My evolution and journey as a national poet

Mar 29, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
In the year 1984 I was working in the interior as a diver on National Service’s gold mining dredge at the mouth of the Potaro River, residing on the camp ground at the time was a popular artist, painting landscapes of the hinterland, his name was Mr Neil Nunes; to this day we are still good friends. One day at camp he wrote a poem and asked me to have a look at it. When I was finished reading that poem, I remember saying to him “Nunesy I can write poems.”
I was so inspired that I immediately began nine days of fasting and praying, using only the black water of the MIGHTY POTARO RIVER. At the end of those nine days, I had produced a collection of twenty one poems which were published in a book entitled “Revelation Pan Creation” in the year 1987 with the financial assistance from the then, Prime Minister Hamilton Greene.
Between the years 1984-1987, I received much encouragement from members of the Working People Alliance, especially Mr Eusi Kwayana who, when I approached to seek his advice on publishing, said to me “YOU MUST GROUND WITH THE PEOPLE, PRINT ONE POEM AND OFFER IT FOR SALE”.
I heeded his advice and published my first poem entitled “Guyana” which remains a very popular piece to this day. I entered the first ever Guyana Prize for Literature in the category of first book of poetry which was selected to be placed before the judges who made creditable mention of the work. I was contacted by the library of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica to add to their collection of works by West Indian writers. I distributed a few dozen copies of the book to secondary schools and churches in Georgetown and on the East Coast of Demerara, the University of Guyana, National Archive and the National Library.
In the year 1999, Professors Judith Lee and Judy Beauman of the Florida Gulf Coast University visited the University of Guyana and organized a student exchange program between the two Universities; fortunately I was one of those students making the trip to the US. I returned to the US in 2000 to perform my poem “ AFRICA,” one of the poems in the book, at an event promoted by Black Catholic Churches labeled ‘Gathering 2000″. I was backed by twelve Ghanaian drummers and we did set the stage alight, and received a standing ovation from about 500 followers at the Whyndam Hotel in Tampa Florida.
In 1993 while pursuing the Commonwealth Youth Program, Diploma in Youth and Development at the University of The West Indies St Augustine Campus in Trinidad, I had the opportunity to perform for over 200 participants from 12 Caribbean countries at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port of Spain. When I migrated to Barbados in 2004, I performed my poetry in schools and community centers and found a lucrative tourist market for a period of four years after which I would eventually return home in 2008.
Once again I would take my work to schools and community centers here in Guyana, encouraging young writers and promoting community and national development. Young artistes would be encouraged to join me on stage to express themselves and offer their work for sale; I believe that an informed and educated people will ensure prosperity for the next generation. We must encourage and physically support our poets, writers, artists, sculptors, singers, dancers, musicians, handicrafts men and women. These are the people that bring beauty, hope, consciousness and courage to struggling nations like ours.
Ras Aaron Blackman

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