Poetry performed by Amaka Umeh

POETRY 7 questions:

What is the theme of your poem?

The theme is growing up and letting go – a father’s desire for his son to become a strong man (even when he’s not quite willing to let go of his little boy yet). There’s also a hint of co-parenting between mother ocean and the father on the shore, building trust as the little boy sails off on his own to become the man they’ve raised him to be.

What motivated you to write this poem?

A former soldier had contacted me to thank me for believing in him when I was his commander. He’d had a rough time and made a lot of mistakes, but his son was his reason for turning his life around and I was very proud of him for that.

How long have you been writing poetry?

Since I was in high school (though I was much cheesier way back then!)

If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Jimmy Buffett – he’s my calypso poet role model in songwriting.

What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I think in movie scenes. Poetry helps to bring words and images to life in the minds of the readers, so a professional reading would add a whole new dimension.

Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I’ve self-published two collections of poems and short stories as well as a children’s book and song lyrics. I’ve also completed one full-length feature script.

What is your passion in life?

Connections – learning how people, places, things, and events are intertwined.