These are the last two tips of this series.
Instagram Poetry Tips Series: #9 and #10
Works in Progress #1
Copyright © 2023 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
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Instagram Poetry Tips Series: #5 and #6
Sometimes you just need a little inspiration! Be inspired and just create, you have to start somewhere… right?
International Women’s Day 2023: A Poetic Tribute
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8, it is the focal point in the women’s rights movement and raises awareness of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The 2023 campaign theme is #EmbraceEquity
My Poetic Tribute
Over the years I have written a few poetry pieces inspired by women and their journey’s, the pieces have explored women’s strength, their growth and their challenges. I have selected a few below to be a part of my poetic tribute.
“Bearing Fruit” : video and audio
“I am Naked” : audio
“The War Cry” : Instagram live video for the book launch of Warrior in 2020 and another video for End Violence Against Women campaign 2022.
A reading of Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” audio
Dear Strong Woman
A couple of years ago I started a motivational series on Instagram called “Dear Strong Women.” Have a look at my Poetry by Traysi Instagram account and scroll through the posts for the black text on green background ones…
Copyright © 2023 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
A spoken word piece for Dignify
For the launch of Dignify in 2020 I was commissioned to write a spoken word piece. This was a part of their journey to engage artists into the Dignify conversations about healthy relationships.
I also revisited my filming and edited skills and created a short spoken word video!
The encounter
From afar I felt you On the back of my neck your whispered words brunt bruises into my skin And into the night I saw you Through shadows and joy induced fears I was reminded of all those years where Deep within something stirred and shattered Am emotion lit by a lighter thumb flick I was in front of you Smiling through clinched teeth and tears Looking different from my insta pic Wondering if you liked what you saw Do you like me This was real I could feel and still I stood in that moment waiting for you Waiting to be pulled internally Blistered hands moulding Starting a transformation I wanted and didn’t want At the same time Becoming something I did not want to be Was not borne to be Couldn’t be Silently screaming superficially “i will not be!” Sealed into a glass box and tossed like dice until I cracked Pieces of me suddenly unimportant Irrelevant App pressed finger swipe Sweating in screen lit places Faces bodies blurring Until you saw me You liked me You told me I was your queen And you’ll show me the world The things I will see Only imagined in Hollywood dreams Scenes where I danced in blissed Kissed by the gold you promised me Our attraction Stunned all sense out of me None of it made sense The way I craved your attention Your toxic flooded eyes showed me oceans And all I wanted to do was dive right in Blind folded to your unloved speech Caressed intimately by fingers glued to mouse clicks Eyes watered from starring too much too hard Every detail too bold and sold through cheap pleasures I dived right in until I drowned Into a relationship I could not find Its foundation crumpled into distances Fallen sand disappeared through my open fingers And despite every cell in my body crying out no I said yes Because you know I loved you from our first encounter
Copyright © 2020 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
Instagram Poetry Tips Series
Tips #1 and #2
Do day dream about writing poetry?
Do you need some poetry writing encouragement?
Maybe I can help, hopefully? I have started a new Instagram Poetry Tips Series to encourage those who are either thinking about writing or those have reached an unmotivated stage where anything poetry leads to a dead-end! Trust me, I have been there many times!
Here are my first two tips!
You might also find ‘Why Do I Write? Reason #1: It Heals’ post helpful.
You can also checkout ‘Poetry Writing Inspiration.’
My poetry: real love
A few weeks ago I was asked to write a spoken word piece based on the Bible scripture 1 Corinthians chapter 13. This I performed at the Wellspring during a talk about “Real Love.”
Love bears all things and never gives up
In every circumstance it remains
Roots dug deep in storms
Where failures transform into new things
Overcoming life’s hurdles
Ducking and diving dilemmas
Unexpected and foreseen
Steadfast it stays
For days
For years
Forever
Enduring it all
Never giving up
Love never loses faith
Continues believing
Hoping
Seeing beyond human mind-sets
And current situations
Seeing the best
Protects with a shield that surrounds and trusts
The glue in all relationships
Patiently bringing peace in the waiting
Kind
Selfless
Caring
Compassionate
Love
Outshining anything man made and thought of
Intertwining into life so gracefully
Cutting through concealed places
Heavy spaces where things seem lost
Love stays strong
Never weakening
Never dwindling
Never fails
Fades or ends
Just flows out of those who know
What it means to be loved and
To love
Growing out of God's love
Filled with a real love
Out of a heart fully submitted
Births something so beautiful
An understanding that
God is love
God is love and
All who live in love live in God and
This love is the greatest
The most powerful
Where every cell of our body pours out love
Where every action and
Reaction begins and ends with love
Where every language spoken is in the language of love
And we are nothing if we haven't loved
We can have a faith that moves mountains
Speak in tongues of angles
Have the gift of prophecy and
Can fathom all mysteries and
Knowledge
We can give all to the poor and do all the things we think God has called us to do
Leave a life of legacy lasting for generations and generations
We can do and overcome amazing things both big and small
All in the name of the lord
And still not love
Seasons will come and go
Prophesy will cease
Tongues will be stilled
Knowledge will pass away
Like dust disappearing in the wind and despite all these endings
Only three things will remain
Faith hope and love
And the greatest of these is love
Copyright © 2022 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
Stop sexual abuse & sexual violence: a poetry dedication
A poetry dedication to stopping violence against women and stopping sexual abuse and sexual violence
Copyright © 2022 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
Windrush Day 22nd June
The first Windrush Day was celebrated in the UK on 22 June 2019. This day acknowledes the generation of people from the Caribbean, who came over to the UK by invitation to help rebuild Britain after the World War Two.
But when 500 migrants from the Caribbean arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex in 1948 to live and work in the UK, they were met with racism, prejudice and hostility.
My parents came over from Grenada in the early 70’s, after the Windrush generation. It pains me that decades after Windrush they were mistreated. And decades after thatWindrush Scandal hit the news in 2018.
Over the years I have written various spoken word/ poetry pieces exploring racism, identity and culture. I have shared some of these pieces below.
My poetry dedication to Windrush Day
They beat sticks – an audio recording of a poem from my book Warrior.
Go back to your country – an audio recording
Still enslaved (aka ‘we rose out of freedom’) – an audio recording
One word poetry prompt: ‘melancholy’ & ‘spark’
At the start of this year I felt demotivated and recently asked my Instagram followers to send me one word poetry prompts. Below are the poems I wrote for ‘melancholy’ and ‘spark.’
“Melancholy” (word prompt by @hec_poetry )
the day began with a slowness of thought
splashed water on face and fuelled by coffee
he emerged from the kitchen wondering
if outside was grey why the cloud in his room remained?
was this feeling a new destiny?
one he should embrace
he sighed into his sofa
and waited for hope to grow
feet planted in soil to be watered
he wanted to experience a new birth
one where he flourished
would a transformation of self come?
will it be the same next month?
the thought went as quickly as it came
his coffee now cold cup placed on the floor amongst others
enough thinking for the day he laid down and closed his eyes
tomorrow he will revisit it all again
he sighed a silent thank you
he did more than yesterday
‘spark’ (word prompt from @madeuniquecic)
it came
when she least expected it
from nowhere it found her
during her lowest
helping her to become
she had no idea she had it in her
until she felt a warmth in her belly
and others saw a glow in her eyes
a bounce in her step
whilst she walked a trial of flowers
behind her
they said
she brought light in crowds
hope in situations
when she laughed everyone smiled
when she cried they felt her pain
at night
she held the spark in the palm
of her hands
wondering what to expect next
her life
a book she was ready to write
with an ending that excited her
Copyright © 2021 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew