‘The middle where we met is not the place to stop.’ Martin Carter.

World Poetry Day 2014 celebrated by Guyana on Tuesday March 25 was an exhilarating experience invoking various quotations on the subject, some springing readily to mind, others corrected by research, all adding to the euphoria.Perhaps the first quote that came to mind on that occasion was ‘[t]o have great poets there must be great audiences too’ (Walt Whitman).

The audience for the occasion at the Umana Yana, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana, was a ‘great’ one. It was a full house bubbling with vitality, a vitality feeding the performers fodder of encouragement and pride. The audience was a good one and for being good, it was well rewarded throughout the event with excellent poetry and performances.
‘Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people’ Adrian Mitchell. Well, well, well, almost all the poems performed resonated with almost all of the people almost all of the time.
For instance, ‘You have to be deaf to understand’ performed by Shonette Belgrave, Erin Sullivan and Quincy Richard of the Deaf Association of Guyna. The miming, the sign language and the articulate gestures were hilarious but the message got home because the audience took up the chant at appropriate intervals, ‘You have to be deaf to understand’.
‘Me a wan country man’ by Ivor Thom involved the audience which wanted more of the dialect performance, a language enjoyed because of its colourful and racy pictures created, leaving Standard English way behind in elucidation and delivery of poetry for that particular audience.
Another poem that had the audience going (making a stand for the rights of a woman to take her place in the world without being molested, violated and victimised) was ‘Hear me men’ by Donna Sergeant of the National Library, pleading with men for respect.
Although it was a floating theme for World Poetry Day 2014, the Guyana edition had a theme by default – women. This was evident from the first performance entitled ‘Woman’ done by Genesia Samuels of Green Acres Primary. This was followed by ‘Ladies have some dignity’ by Katyana George of the National Library which begged the question, ‘Ain’t I a woman’ by Kezra Boyal, why treat me different, setting different standards for me, why, don’t you know I am a ‘Phenomenal Woman’ performed by Nicola Moonsammy, Ayanna Waddell, and Sonia Yarde written by Maya Angelou
A few lines would put that theme in perspective.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.

There were other great performances but a mere listing would diminish their worth so I would like to close as I started.
‘You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you’ (Joseph Joubert). The audience came prepared and was not disappointed.
World Poetry Day was originally set for October 15. However, in 1999 UNECSO declared March 21 World Poetry Day.
World Poetry Day has its genesis in one person, a woman, who not only knew of the power of poetry and has tasted its pleasures but also wanted others to be a part of this sacred art. In 1936, Tessa Sweezy Webb started honouring poets of Ohio, USA. This vision soon caught the imagination of poetry lovers worldwide. By 1951, forty-one countries were celebrating the works of their poets. Webb used the third Saturday in October for her magnanimous work but by 1951, October 15 was accepted as the ideal day to mark the occasion.
UNESCO’s declaration of March 21 as World Poetry Day was to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world and, as the UNESCO session declaring the day says, to ‘give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.’

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com

What’s happening:
• The 2013-2014 issue of The Guyana Annual magazine is now going into production. This issue is dedicated to A. J. Seymour and will focus on the increase interest in photography, the expanding arenas for cultural activities, what’s happening in the Diaspora (Guy-Aspora) and will continue its role championing the cause of locally based emerging writers and of Guyanese writers in general, offering space and encouragement for their work.
• World Book & Copyright Day will be commemorated by the National Library on April 23.
• It is here: ‘Anthology of Contemporary Guyanese Verse: Volume 1’ published by The Caribbean Press, compiled by Petamber Persaud with an introduction by Dr. Lynne Macedo, University of Warwick. The work of twenty-one writers is captured in this 164-page book.
• Standby to restart THE JOURNEY, an evening of literature.
By Petamber Persaud