It came to me that people judge from a outward observation of another human being. Instead of finding out who that person really is inside and out. I think everyone has worth I don’t care what their circumstances are at that moment of our encounter.
Poetry performed by actor Val Cole.
THESE SHOES by Latonia Sears
Get to know poetry writer Latonia Sears:
1) What is the theme of your poem?
It came to me that people judge from a outward observation of another human being. Instead of finding out who that person really is inside and out. I think everyone has worth I don’t care what their circumstances are at that moment of our encounter.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I would like for them to be inspired and think about how a person can be looked down on because of his appearance. Or because he is not what some would consider something special in this world.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
6 years
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
Maya Angelou
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
Because I don’t know of any other site that offers the kind of exposure that the poetry festivals gives virtually unknown poets and writers.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
Yes I have 2 self published novels. Also working on a new book I would like to release in the fall. I love writing anything of any nature and subject.
The theme of my poems was sexual intercourse. A vulgar/inappropriate subject maybe, but the inspiration behind the pieces drove me to write in such a way.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I’m not sure how people will react to these particular poems; people usually like them, but it depends on who’s reading.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I wrote my first poem in the fifth grade. Ive been hooked ever since.
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
My favorite poets are modern-age poets. J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Jay Z, Kanye West, etc. Hip Hop is a form of poetry; I write my “poems” as though they were song lyrics.
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I found out about WILDsound kind of randomly; I thought it couldn’t hurt to submit my work to somebody. Maybe they’ll like it!
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I wrote a short story in college for a class project; I wouldn’t mind writing a script though. I guess it depends on what mood I’m in and what inspiration I have at the moment.
7) What is your passion in life?
My true passions in life are poetry and music; even so, I am skilled in other areas. I currently serve my country as a soldier in the United States Army.
Watch TOOTH AND NAIL Poetry Reading. Performed by actor Val Cole:
Get to know the poet Dudley Clarence Sturgis IV:
1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme is determination.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I want people to feel determined. They may face a dragon, but they already wield Excalibur. We all have the power to overcome our obstacles.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I’ve been writing since I first learned how to put pencil to paper – or rather, crayon. Art has always been my passion. Writing, drawing, painting – I do it all.
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
I know it may be cliche, but I’ve always adored Edgar Allan Poe.
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I’ve written quite a lot of poems. Some of those I’ve turned into songs or spoken word pieces. I’ve never really been a fan of my own voice, however. This was perfect for me.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I’m a self-published fantasy novelist. Art is an addiction for me. I can’t really stop.
7) What is your passion in life?
Passion in itself is my passion. I have it for a number of things – art being only just one. Nature is my inspiration. Love and spirituality go hand-in-hand and this journey of mine is just one of many more on this beautiful planet. Everyone has a story. And I want to read as many as I can – while writing my own.
The theme of my poem is the struggle to pull yourself up after you lose someone that you love wholeheartedly. Dealing with depression and loss.
Watch the Poetry Reading of MY LIFE TUMBLED AND I FELL. Performed by Val Cole:
Get to know poet A. Goomer:
1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme of my poem is the struggle to pull yourself up after you lose someone that you love wholeheartedly. Dealing with depression and loss.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I would like people to respond by feeling the emotion of my poem, to connect and heal. Also, to let them know they are not alone in this feeling of total loss and emptiness, it will get better, hang in there.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I’ve been writing poetry seriously since 2009, but I’ve been an artist my whole life and have always written.
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
My favorite poet is Edgar Allen Poe
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I think some people may connect better with a verbal voice than just reading it silently? Plus I am curious to hear the performer’s take on it.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
No, not at this time. I’m just writing poetry, working on a second book right now, a follow-up to My Life Tumbled and I Fell.
7) What is your passion in life?
My passion in life is love, animals and creating! I love helping others who are struggling, because I can relate. If I can help one person who feels lost or hopeless with my book, I would feel amazing 🙂 Life is crazy and really hard, but we can get through it with the help of each other. I love sharing my story with others because I feel like it’s not something people talk about, but we need to. Depression and suicide is very important to talk about and it’s good to know that we can still rise from the flames even if we feel like we never will. Positivity is key, and there is always a silver lining in every tragedy, you just have to see it. It took me 3 years to see it, but I did and here we are.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
This poem is a satire on life. I think people may respond with feelings of humor and pathos. I wrote this poem at the age of fifteen. Although I had not yet experienced a full life back then, I felt brazen enough to express my deepest, satirical feelings on how I envisaged the cycle of life. ‘The Eternal Dance’ expresses both the eternal highs and lows of the different stages of life.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry at the age of eleven when I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I was confined to a Milwaukee brace (from neck to hips) for four years. I was permitted to remove it only one hour a day. I was a also a ballet and spanish dancer at the time and so I removed the brace sometimes for two hours a day but slept with it at night. It was a traumatic period in my life and writing poetry enabled me to best express the emotions I felt at the time.
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
Favorite classical poets:
William Shakespeare
D.H. Lawrence
Victor Hugo
Geoffrrey Chaucer
Sylvia Plath
Emily Dickinson
13th century mystic poet Rumi.
Favorite contemporary poets:
Kenyan poet Chris Mukasa
Russian poet Vera Pavlova
American poet Shel Silverstein
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I have written many poems and feel its time to expose my poetry. ‘The Eternal Dance’ is one of my favorites and I chose to submit it to Wildsound. I hope viewers enjoy it.
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I have written a whimsical, classical fantasy novel where the setting is a reptile-driven kingdom and the characters are serpents. I am busy with the sequel and the series will be a trilogy, ‘The Snaygill Trilogies’.
Writing this series is challenging but such fun and it allows me to transport my imagination to the highest places. I am so excited to see the outcome of the series.
I write short stories and poetry and enjoy exploring different genres. I have not embarked in script writing training but endeavor to teach myself.
7) What is your passion in life?
IMy passions are my children, my family and my friends. I enjoy solitude but I also love to socialize and have fun. Creativity is immensely important to me. I love art, music, reading, fashion, decorating, gardening and simply musing. I love the ocean, nature and animals. I dream of peace on earth and how we desperately need to make this world a better place and a better environment for all, quoting John Lennon’s eternal words ‘Imagine’.
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
How a harsh land shapes the people who survive its challenges. In this case, it is the desert along the Mexican border in Arizona.
2) How would you like people to respond when they read or watch your poetry reading?
I would hope the reader will get a feeling for how life at the margins might be for ordinary people, and for the law of unintended consequences. I hope this piece will allow for some empathy for those who know how to survive.
3) How long have you been writing poetry?
For a little over two years. I had a career as a writer for about 35 years, mostly in journalism (newspapers)
4) Do you have a favorite poet?
I have two or three favorites, actually. My first is Carl Sandburg but lately I’ve been reading the excellent work of Jim Harrison and the North Carolina writer named Sheri Smith. I think my favorites tend to be for those who write more in the narrative style, almost prose, but not quite. And I like those who have a basic affection for our common humanity, rather than those who moan about things too much.
5) What influenced you to submit to WILDsound and have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
You mean besides the ego trip? ?
6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I’m working on a novel, mystery, with lots of sex.
7) What is your passion in life?
At my, age waking up every day is all the passion I need. I figure if I wake up then everything else is irrelevant, and I try to have the best time I can.
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
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