuminated in the dark of darkness. I started to depart and for the evil in my heart was cleanse with holiness. There are so many, so many dark places to be found in my pain but you may need to sacrifice your isolated eyes to find them.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“The whole show was beyond my expectations and the amount of poetry we have in this country is mind-boggling.”
Tracy Terry, St. Michael’s College
“How can this be? The man I am desperately in love with? How could this be? The special guy I thought I would spend the rest of my life with? How could this be? My lover and my best friend betrayed my trust for another. How could this be?”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“Hold on, hold on. You wah tell me this story is not about you? How could this be? Come on, tell we dah fi true.
Joila Hyde, Sadie Vernon High School
“Life in Belize really hard. No jobs, so we selling drugs. Easy as one, two, three the bullets fly, killing out in the blink of an eye. Young girls get tricked with the sip of a drink. A little ah Spanish Fly and them ah go be in the sky.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“They get a chance to express their self about the social issues and political issues and whatsoever, the violence and whatsoever is happening in our country, this beautiful jewel of ours.”
Pamela Usher, St. Michael’s College
“I wish I mi live inna a palace so the neighbours they noh look down pan me and show malice. I wish everyday I coulda wake up and find bread and butter pan mi table. But with mi eight sista and three bredda, mi granny noh able. Mi grandpa he dah wah different story. I di tell yuh, dah man noh worry. All he want do all day dah sit back, relax and smoke ih cigarettes.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“I was impressed overall, but the guy that touched me was this young man from Benque, Mr. Bush.”
Hamner Bush, Mount Carmel High School
“Darkness falls, temptation calls. We enter into a sudden shock. Flesh comes out for a night walk. Desires she leaves behind demonic thoughts invade our mind. We now have a task, supreme help should be asked. Let’s win this fight. We should stay white. Tomorrow daylight will bless us. Waiting will be more gracious. Let’s demonstrate we are good shoppers. We don’t need to eat the errand before supper. Thank you.”
Leroy Grandmaster Young
“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Poets R Us.”
The next session of Poets R Us will be held in March.
