2nd place - not that bad

I keep surprising myself everytime I take a chance with my writing. Firstly, my book has been a huge personal success and i'm not judging based on sales but solely on the positive feedback that I have gotten from the people who have read One Room Shack. Now I find myself getting some awesome news on my way home today.

My aunt told me that she heard my name on the midday news. It's not a big deal to me as I am always in the news but lately I have been quiet, not really in the spotlight as before. She continued to tell me that I had won 2nd place in the short story competition. To be honest, I had even forgotten that I entered the competition. I did so without any thoughts of winning - expecting more seasoned writers to come away with the top prize - but secretly I wanted to win.

Well I didn't really win but I am still happy with what I have managed to accomplish, 2nd place isn't that bad and to think it was my very first submission in the short story competition, my very first short story too.

So here is the short story: Hair On My Chest - it was already available on my blog and I had gotten some positive feedback about it, hope that you enjoy reading it and as always, I would like some constructive criticisms if available.

Thanks again and do enjoy.

Nesta

N.B. the short story is actually an excerpt from my first novel, David and I, soon to be published... I hope

Untitled and Unfinished

Just like the title of the work, this poem will remain untitled and unfinished... because I wish it so:

Untitled and Unfinished

I miss our midnight phone calls

Those private conversations

That always put me to bed

You knew just what to say

I remember every word too

The ability of my mind

To retain your words

Every pronunciation

Yes, every enunciation

Still etched in my brain

The sound of your voice

As the cold wind blew

Through the trees outside my window

The ability of your mind

So great, so sublime

Knowing just what to say

Calming my ruffled nerves

Getting me to see things beyond myself

The world through your eyes

This is all gone, here and now

all I do is twist and turn

Can’t even lay down my head

Or close my eyes

For, I see your face

I hear your voice

You haunt my nights

Like howling ghosts

Harrowing at me with such guile

That my neck hairs stand up with pride

At full attention

Unwarranted celebrations

The independence that I wanted

So dependent on your presence

I’ve made a mistake

I know it now

But this ego of mine

Won’t let me apologize

So I continue to bear this agony

Sleepless nights, helpless days

I accept it as fact

But won’t sound the words

That you were my better half

So incomplete that I malfunction... (to be continued... maybe)

my poem is featured in Caribbean Youth Vibes

My poem Teenage Pregnancy is featured in the October issue (no. 25) of Caribbean Youth Vibes newsletter on page 8. The newsletter is developed and distributed by the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Youth Centre and focuses on youth issues and activities within the Caribbean region.

To get a copy of the magazine, download here

To submit your articles or stories in future issues of the newsletter, please contact:

Natalie Yearwood

Communications and Information Assistant

Commonwealth Youth Programme

Caribbean Centre

Homestretch Avenue, D'Urban Park

Georgetown, GUYANA

Tel: 592 226-3064/8565 Ext 25

Fax: 592 226-8371

website: www.thecommonwealth.org/cyp

Elesha is a writer too

This week I'm featuring a poem from my long, lost cousin Elesha Kelian George (Faustin). I came across her poem/note when I was browsing through Facebook... yes, I'm a Facebook junkie... a minimum of three to four hours a day too.

Now to get back to my cousin, I didn't even know she writes at all, my family has a way of keeping their talents locked up in a closet... especially my sister Ezra George, who I must admit is even more talented than i am, she just needs to take some time to construct her thoughts.

Well to get back to my cousin, here is her poem/note:

You're Just Not Good Enough

Who am I today a vagrant gone astray
Maybe an angel on the good days
Am I black or am I white today?
A thousand back lashes screaming you're Just Not Good Enough either way!

Is my nose too wide, my hair too tough
My feet's too big and hands too rough
Is it that I'm Just Not Good Enough??

Being loved, feels like I'm hated
On those dark days not even affiliated
The ones who's suppose 2 care
Can't even be there...
Won't play their part
Unaffected by the fact that they played your heart...Just Not Good Enough to be a part of their selfish pipe dreams
That they hold so close to their heart
Pushing you farther apart with the notion that you're Just Not Good Enough!

To be in their life
To be their dreams
Not Even Good Enough to be in their schemes!??
Wonder girl or I wonder girl??
That this life did a number on you
Tried to make a number out of you
One more addition to the statistics of being Just Not Good Enough...

With life being a choice and death being a decision,
Like Wizzy said I guess I gotta make a decision!
To live like the angel that I envisioned
Or to be part of your trapped vision
Its time to rid myself of u, circumcision
Refused to be tied to the lies that I'm Just Not Good Enough!

This day I'll Be More Than Enough
My unattainable dreams as you so refer them will not be handcuffed
Your thoughts or image of me and who you think I should or shouldn't be
That decision was never up to you
And now I know better!

I'm sitting here having a break through
You'd see me grinning and can't figure out why, after you've tried to
Erase the crises of the corner of my smile, I still smile!!
My chalk white teeth blinding
Like a thousand suns, the ones you tried to burn!!

(Ahahahahahahaha) x2

I start laughing hysterically at the thought that you thought you could wipe away my joy! Peace of mind and serenity!!
You're looking at me wide eyes, going crazy!!
Don't you know that you can't burn the sun!??

The sun will shrivel you to nothing
Like the nothing you made me feel
All these years and I used all those tears to OUSTED your fire!
And heat up my burning desire to live
And live FREE of you and what you made me out to be!
A liar! A thief! A killer and drug dealer
I was bitter as HELL just where you wanted me too be!
But I overthrew Hell's fury over your ills of me!
The pain melted away!
Because hell's fire is HOT!!!
And I felt the heat all the life you wanted for me!

But I'm to blessed to stay in this mess
Heaven sent I am, the redeemer of your past and the psychic of your future
I was not meant to be at the bottom of the food chain
I am beast with brains..a MONSTER!
I am to be feared loved and respected
Not something you can stand on but someone you can stand along with
Through the hours of the day and horrors of the night
I am like a Phoenix!
I burn then I RISE!

Written by: Yours Truly
Elesha Kelian George a.k.a Elapop

Copyright ***

Click here for more of her notes/poems

Rambling

Rambling

Every now and again I start a poem that I just can't finish so I put them in a pile. I have folders full of pieces of poetry, sometimes I manage to put two or three of them together and they fit so well together and form this magical unit but tonight is not one of those times, lol...

I’m just going to share a few of my ramblings... some about love, I know, I know... as much as I don't want to admit it, love does find itself in a lot of my poems and notes. So here are my latest ramblings:

Rambling No. 1

I just love that girl,
wish I could tell her so
but she's so preoccupied with the world
busy behind the bling and the finer things
clothes, cars and the diamond rings.
she can't see far beyond all that
I’m willing to give her all of my heart
so quick to ride with the biggest baller
she can't even hear me when I holler


Rambling no. 2

I keep looking at your profile pic
looks like you've got the sweetest of lips
I wanna stare deep into your eyes
look within your soul
hold you tightly in my arms when you're cold
I hope I do one day
gives me something to look forward to
dreaming of tomorrow, today

Rambling no. 3

I want my damn rib back

Why you may ask?

Because I’m tired of being under

attack

Men this and men that!

Nobody ever offers us our gift back

I want back what is mine

I may be selfish; I may come off as conceited

But have any women ever said thanks

No, not once

You would think something is due us

That a female would acknowledge the sacrifice

Leading to their very existence

Rambling no. 4

So much promise

But no purpose

Can’t see myself

Far beyond the present

Need a change

An out of body experience

Don’t like the image

Staring at me in the mirror

This sense of isolation

Sunken in sudden depression

You might just see these pieces in future work of mine…

Remember I warned you!

18 to Life

I want to apologize because I havent blogged in a while, i've just been so busy writing skits and poems that i didnt find the time but i just wanted to share this poem, would appreciate some feedback, please. It's kind of raw and I haven't really looked at punctuation as yet...

18 to Life

by Delroy Nesta Williams

I got 18 to life

And I didn't do the crime

I got 18 to life

Forced to serve the time.

From the moment of birth,

Wasn’t given a chance on this earth

And i'm stuck with this prison sentence

Somebody, tell me what's next.

How can I make amends?

Restitution is for some, not all?

Who will help me overcome?

Stuck here for 18 to life

Simply because I was born poor,

Because my mother didn’t wait.

She spread her legs; victim to my father’s bait

Now she’s left with this little baby

All on her own.

18 to life,

How will she cope?

No job, no man and a little boy

And welfare really doesn’t care.

So I’m stuck here

Trapped within this prison

She was barely a child herself

Where was my father figure?

Surely couldn’t have been this sperm donor

And then they wonder,

How I got 18 to life

Without yielding a gun or knife.

I cry myself to sleep at nights

At the thought of living out my life

Within these broken down walls

I wake up in the early morning

Afraid to open up my eyes

If only I could move away.

But I’m rooted to this place,

Like a tree planted by the rivers

Ohhhhhh; What a rat race.

18 to life

And for what?

Simply because of my birth place.

I need to find a way out.

I will come back for you, mommy

Oh yes, that’s a promise.

Without a doubt...

I’m not sure when as yet,

But by these hands

I’ll break down these walls

Because I can’t stand the fact

That I might be stuck

In the ghetto all my life.

I just can’t serve 18 to life...