Tuesday 2 November 2010

'My Perfect Day'...Poetry Book Launch n Thoughts...




Some seasons are a little warmer…

I’m really good at bigging myself up and even better at bigging others up but before I begin yapping I just want to take a second to state that this, and when I write about poverty, race any issue of substance isn’t about me. It’s really lovely to get people sending me messages and stuff saying well done and that they enjoy it (I want you to enjoy reading) and I won’t act like there isn’t an element of vanity involved in writing a blog, poetry and even sharing pictures on Facebook. But I want it to be less about Alimah doing something goodor writing something interesting, look past that and just think about the message I am trying to relay, independent of them being my thoughts? Get me? I say this because I feel its so easy for one to get gassed up in their own hype and I for one don’t want to be that kind of person. And more so because I find that people tell me they like certain posts about certain things but rarely ask me how they can get involved.

Anywho…moving on…I remembered something this morning as I smiled when I woke up bright and early for the library. When I was 11 years old, in my final year at Primary School my teacher had me read out a piece I wrote in our end of year performance (I did a dance and wrote a play for it too!! Good times!!). I still have the piece as it’s in my personal profile gathering dust in my Memories Box. I remember I said…something like…”My perfect day would be for me to wake up in the morning and see that there are no nettles in my garden. And I would see on the news that there is no poverty or crime in the world”. I didn’t even watch the news back then! I kinda want to hug my 11 year old self because even though between then and about 3 years ago that wasn’t what I was always thinking about, I love that things haven’t changed so much. And I really want to tell my 11 year old self ‘Oyinkan (what I went by back then) we are making poverty history so you will get your perfect day’. And I’d tell her we have concrete in the garden now too ;). To be aware of such a huge problem at such a young age reminds me of how vital it is that we do really take notice.

So one of my poems Open Your Eyes was published along side many others in the Platform 2 I Am The Change poem book and the launch was yesterday!!! It was really wonderful to meet some other returnees and to see my poem printed (mines the first poem too (gosh I’m lame)). I wrote it after express I think and I posted it on this here blog in June!! Though I sent in a slightly edited (more P.C) version! Now seeing it in print I wish I had edited it a bit more – I am allowed to critique my work, it could do with some serious tweekage!! Ah well!!

Anywho, it was really about my thoughts on a whole buncha things all in one piece and just about the need to be open to receiving knowledge about things that actually affect us. And being aware of the things they don’t want you to know! And yesterday, though I hadn’t read it for months, I read it aloud to the warm audience at the event!! I actually quite enjoyed that!! 11 year old Limz wanted to be a singer/actress so hey…lol…maybe I’m meant for the stage! Not!!

Anywhoooo, the event was headlined by the AMAZING and INSPIRATIONAL Poetic Pilgrimage!!! I really have love for these sisters! They are Muslim spoken word/rappers who happen to also be reverts to Islam! MashaAllah their words were deep and I felt so much of what they were saying. There album is out so google search em!! My friend Shivon then blessed up the stage with her soulful voice and sang a heavy song that is on the Platform2 EP!!! I hadn’t heard it before and it really was moving in some ways! There were some other amazing poets too!!

So to end…

Platform 2 has created a platform for us returnees to spread our messages in whatever way we can and I am so happy to have been apart of that book! And I am eternally thankful to God and Platform2 for my Kenyan experience.

It’s not about us, but them. And by the power of every poem in that book – We will MAKE POVERTY HISTORY!!!

Shout out to any other returnees in the book who I don’t know. Proud to have a page alongside yours!!!

So check out the poem Open Your Eyes (posted in June) and also look at what I think is almost the preamble to it On Reflection. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Still smiling.