By Francis Quamina Farrier
Last Tuesday, March 21, countries around the world observed “World Poetry Day”, a day when poets and their works are up-lifted and celebrated. And here in Guyana, poetry and poets are like a growing tree, with younger people writing poetry and also performing poetry. The Theatre Guild Playhouse, the Up-Scale Restaurant, the Dutch Bottle, the Moray House and other venues have, over recent years, had many very impressive poetry sessions; in many cases, dominated by the younger ones.

“Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings,” according to a recent UNESCO release. I was fortunate to have known two of Guyana’s leading and most revered poets; Martin Carter – 1927-1997 – and A.J. Seymour – 1914-1989.
Carter was the Minister of Information during a period when I was a young, budding playwright and documentary producer at that ministry. I easily gravitated to the great man, and fortunately, he took me under his wings as it were, and gave me some very good advice as regards poetry.

In answering a question of mine about his focus on death, in a number of his poems – “Death of a Comrade” being the best known – he told me that, “death is always hovering over us from the day we are born.” Many of his poems were written while he was incarcerated as a political prisoner.
In his poem “The Kind of Eagles” he states, “I dance on the Wall of Prison.” Years later, Martin wrote a poem, “For a Nun Who Danced”, in response to a controversy which erupted when I produced a show in the Sacred Heart Church on Main Street in Georgetown, at which the Catholic nun, Sr. Koska, did an interpretive dance on the High altar area.
When I was transferred from the Ministry of Information to the Department of Culture, I got close to A.J. Seymour – 1914-1989.

My original post was Drama Field Officer, and later I was promoted to the post of Director of Drama, when the previous Director of Drama, Ken Corsbie migrated. At that time A.J. Seymour was the Director of Creative Writing and Deputy Chairman.
I have to say that I learned quite a lot from that great Guyanese man of letters; not only about writing, but also about being a free -thinking Guyanese citizen. A.J. Seymour’s “Verse,” was published in the Chronicle in 1937. In 1940, his “More Poems” was also published in the Chronicle.

One of the things about A.J. Seymour that impressed many who knew him was his penmanship. He was not only a great poet, but an excellent writer; his handwriting was exceptional. As-a-matter-of-fact A.J. Seymour’s calligraphy was regarded by many, as the best in Guyana, and probably in the world, during his lifetime. In 2015, A.J. Seymour was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Library in Georgetown, where his portrait is permanently on display.

There are many other outstanding Guyanese poets; John Agard, Dmitri Allicock, Stephanie Bowry, David Campbell, David Dabydeen, Mahadai Das, Ivan Forrester, Stanley Greaves, Ras Michael Juene, Lloyd Marshall, Wordsworth McAndrew, Ian McDonald, Grace Nichols, Sheik Sadeek, Rajkumarie Singh, and so many others.

Our Guyanese poets, like poets world-wide, have written quite a lot about the human experience; “I come from the Niggeryard” by Martin Carter is a very good example, and it is a poem which I love to perform. Most recently, I performed it at the Moray House at a poetry concert at which all the poems presented, were by Martin Carter. The concert was to celebrate the twentieth year of his death. There is also the very popular “Ole Higue” by Wordsworth McAndrew. That is also a poem which I love to perform, and have done so here in Guyana, the Caribbean, America, Canada, England and Australia. The poems of A.J. Seymour, also relates the Guyanese experience; his “Legend of Kaieteur”, “Tomorrow Belongs to the People”, “The Rice Harvest” and “The Making of a Slave”, are classic examples.

“Poetry is a window onto the breath-taking diversity of humanity” says Irma Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, who is herself a lover of poetry. There is a growing number of Guyanese who appreciate poetry, and over the years, especially the youths, have been actively involved in writing and performing poetry.
There have been many locations in Georgetown where poetry has been read and performed. The Theatre Guild Playhouse, the Up-Scale Restaurant, The Dutch Bottle Restaurant, The Moray House and also the National Library.

At this time, Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean, as well as the rest of the world, mourns the recent passing of Poet Laureate and Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Derek Walcott. Born in St. Lucia, Derek out-shone his twin brother Roderick as a man of letters. For even though Roderick was an excellent writer, it was Derek who rose to the very top, out-classing not only his twin brother, but everyone else.

Regarded as the greatest Poet from the Caribbean, Derek Walcott has visited Guyana on a few occasions, his most recent being in 2008 for CARIFESTA. His works are well-known to all lovers of poetry here in Guyana, myself included.
Last year February, when Capt. Lloyd Marshall and I did our poetry production, “Two Gentlemen Doing Poetry” at the Moray House at Camp and Quamina Street in Georgetown, one of my presentations was the poem, “Love after Love” by Derek Walcott. My favourite line from that beautiful poem is, “You will love again the stranger who was your self.”

And what about yourself? Is there a poem swirling around in your head? Who knows, maybe you will write it and perform it at next year’s World Poetry Day. You could be a branch of that growing tree of poetry, here in Guyana. As explained by UNESCO, World Poetry Day is a time to appreciate and support poets and poetry around the World. It is held on March 21 each year, and is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; (UNESCO).