M E Wilson–poems out of lockdown

Trinidad-born, Norwegian-based freelance writer and artist M E Wilson has produced a heartwarming poetry collection, “To Be Great: Poetry Inspired by Love.” Wilson tells this Sunday Guardian’s Bookshelf that she has written since she was a child, and it is a coping mechanism, a means to “uplift and inspire” herself while dealing with the challenges thrown her way. Writing became Wilson’s “refuge” during the 2020 COVID lockdown while living abroad, far away from her loved ones, a lonely experience that “struck an emotional chord”. Wilson “channelled” her feelings into “writing more passionately than ever before” during that time of isolation, drawing inspiration from her life experiences. The result is a book of simple verses, metaphors and vivid imagery that examine “the universality of emotions, the enduring strength of love and its ability to transform lives and relationships, self-discovery, courage, and the beauty of embracing the concept of personal greatness”.

Poem extracts from M E Wilson’s “To Be Great: Poetry Inspired by Love” with full permission from the author exclusively for the Sunday Guardian.

Keep going

Everything is so exciting When they are fresh, when they are new Ignorance can be blinding It’s fun to make a debut.

Your heart leads you to a different place And it all feels like a thrill Expansion becomes addicting There are so many voids to fill. Then a little voice suddenly whispers, “Who are you trying to fool?” Fear sets in, as you face obstacles, Setbacks, heartbreaks and new rules.

And with God’s grace, you’ll make it through Equipped for new challenges ahead I’ve learned that as long as I keep going My courage becomes my bread.

There are times when you’ll be tested To prove how much you’ve learned After fighting your battles, you can feel proud Of the blessings you have earned.

The journey is never easy ... Yes, adversity has introduced me to myself But I’ve learned, that as long as I keep going I’ll be an example for someone else. The Truth of Rum When first we played, We chose to be naked.

Stripped away onion skin Clothes as we spoke. Exposed, cross-legged, Cold on bare board floors, Told each our truths, Hard as polished stones.

Ask any question. Anything at all. Rum flavoured absences, Tales tinged with lime.

You sit face to face, Show the bones beneath Alcohol slackening, Tongues to untie. Blackout whitewash, Is the dawn’s excuse.

Whisper you forgot Or don’t remember. What was said, By friends, That you dismembered

Unfurled, flayed And opened up by truth. The last time we played, We chose to stay clothed. Exposed all our secrets, With bottles all still closed.

Bloom

At first, a thickened disk of dirt, Smiled its surface from the pot. But beneath, A seed in its unchallenged sleep waited for trickles of knowledge to rain.

Then it came. It poured, As you absorbed.

Stretching new roots, You soaked up the dew, drank from the storm and shower. Pulled with a thirst through percolating dirt, to nourish and feed, the seed, beneath. You swam and you bathed in these days of the rains, In the flavors of sunlight and yellow-taste rays. You knitted new flesh made for the taking.

Absorbing and quenching. Hearing, listening, challenging, changing and making. ‘till you thrust, up breaking new ground. Surfacing, blooming, redolent, Proud. Your rich flower thank you, To the rains that came down.

Take Flight

Why are you waiting for the perfect time To do what you’re supposed to do? You cling to the arms of predictability You won’t dare try something new. You’ve convinced yourself that it’s safer To remain exactly where you are You’d rather suffer in your existence --- than put in the effort to get far.

There’s freedom in taking flight And the view is fantastic, too If you don’t act and move on in life, then life will make its move on you.

The conditions are often ripe There are lessons you’ve learned before Because tomorrow is not given Take the leap, and soar!

Let the wind blow beneath your wings Challenge yourself to reach new heights Get out of your comfort zone and begin Spread your wings, and take flight.

Wilson wants to continue to “push boundaries, explore new themes and styles, and reach people” with her words and aesthetics, with the hope that her work will serve as a guiding light for those “seeking solace and inspiration”.

IRA MATHUR is a Guardian columnist and the winner of the non-fiction OCM Bocas Prize for Literature 2023. (www.irasroom.org) Email irasroom@gmail.com