A Poem for Newtown

A Poem for Newtown
By Delroy Nesta Williams and Anique Cuffy


Just got shot and killed
They told me I'm heading to heaven
But why did this happen to me?
I'm only seven
Barely seen much since kindergarten
I'm supposed to be in school
Learning Science and History
Now I'm the one who's history
I hope though that my death doesn't cause too much misery
But is instead a lesson
And the reason that the world changes direction
Why the need for guns?
One minute I'm laughing with my friends
The next my life has come to an end
I didn't even get a chance to say a prayer
Because the Lord wasn't welcomed here
Not within the walls of my school
But now everyone's praying to the Lord to comfort my family
Something's wrong with this picture, seriously!
How do they expect me to rest in peace?
When the last thing I heard was gun shots and screams
Held my best friends hand as our lives ended in misery
And the saddest thing is the reason for our death will always remain a mystery
Our souls went into evanescence
While our bodies just laid there lifeless
So many gun shots wounds to our heads and chests
Can we even have an open casket?
Our right to live was taken from us
All our dreams crushed until they turned to dust
And soon all memories of us will be like scrap metal in a landfill
Just waiting to rust
Yes, we’ll rest but we’ll never be at peace
We’ll sit with the Master and with angels up high
And look down and say, Lord why do they keep missing the signs?
It’s so clear to see, so easy to read
Why don’t they take heed?
It’s time to take a stand!
Fight for those who don’t have the chance
The little boys and girls just like me
Who are prey to the situations just like these,
Who are just happy to go through life every day,
Not worried about the guns while they play.
Childhood should be a period free from strife
Not afraid or clinging on for dear life
I pray for my family and all the other families
That they, while on earth, will find peace
And they do justice to our memory
Please, just take away all the havoc and mischief
Let God sit in you all hearts
And stop asking why?
What happened to us was just a reminder
That this world is sick, in need of a cure
And God didn’t make it our home forever
And one day this, yes this will all be over
With hearts that a pure
He’ll take us to our true home over yonder
But for now, stop sit and wonder
And start act to bring us justice
The guns, the violence – we’ve got to stop this
We can’t have another Newtown
We can’t have another shootout
We got to change our route
And as a people just accept the truth
That guns in the hand of any and everybody
Is a recipe to kill anybody
Even the little children, the innocent boys and girls
We’re killing off the future of this world…

Just smile

Just smile
By Delroy Nesta Williams 

I want a smile
But not just any smile, 
I want a smile so wide that I can see all your pearly whites. 
A smile so bright that not even the sun can outshine it, kind of smile.
I want the it’s so great to see you; it’s been way too long kind of smile, 
The smile that makes you feel oh so warm inside… 
That smile, oh that smile that can put hope in a terminally ill patient’s life… 
The smile that only a mother can give to her child kind of smile. 
I want the Sunday morning, God has abundantly blessed me smile. 
The it’s been a rough day but everything will be okay smile.
The thank you it’s Christmas dinner time type of smile.
The thank you I passed my exams with an A, 
So I don’t have to retake this class kind of smile.
The smile that says I can’t believe that just happened to me kind of smile.
The he kissed me unexpectedly kind of smile,
The one that sends tingles up my spine, kind of smile. 
I want a smile that says, it’s so good to see you, 
So now you go on and smile at the rest of the world 
So they can fall in love with your smile too kind of smile… 
Honestly, I just want the world to smile. 

I LOVE YOU

I LOVE YOU
by Delroy Nesta Williams


I love you, like every morning
Because it brings a sunshine, 
That reminds me of your smile.
Even when there’s rain
Still, I will love you
Because it drowns out a world of pain.
Yes, I love you, like the blades of grass
Freshly cut but still kissed by the dew
Because it reminds me when I was hurt 
But still comforted by you.
I love you, like every river
That flows into the deep blue ocean.
And, even when that river overflows
The ocean still contains the fury
So I will love you, 
That's just how it will always be.
I love you, like the big oak tree
Because it grew from a small acorn seed
To stand among the forest, so majestically. 
I love you, just like a rose
Because it’s beauty is never questioned:
So to my feelings for you… 
I love you, like the birds and the bees
Because there's always a flower 
That provides what they need.
I love you, like the sands of the beach
Though just grains, countless in number. 
I love you, like the horizon
Even if within sight, always out of reach.
I love you, like the big blue sky
Always over us as the days go by
I love you, like I've never loved anybody else
And I will never love another.
I love you, beyond time's measure
And even if you doubt me, 
I will still love you, like no other... 
I love you, as long as the ants 
Keep marching on one behind the other
Because wherever you go, there I will follow
I love you, like forever 
Because I love you today, like there's no tomorrow… 

Out of sight but not out of mind...

Out of sight but not out of mind!
By Delroy Nesta Williams

Feeling like a poor man
Running out of time
Living but not really alive
So much going on all around me
But no one to share it with
Can't see my reflection in your eyes
Or be the reason for your smile
Even your harsh words would be music to my ears
But the silence only adds to my fears
And compound the hurt and pain
That I will live out my life all alone
An incomplete feeling haunts me
My nightmare has become a reality
Wish I could go back to yesterday
And say all the things that I needed to say
Things I was to shy to utter
Things that pride made me swallow
I'm tired of the regret
Fed up of the faux quiet (calmness)
When I'm raging like a storm inside
My feelings I can no longer hide
I keep crying myself to sleep at nights
At the thought that I've lost your love
Conflict lives within my soul
An emotion I can no longer control
This numbness was simply pretense
Deep inside I'm raging like a boiling pot
I need to put an end to this, I need the hurt to stop
It's worst during the dead of night
When I've only got my thoughts and feelings
Then everything comes back to me:
How I ran away from love
How I was afraid to take the jump
And now I'm screaming, crying out
But I've got no one to blame
I've got only the scars and shame
Can't go back in time
Can't add reason to the rhyme
So I will just wallow in my sadness
And hope that with tomorrow comes a newness
But that's just wishful thinking
Cause you're gonna be absent from my reality
And so my sorrow continues
Because it's too late, too late
I've already sealed my fate
You are no longer mine
Because just like a poor man
I've ran out of time.

short short stories

Until recently I had never written one but I am beginning to like them.. short stories so short they are only one paragraph "long" but so well crafted that the can describe a lifetime of events... Here are two (2) of them that I did just last night... Truth is, I was kind of bored and didn't have anything better to do with my time.

The first short story I adopted, edited and remixed from a Facebook post of one of my friends (Michelle Walker, not her real name, lol). She took the quote from a book called the History of Love by Nicole Krauss. 

The second, I wrote to describe a photo that my cousin sent me... She has a photography page on Facebook (JPix) and she usually asks me to write short poems about certain photos. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:


1. True story: once upon a time there was a boy and he was in love with a girl whose laughter was a question he wanted to answer!!! Whose smile was a rainbow and he chased it to find the pot of gold!!! Whose eyes held a treasure of secrets that he wanted to open!!! Whose arms were so warm that he only wanted to spend the rest of his life in them!!! And they spent forever together. The End.
2. Once upon a time there was a guy who loved a girl but he was too afraid to show her, so instead he hid it. So his love became a cross to carry, an overwhelming burden to bear. Eventually, all he was left with was thoughts of what this love could have been. He stood on the shore with tears in his eyes - watching, wishing - as the object of his affection left the dock in search of her love… The end. 

story no. 2 is inspired by this photo

Check out my other poems for her pics here:

The Hunger Poem
Sixteen (16)

Farrakhan in Dominica

Farrakhan at the Arawak

It's not everyday that a world leader/icon visits the shores of my Caribbean island, Dominica. In fact, besides some "unknown" members the royal family visiting a few times during the Independence Celebrations, Dominica doesn't receive much in terms of icons. I remember hearing of Oprah (doesn't coming much bigger than her), Wesley Snipes, Tom Cruise and a few others visiting the island as a little boy but I can't remember anything about their visit and i'm sure I didn't have a chance to meet them, unless of course I am suffering from severe memory loss... and i'm not.

So when I heard that Louis Farrakhan was in Dominica for a weekend (I heard him on the radio the Saturday when he was already on the island) I dropped all my plans for the Sunday night and went to the Arawak House of Culture to have a glimpse of the leader of the Nation of Islam. He spoke for just under two (2) hours and had me engrossed in his performance. I say performance because his engagement of the crowd seemed akin to that of a seasoned entertainer. I marveled at the way he went about giving his speech, how he got the small but appreciative crowd to buy in and even be part and parcel of his presentation. 

There's a certain aura to him and although I didn't agree with some parts of his message, I must agree that in terms of delivery, he is second to one... Obama... Well that's just based on the small sample of speakers that I have been exposed to, please don't hold this against me. 

I took a few notes of what I thought were pertinent points/quotes that he made (not verbatim):

1. if a man wont treat you right then what makes you think that he would teach you right - in speaking about white people providing religion to black slaves as a means of "saving" them.
2. "how did hair get a moral quality" in speaking about good/bad hair and how we have been brainwashed to accept everything "white" as good.
3. "you can't exercise knowledge in your sleep" - a call for black people (men) to wake up and take their place as leaders in the family and society
4. "the greatest thing that you can do is to work for that which is greater than (outlives) you" - my favourite quote. 

Farrakhan also went on to speak to students of the Dominica State College and even denouncing abortion, but that's a different story... check it out here on Dominica News Online

or check an article about his view of partisan politics on Dominica Vibes

Nesta 

International Volunteers Day

I'm highlighted in United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Youth-IN Volunteers information sheet that highlights volunteerism for International Volunteers Day 2012.

Check it out below:

UNDP celebrates International Volunteers Day 2012

Check out our Caribbean Youth Think Tank Website here
Check out the story in the Barbados Advocate as well

The Evening News

It's still very raw but since I haven't posted in here in a while, I thought I would still go ahead and share it:


I’m Delroy Nesta Williams
And I’m your presenter:

This evening in the news
We’ve got leaders so bold (that)
They’ve sold their souls for gold
Forgetting those they serve,
Just fattening up their banks accounts
Skyrocketing to ridiculous amounts.
And it’s all from the public’s purse
And that’s not even the worst;
We’ve got two-faced people
Who got me needing bi-focals.
Married men who make a mockery of matrimony
And women who just seek out the alimony
Priest who touch little boys
And the churches prepared to cover up their ploys
Not to mention those who sing for their supper
The apologists and fact benders
And so words get twisted
Intentions misinterpreted
And soon everything good will be a distant memory
We’ve got boys who pretend to be thugs
Because that’s what they see in the media
Shout out Tupac and Adi cuz that’s all they hear
Claiming they’ve found themselves
But they’re just paving their way to hell
And the girls who follow them
Clinging to the hype
Like a bra that’s just too tight
And it’s all a part of the scheme
To keep us trapped in the “skin” were in
Second class in our minds
This is just a sign of the times
And suddenly they only live once
Behaving like a sow’s runt
Cast aside to eat sloppy seconds
But we’ve got the people who know better
But sit silent, afraid to disturb the status quo
Because it all works out best if those who don’t know
Stay in their ignorance.
And they wallow in pretence
That it will all work out in the end
But that’s just the hypocrisy
Of a system that wasn’t meant to help the needy
Clothe the naked or heal the sick
Just meant to seek out profit
And still in the news
We’ve got bigots who lead the people off track
Claiming to have a master plan
Oh, what the fuck is wrong with this land?
That we’ve swapped leadership qualities for popularity
And vote based on who looks pretty
Or pleasing to the eyes
A badge of honour or a cloak to disguise?
When we would trade our soul for a scholarship
And return more dunce than when we first left
The news could go on and on
But this is just a ten minute segment
So you will have to return in the morning
And hope that with the sun’s dawning
Comes answers to our questions
And relief from our plight
Everything exposed in tomorrow’s light
But prepare to be disappointed
Because it’s a tangle web we’ve weaved.

Mr. Lonely

by Delroy Nesta Williams

You disappear then reappear just like magic
And it's so tragic what you do to my heart
I got so much love for you
But the situation is tearing me apart
How did our love wither so fast?
I can't understand what went wrong
Woke up one morning and you're gone
No longer the head of this home
The captain of my ship
Leaving this sailor to sit and just weep
As he faces rough seas by his lonesome
Unchartered waters is too much of a burden
Come back to me please
I need your affection to set my mind at ease
Those playful moments, those quiet nights
Calmed my soul; everything seemed so right
Where did I go wrong?
I need someone to point out the moment
So I could go back in time and correct it
Things aren't the same without you
Took losing you to see how much I do love you
I admit that it was probably my fault
So many thoughts filling my mind
I'm in constant state of depression,
And it’s killing me on the inside
The life of a loner is destined for me
Can't distinguish the forest from the trees
I can see us together, forever
But it's out of my hands
Just like an oasis in the desert
It’s only a mirage
One step forward but two steps back
Love wasn't meant for me
So love, please do me a favour
Just leave me lonely... 

To be continued...

A gift for Junie

by Delroy Nesta Williams

Mr. Lazare kept inviting me over to his house; it had become our weekly ritual. At first, he would simply give me a few chores to do and give me a wage but recently we talked a lot more. He told me about his pursuits in England, how he fought in World War II, worked in a train station and married a beautiful “English Rose” before returning to Dominica in 1975 because he could no longer bear the cold weather.

“I came back to Gros Michel to live out my last days,” he often said. “There was no reason for me to stay in England anymore.” I later found out that his wife had passed away after a horrific car accident a few years before he came back to Dominica and the “rum assisted in his grieving,” as he often put it.

There was a lot more to Mr. Lazare than I had ever imagined, he had become more than just a neighbour to me now. We would often read books together and he even allowed me to play his recorder. But it was his stories of the war, England and his advice that I respected most. I could almost imagine myself besides him in pursuit of the Nazis or taking cover when his camp was being bombarded with enemy fire. He even showed me a bullet wound, in his right shoulder. The bullet had damaged the tendons and muscles in his should which made it almost impossible for him to carry any load. He made the war sound horrific but still very exciting.

He had lied about his age so that he could have gotten recruited, having ended up in England without a birth paper or any documents.

I also remembered him telling me how he won the love of Mrs. Lazare, when he was in the mood to talk. He told me how he would spend hours at the train station just waiting for her to pass by for a few seconds. He would wait at the Southampton Central Railway at precisely 3:00 p.m. every day when he knew she would make an appearance, albeit for a few minutes before the train came and whisked her away.

He would put his pipe in his mouth, draw in some tobacco, take a sip of his drink and commence a dramatic description of her school days and how she looked so smartly dressed in her uniform.

“Young man,” he would say, “she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and I still haven’t seen anyone as beautiful as her in my eighty five years of existence.” He was much younger than that though, as I found out later. He wasn’t one to share his actual age.

“She was a lot younger than me but that didn’t matter at all, I just loved how she looked so positive, so royal in her uniform. It’s almost like she expected the world to lay down a red carpet for her, but not in an obnoxious way, she walked with the grace of the Queen of England herself, but was still very polite.”

“Once, I had deliberately bumped into her and even before I could offer an apology, she was already requesting my forgiveness. She then smiled at me while leaving, I was more in love with her after that,” he continued.

Today, I had my own issues of the heart though and maybe it showed a lot more than I had imagined. But then again, Mr. Lazare could always read my mind.

“Young man, what’s wrong? You seem so distant” he asked.

“Nothing ner,” I replied.

“We speak the Queen’s English in this house,” he remarked, “and I can tell that you’re lying. Talk to me, son.”

I could tell that he was sober, that was the only time he stressed on the proper use of English. He could care less when he was under the influence.

“It’s a girl,” I said softly.

“I can tell, it could only be a girl.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s written all over your face, L-O-V-E: love,” he said pointing to my forehead, “you’re glowing like a firefly on a dark night. But I still see trouble in your eyes.”

“It’s my girlfriend; her birthday is coming up soon.”

“Girlfriend,” he said surprisingly, “How old are you?”

“Sixteen,” I confidently replied.

“Oh, that’s the same age that I had my first girlfriend and my first kiss too,” Mr. Lazare said as he gazed away, “I was still in Dominica back then. So what’s the problem?”

“Well………..” I mumbled.

“If you want my help then you need to speak up.”

“I want to get her a gift but I don’t have any money and I still don’t know what she would like.”

“Then you do have a problem!”

“Yes sir.”

“So when was she born?

“June 17”

“And do you know what her birthstone is?”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t they teach anything in school these days?” he remarked, “A birthstone is a precious gemstone that symbolizes the birth month of someone in the Gregorian calendar. It is usually associated with character.”

“Gregor what?

“Gregorian Calendar,” he said distinctly, “it is the calendar that we use today, January to December; it wasn’t always the calendar”

“It wasn’t?”

“No boy, no, it was introduced by Pope Gregory long ago but that’s a different story. If she was born in June then her birthstone would be the same as my wife, she was born in June too.”

“Okay.”

“Wait here, I have something that you can give to her.”

I could hear Mr. Lazare rummaging through his room; the chest of drawers I imagined. I had never been inside his room, it was his private sanctuary. Things were been shifted, falling on the wooden floor.

“What could it be?” I wondered, “Did it have to do with the birthstone?

Mr. Lazare spent about ten more minutes before he reappeared, sweat all over his forehead.

“May I have a glass of water?” he politely asked. He looked liked he would drop down dead any moment if I wasn’t quick enough.  

“What was he doing in there?” I thought to myself, “he looks like he just revisited World War II.” The only difference is he had no war apparel, no rifle and he had a big grin from ear to ear.

“What’s with the smile?

“I found it”

“What?” I asked eager to find out.

“Before I hand it over to you, you have to promise me that you will do it justice, give it to this Junie girl only if you truly love her. I gave it to my wife for her birthday over twenty years ago,” He said as his voices continued to break up, “I’m passing it on to you because I don’t have much time left here and I can see you truly like this girl. I can see the same passion I had when I first met my wife in you.”

“Thank you, I promise but what is it?” I asked reluctantly, not wanting to anger him with my impatience.

“I’m getting to that, don’t rush me.” I could see it was hard for him. “This is a necklace, touched with Alexandrite. I got the stone from a villager in Russia when I was fighting the war. I had it formed into a necklace in England for my wife’s birthday. I think she would want me to pass it on to someone I trust. She would approve.”

“Thank you but may I ask you a question?”

“Yes, you may.”

“What exactly is Alexandrite?” I asked reluctantly, “Is it the birthstone?”

“Oh yes, it is. But there’s more to it than just that.”

“More?”

“Yes, put on the light bulb,” he said, “and see the magic as it happens.” To my amazement the rock changed colour from green to red.

“Oh, I see, now I’m sure Junie will like that.” Mr. Lazare just smiled and sat down.

“Something’s wrong?” I asked

“No, no, I’m just tired but you remind me so much of myself when I was a young boy”

“Me?”

“Yes, boy, you… I am sure you will make a fine young man one day, your mother will be proud.” And with that Mr. Lazare leaned back into his rocking chair, put his pipe into his mouth and picked up a book.

“What are you reading?’ I asked.

“Oh it’s nothing, just some Shakespeare.”

“Oh I know Shakespeare,” I replied proudly, “we study him in Literature classes, but he writes funny. I never understand him”

“Maybe you should read it funny then,” Mr. Lazare said as he gave a wry grin and continued reading. I could tell he no longer wanted to be disturbed so I moved to the shelf and picked up a book too.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking a book; I want to read Shakespeare too.”

“Okay, well read then.”

I didn’t really want to read, I was just looking for a comment or two from him but he was so enthralled in his reading that he wouldn’t budge from his rocking chair even if I had caught the house on fire. After pretending to read for about ten minutes, I decided to leave, it was getting late and I didn’t want my mother screaming her guts out at me again; I had heard enough of that to last me a lifetime. I picked up the necklace; it felt so cool in between my fingers, like it was being stored in a refrigerator. The gemstones kept changing colours.

“Junie going an love me for that wii,” I thought to myself. Mr. Lazare made my day, my month, and my teenage years. I would always be a part of her life now; she would remember that moment all her life. It was going to be perfect; she would tell it to her children and her children’s children. I was going to be a part of her history, forever etched in her memory. But almost on cue, I was brought back to earth by Mr. Lazare.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself young man; it’s only a gift,” he said, “but it’s still a special gesture.”

“I know, I know,” I replied, while not trying to give away the excitement bubbling within my stomach.

Mr. Lazare was too smart for that though; he saw clearly what was going on. I was getting ahead of myself but he wanted me to be humble and modest about the gift.

“I have to head home now, it’s getting late,”

“I know, just lock the gate when you are out the yard,” he joked. I had to give a soft laugh because the gate didn’t keep anyone out; half of the fence was missing. I don’t think he worried too much about the villagers entering his yard or his house. It looked dilapidated from the street. The residents of Gros Michel had no idea of the treasures that he possessed within those rundown walls. 

the Roseau Youth Centre Declaration... the ORANGE DAY SYMPOSIUM

If you're a follower of my blog then you would know that i am a big proponent of ORANGE DAY and also write a lot about various issues and particular, Domestic Violence and Abuse. Over the past few months we have raised awareness, on and around the 25th day of every month, about these two issues and today came the closure of this round of activities. We ended with a youth symposium on "The Role of Youth in Curbing Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women and Young Girls. A number of issues were raised at the symposium and statements made but principle among them was the declaration, which showed the intent of the youth present to work towards curbing the issue of domestic violence and all forms of violence. 

This is a copy (photo) of the Declaration that was signed (my signature is there too, somewhere) by young people in Dominica as it relates to "the role of youth in curbing domestic violence and violence against women and girls...

Also find below a copy of the Agenda (my name is there somewhere) of the day's proceedings which was organized by the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Mr Dalton Maronie and Miss Natasha Jervier, in collaboration with the Youth Development Division of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Hats off to them on a very successful initiative as this augers well for our youth, especially if given the opportunity to implement the number of activities/initiatives that were suggested during the day's proceedings.

We also had a special/secret visit by the Secretary General of CARICOM, Mr. Irwin Larocque, who just happened to be in his homeland Dominica during that period and stopped by to discuss with the young people. It was a welcomed surprise.

Leandra Lander presents... Mam's Advice

Earlier tonight I attended the 2012 Independence Literary Competition Prize Giving Ceremony, where I received the first prize for the Short Story category. But this post isn't about me or my prize, au contraire, I want to highlight a pleasant surprise that took place at the ceremony though.

We were graced with Carnival royalty... Miss Leandra Lander, who won Dominica's Carnival Queen Show a few years ago, along with a number of regional crowns was present at the ceremony. She wasn't there as a mere onlooker but she had actually participated in the English Poetry Category. She came 2nd in that category and graced the podium reciting the poem "Mam's Advice." I actually made a video of the performance, albeit on my blackberry, so don't expect HD quality.

Below is the recital, do enjoy:

First place

boys playing cricket in the streets

Remember this time last year I posted about coming  second in the Independence short story competition in Dominica with my piece "Hair On My Chest" well guess what? This year I came first with another chapter from my soon to be released book "David and I." 

This time I entered "Cricket in the Streets" a short story that I had already published on my blog... but i changed the ending to suit the criteria of the competition.

I am so elated to win this competition. The prize giving ceremony will be held soon, hopefully I can get some photos or even a video to post in here as well...

I also submitted a poem "Walking Away" for the poetry segment but didn't win, still I am not disappointed and will continue submitting my poetry until I do win... I will continue to write as long as i have the strength and inspiration to do so... I love writing... 

I'm currently working on so many different stories all at the same time, hoping to complete all so very soon...

Here is a status report for those who follow my blog:

David and I - novel (70% complete)

Untitled Children's book (50% complete)

Moods and Attitudes - book of poetry (90% complete) to be released during Easter 2013

The Escape - short story (40% complete) to be released in the summer of 2013

Keep checking my blog for updates and short clips from the books...

Word, Sound and Power... performing tomorrow night...

Female Condom Anyone?

Every year, the Nature Island of the Caribbean, Dominica hosts a month long celebration of its independence and creole culture. Key among these events are the World Creole Music Festival and the Creole in the Park. These are two of the more popular activities during the months of October/November, depending on how the November 3rd date falls. November 03rd being the date for official recognition of Independence from Great Britian.

As has become customary, I always find myself at the Creole In The Park as I work at the Botanical Gardens where it is held. I have also made it a habit to have some memorable happenings while feasting on creole music, food and culture. This year, I wanted to have a low-key participation and as such I stayed away from much frolicking and drinking; I did however manage to witness a female condom demonstration by a friend of mine. She explained how to rip the wrapper, insert the condom and also a few tricks in initiate "feelings" among both the men and women... All in all, our trip to the Planned Parenthood booth was to say the least "inspiring" Let's see if i manage to have any children after this.

Check out the video I made of my friend, Kenitta Dorival, demonstration how to insert the female condom into the vagina. This is not for the faint at heart of the hypocrites...

a new offering... true story... Untitled R&B

forgot to post this in here the other day:


This is a true story
The pen jus seemed to grab my hand
Some things I just can't understand
Sometimes you just have to go with the flow
In the end it will all make sense:

Untitled (R&B)

How you waited till I wrote you my love letter
To tell me we can't be together
From awakening my soul with hugs and kisses
To breaking me into a million bits and pieces
My world turned upside down in a matter of minutes
I had guarded my feelings for so long
Until you came along
I took a risk opening up to you like no other
But in the end all you've managed to do was expose my deepest fears
And now for the first time in so many years
Girl, you've got me shedding tears
I was already planning my future around you
Thought our love was shared, thought it was true
I accepted your daughter as mine
Loved her like she came from my own blood line
I loved you with all your flaws
Because that's just what true love does
Takes the good with the bad, hoping for the best
Now my mind will never be at rest
Wondering what I could have done different
A tender touch by here, a phone call by there?
All these questions plaguing my mind
All these emotions of the troubling kind
Wish I could smile but all that comes out is this lowly sigh
I couldn't even utter a word when you said goodbye
So shocked I was at what just transpired
Like the boss walked into my office to say I was fired
From this job I've looked for all my life
I really thought you would have been my wife
I wanted you to be the last one that I would ever love
Until I depart this earth to meet the maker up above
All I feel now is hurt and depressed
Because I don't want anybody else
I will grow to accept that you're gone
What's done, is done
I'm prepared to grow old n lonely
If you're not the one for me,
Then who can it be?
You seemed so perfect for me

River Lime? I think not

What I thought would have been a nice river lime on a very hot Saturday morning, turned out to feel more like work as the hours passed by... Two hours walking upstream along the Belles River is no easy task; and made even more difficult carrying bags of garbage and helping other people get across the currents and cross the river around ten or eleven times.

The occasion was the World Rivers Day "River Walk and Cleanup" organized by the Global Environment Facility local office, in collaboration with the Youth Environment Service (YES) Corps and the Dominica Youth Environment Organisation (DYEO).  This activity also included the participation of students and teachers from five secondary schools: 

1. Dominica Grammar School;
2. Pierre Charles Secondary School;
3. Goodwill Secondary School;
4. Castle Bruce Secondary School; and the
5. Northeast Comprehensive High School.

Overall, it was a very fulfilling walk; a wonderful but tiring experience but the river bath at the end made it all worth it...

Nikisha Dalrymple and I playing our part 

Check out more pics here

The DYEO is also hosting a National Beach and Waterways Cleanup on the 13th of October (the day after my birthday), which will involve over 30 communities across Dominica. To get involved check out the Facebook page.

The One

Wrote this poem last night while reflecting on my life and relationships:

The One
Can quickly become just another one,
And you’re left with no one
As the one you loved is now gone;
You find yourself still searching for someone
And suddenly, you start considering anyone,
Because your age starts to creep up one by one.
You’re no longer twenty one, But thirty or forty one...
And the biological clock ticks away past the day you were born.
Out of the blue you start to feel the emptiness of being only one,
A seclusion that can send anyone
Scrambling to be with someone.
At the end of it all, no one likes to be just one.

Orange Day Rally

The 25th of each month is used as a date to raise awareness about Domestic Violence against women and young girls. September 25th, 2012, I participated in a Orange Day Rally that took place along the streets of Roseau.

Here is a excerpt of the rally; it is actually a performance by the Convent High School's anti-bullying club of Alicia Key's Superwoman.

Hope you like it...



Look out for the next Orange Day activity on October 25th...

Walking Away - Domestic Violence poem

I wrote this poem to raise awareness about Domestic Violence after two significant events took place over the past few weeks. First of all, the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (some of whom are my friends) have started to raise awareness about this issue by having various events aimed at sensitizing the public about the issue. ORANGE DAY, as it is called, is being held on the 25th of every month.

Yesterday a friend invited me to join a Facebook group dedicated to help women and children who are victims of Domestic Violence and need support to get out of their dire situation. After having a conversation with her and seeing the exchanges in the group, i was moved to pen this poem below, please enjoy...

Walking Away
by Delroy Nesta Williams

That’s where I draw the line
Don’t you dare raise your damn hand on me one more time
I’m tired of the bruises and the scares
I’m nobody’s punching bag
It took me a while to get to this point
But thank God I’ve arrived and I’m not turning back
The load is finally off my back
When I sit and think
How many times I blamed myself for the abuse
Maybe the tea was too sweet
I didn’t make up the bed with the right sheets
I’ve questioned my every action
I’ve second guessed my every thought
For a man who treated me like I was naught
But it’s over now
At first I stayed because I thought this was love
And then I had your son
I thought it would stop after I gave birth to your seed
But that just seemed to add fuel to the fire
And blows was all that I received
It wasn’t my fault that the baby cried at nights
Or that he needed more of my attention that you did
I didn’t replace you with him
But that’s just how you made me feel
I couldn’t do anything right when it came to you
And that made me feel so empty and blue
I would have done anything for you
Carried the world on my back if you asked me too
My 15 years of abuse is much more than one woman should take
So much more, but I still leave with a heartache
Because I truly loved you
That maybe made me blind to all the abuse
At least, you didn’t claim my soul
That would have been the nail in my coffin
And that I just can’t allow our son to behold
I’ve tried to raise him to be better than you
Hopefully he won’t do the same things you did
I will teach him how to love a woman
A real man never raises his hands
I’ve packed my bags, nothing can let me stay
I just wanted to be a woman
Say goodbye and let you watch me walk away
Don’t you even thinking of trying to stop me
Or raise your hands to even touch me
I don’t want any sorry excuse
You had years to consider the extent of your abuse
Nights spent crying myself to sleep
I couldn’t do anything, only weep
Soaking my pillow in tears
Lost in a world of fear
I wouldn’t wish this on my greatest enemy
You tried your best but you still didn’t break me
It’s time to set my spirit free
A weight has been lifted off my shoulders
I feel like dancing under rain showers
So I could drown my tears in the rain
Relieve myself of all this pain
It’s hard leaving you
But it’s for the best
Now I see the truth
I know I will get another man to love me like I deserve
I hope I don’t hold your sins against the other men of this world
All this resentment I now hold towards you
I need to find a way to let it go
Throw my bitterness to the wilderness
And welcome tomorrow like the days of spring
All things new; the rebirth of a my being
I’m leaving just the way I came
Of my own free will
Oh, I’m taking my son too
He’s a part of the deal
You leave me alone forever more
15 years of my life I will never get back
But I’ve got the rest of my life to make up for that
See the world like I’ve always dreamed it
Or at least live like I wish it
Do all the things that you averted
Because of your silly, jealous tendencies
I can finally speak to my male friends
Without you throwing temper tantrums
Bye now and don’t you try to stop me
I will send my brother for my things
And don’t you dare throw away anything
I hope you sleep well tonight
If I was you, I would sleep with one eye wide
Open…

Check out more of my poems on my Facebook notes

Poem from a Fan: Arnold Toulon

So I've gotten my first real fan mail, well actually it's a poem... from a Dominican Artist based in St. Lucia. He posted it after he read my latest poem, Walking Away - a poem I wrote to raise awareness about Domestic Violence as a means to get more women to speak up about the issue. The poem was posted in a Facebook poetry group for Dominican writers: Domnichen Poetic Circle. So here is the post from him:

Delroy.!.(.I never call you that.) -:)

So...... Nesta!!, (Is it a 'Marley thing?),

(sounds more like your poetry).

,I don't think I have enough words.

Your works have captivated me from the start.

You write from the heart.

I don't, and can't, rate you; just by your prose.

Your command of the language

Every DPCEE knows.

wIth anticipation,

we waiting.

To see what Delroy (Nesta) posting.

You give us the "ZOUK".

And remind us of our flag.

Alwin Bully designed it ...

I guess some kinda komee tee,, mus have signed it.

Of what it really means to be a Dominican.

You , to me are the best conception.

DEE,,,,,,

you may be a humble man,,,,

Most Dominicans are.

In this poetry business,

I think you are a Star.

Delroy ,I want to Hail you from afar !

Your lines are well laid

You Step up to the "bar"!

Don't exchange Diamonds for Zirconium,

These tomes you write are at the arch of decorum.

One more poem ,,,,,,

That's all I would beg.....

Something to think about,,,,

before I go to bed...

But I could do with the ones

that you've already sown.

No more 'block';

Now the trumpet is blown!

(Arnold Toulon 2012. St.Lucia)[?]

I'm proud of this poem... I'm gonna print it and frame it, so that I always remember...

Thanks Arnold, again...

ORANGE is the colour... Saturday August 25th is the day...

Violence against women and young girls has been and still is a problem associated with most societies and, even within the relatively peaceful Caribbean, we are not immune to acts of violence against the female gender. We hear all the speeches and the news inserts every year from various interest gro

ups on or around the time of the international day of recognition (November 25th of every year) set aside to raise awareness of the issue but we hardly even do anything after that day has passed.

So I was pleased when my friend, a CARICOM Youth Ambassador (CYA), sent me a blackberry messenger broadcast that they would be raising awareness of the issue soon through a social network rally. I'm personally joining this social network rally to fight v

iolence against women and girls by the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors on Saturday 25th, 2012 and if you want to join as well, just read the message below:

Friends, The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are doing a social network promotion where they are rallying to fight

violence against women and girls. Everyone is asked to wear something ORANGE and take a PHOTO and post it on Facebook or Twitter or Blackberry messenger. Make a comment saying something to support our women. Join the fight as we support our women. Wear ORANGE on Saturday 25th, August 2012... Thank you.

I will be wearing an orange armband and an orange t-shirt. Look out for pics on my Facebook page and updates via my Twitter account: @DelroyNesta... (I may just post a pic or two in here as well).

and remember, ORANGE is the colour, SATURDAY is the day...

Stand with Linden

I stand with Linden

Just in case you're wondering, Linden is a community in Guyana. It was touched by acts of police shooting amidst a community demonstration due to high electricity bills (Google: Linden, Guyana police shooting incident for more information) which left a few people dead. But one person dead is already too many dead especially in a situation that could have been avoided.

My stance is one of solidarity as it relates to the right to peacefully demonstrate against social ills and injustice.

My brethren and sistren of Linden, I STAND WITH AND FOR YOU...

Out and About: Jamaica

Just in case you were wondering where I have been, or in case you missed me just a little itsy bitsy bit, here’s what I’ve been up to over the past week or so, I’ve been in Jamaica…

Before you get too envious and so forth, it was a work trip. I spent most of my time stuck (for want of a better word) in a conference room discussion the need and establishment of a regional youth council, constitutions, mandates and other such stuff which may seem boring to you. Believe it or not, the discussions were very passionate; I guess that’s what you get when you bring over 20 youth leaders from across the Caribbean representation 15 different countries to discuss their issues.

There were squabbles, debates and I dare say fights (verbal) off course but at the end of the day, I think our good sense prevailed and we delivered a quality product. The work still continues though, does it ever stop?

But before you get to saying that I had no fun, au contraire mes amis, I had a ball of a time… Who can forget the Bahamian representative pouring a whole bottle of hot sauce over his jerk chicken, lol, just thinking of that moment makes it burn my lips and insides. Scotties was a remarkable place, for that and other reasons.

Other remarkable moments included our visit to the Portmore Youth Information Centre where we interacted first hand with the young people from the “Gaza” community. I provided the centre with a copy of my book, One Room Shack, one of many tokens that were handed over by the different delegates and the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre (CYPCC).

We also had an opportunity to visit a Speech competition, where poetry (dub, traditional, and other forms) took center stage among schools. I ate up that competition, so overjoyed to see young people embrace spoken word and other forms of poetry. I wish we had something similar in Dominica.

Who can forget also the Hon. Lisa Hanna, Minister for Youth and Culture in Jamaica as she graced the podium/stage during the opening ceremony for the Summit? When I say grace, I truly mean grace the podium (she’s a former Miss Jamaica and Miss World too). I also got to take a photo with her, with my arms well placed around her waist as a symbol of Caribbean integration and togetherness (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

All in all Jamaica was a lot of work but some fun as well, enough fun to get me to come back for sure. I won’t go into too much detail but let’s just say the house party was very good, thanks again Mario for that one…

Nesta

For a more official report though, you can check the following sites:

1. Youth-In Caribbean Youth Think Tank
2. YourCommonwealth.org