Hi, my Kindreds,
How is 2026 treating you so far?
It’s been a slow start for me. I’ve really felt my motivation dip as I was fought off infections, a knee sprain and deep fatigue. January felt like a hibernation time – apart from my birthday, which I celebrated with friends and family.
The mind-body connection is so real. I’m learning that some days I have to move and stretch my body before I can engage my mind and spirit in any activity. I’m doing physio exercises at the moment, and it’s another lesson in patience and faith that small daily exercises make a big difference in the long run.
As February pulls in and the days lengthen, it’s as if this month is the real start to the year. Energy is returning, and the ideas and motivation are moving in an upward direction – praise be!
I went to my first open mic of the year this weekend at Katakata Cafe in Brixton, and it was great to connect with my friends in that community – so supportive, I’m really grateful. Again, years of going along to the same spaces, even irregularly builds trust and support over time.
February is a time when I often feel emotionally raw, as it’s the month of my Dad’s birthday at the beginning and the day he passed away at the end.
Sometimes the words of my own poems come back to me to teach me their truths yet again, and I recognise the nature of grief and submit to its laws. The following is taken from my poem ‘Quota’ from Your tears fall like pearls:
What is the date, and when is the time that grief meets its measure?
Grief is a new state of being; grieving is learning to adapt to it.
I shared a poem about my Dad at the open mic – it seems to resonate with a lot of people and is usually referred to as ‘The cup of tea poem’ since the actual title is much longer, ‘What it felt like when he made me a cup of tea’!
A few people bought books, including one lady who had recently lost her father. This is what it’s about for me, knowing that my work can bring comfort to those who are grieving. Kataka have also agreed to stock my books, after selling several last year. I feel so blessed!
It was great to get back into the swing of performing and sharing poems – back to doing what I do and being who I was created to be.
I was also profiled in the London Writers Salon pages on Medium about my writing practice. I’ve been part of the Salon for a while, and it’s been so helpful in terms of becoming more consistent with my writing.
I’ll be sharing some poems at St Mary’s, Walthamstow Open Mic Worship Night on Thursday, 12 Feb – come along if you are local.
If you would like to support me further, you can:
-
like and share this page
-
give feedback, comment, or
-
just say hello 🙂
It all helps me keep going.
Thanks for reading. I appreciate your time
Till next time, kindreds!