Living a double life…Farmer by day, poet by night

Apr 07, 2014 News

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By: Kiana Wilburg

Nestled in the heart of a Limlar, Berbice, is a rice farmer who is obsessed with the works of Martin Carter. ‘This is the dark time my love’ and ‘Bare night without comfort’ are like his daily hymns.
At age 58, William Matheson always lived a double live; Successful farmer by day and adventurous, poet by night. It is a life he lived since he was unintentionally introduced to Carter’s poems by his father. Today, he comes out to share with the Guyanese populace his writings which go as far back as1975. His self-published collection is called ‘Songs of the little voice.’
The father of four said that while his collection is currently under review by the Ministry of Education, writing poetry was always something he felt destined to do.

“Have you ever felt dull, unsatisfied and weary with doing something that brings in the desired income but is far from what your heart desires? Well I have always felt like this. Being a rice farmer was something my father wanted me to do but books are such marvelous mysteries that I couldn’t help but go after my personal dreams in the night.”
“When I was just a little boy I remember seeing my father toil long and hard in our approximately 16 acre rice fields. Back then it was not as profitable as it is now. But my humble father and mother always made do. I was in love with school. I enjoyed walking for miles and reading what I was taught in school over and over until I got home. Then I would help out dad in the fields but he was actually grooming me during those years to take over. When I finished primary school I couldn’t continue onto secondary. It was a bitter sweet feeling. I remember wanting to meet new friends. I often wondered if I would have excelled. I missed out on the pleasures of secondary life but my parents needed me more.”
“However, I am forever grateful for my father for introducing me to my first set of Martin Carter poems. I read so much of his work that it inspired me to be just like him but after reading other books on psychology and history, etc, I realized that the world does not need another Martin Carter. And so I started writing my own work but I was never sure if it was good enough. I was very insecure. Even to this date, one of the things I struggle with is being extremely underestimated because I only possess a primary school education.”
Reading crisis
He added, “I don’t want to be misconstrued as looking for popularity. I am simply sharing a bigger message and that is the importance of reading. From my observation, I believe that there is a serious crisis that is not being properly addressed and that is; inadequate reading. You cannot look to dedicate one day to reading and say that you have accomplished something. You cannot build Rome in one day. It is upon this background that I wish to show what I was capable of doing by just reading. I had the foundation but I had no one to read with me. It is also important for parents to encourage their children to read as well. The consequences of not reading are a sleeping crisis in this country. It is one of the things that worry me as a writer.”

Promotion of local writers
With that being said, Matheson said that there exists a huge gap between government and its local writers.
“I am really disappointed sometimes when I see the immense gap between the two entities. There is no question that the government, particularly the Ministry of Culture, needs to do more to promote local writers. Simply holding a little show here and a little show there isn’t enough. We need programmes and activities that will bring about an effective change in the relationship between the two. What is being done right now does not give a genuine assurance that the Ministry wants a long term relationship with its writers. The works of the local writers need to be promoted and circulated more often. The public needs to be acquainted with its local writers and we need to make that process easier. We need to move away from the blame game and get to acting. Get our local writers involved in the process of designing programmes that will impact the educational landscape of our society.”
‘Songs of the little voice’
Matheson’s collection consists of 46 poems which speak to political and social governance of the world, a perception of the history of the African, lessons from politics and the social positioning of individuals.
Below is a verse from one of his pieces.

Black Reality by William Matheson (A poem based on a meditation on black sovereignty)
My pure heart darkened, with wonder
Smiling, with a sly, unredeemed eye
Walking from deck to stern
With uncertain steps
For the temple of change

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