Father's Day was just celebrated and I found myself reflecting on my deceased father's life with me in mind. I felt around many painful and powerful ideas that struck me about him and me. As I pondered, I heard via my soul the words, "Father is a Verb" and I wrote a poem with this in the forefront of my exploration. Fathering is not easy. In this episode I share some historical facts that I recall about who my father was and how his life created me into the person I am as a life partner, father, friend and creative. Fathers are making it up as they go. They are action men with a silly switch. Welcome to this episode about fathering.

This episode is a personal one in that I am sharing five poems that were inspired by the impact of the times we are in and the new realisations about mySelf. A time of reflection and exploration is what I use to create. Words are such a fantastical medium of expression. I love nothing less than to write. Welcome to this poetic journey. Come with me.

In this episode I am treating the subject matter of inclusion in face exclusivity with power structures. It's such a harrowing reality that many people groups on earth are suffering. The power play that destroys lives is rampant and this is causing us all a pain that we are tired with. I simply share July thoughts as person of African ancestry, who is male and much more. I bring many quotes to shine a light on the vanguard journey we all are on. I leave nothing out. The poem I wrote says more by way of verse. I hope that you will agree with Andres Tapia who said, "Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work."

In the first episode of Season 2, I share and explore that feeling of fear that threatens to stagnate, however, there's something that can be done to make sure that fear doesn't hijack us. I learnt many years ago to take action and this action would cure the fear immediately. Oftentimes we let fear run amok in our lives to the point of confusion and whatever else that may look like. I share personal instances and how I overcame them. I trust that you can do the same. The recent poem of composed that goes by the same name is a little journey of how we can take action and cure fear. Go ahead and take a listen.

I am happy to announce that Season 2 of The blackpoetboy Podcast is about to begin. Episode 1 will drop on Wednesday June 2nd. There will be conversations with guests as well as yours truly in a conversation of one. I invite to come along. Let's have a great season.

This episode is about light. In this final episode of Season 1, the innerstanding of the personal light we carry is crucial to the living. As the world has been cloaked in a darkness of a sort due to the global pandemic, it's such a poignant time to go within and shine the light within. The truth that we are points of light is a real and rich reality to embrace. The poem Hold Up the Light is a clarion call to all light workers to cultivate themselves and others with the light that floods from within. It's been a pleasure producing each episode and its been a remarkable journey with you alongside. Season 2 will be right along after a month long hiatus. Thank you for your encouragement, time and presence. As you go forth and dazzle, hold up the light.

In this penultimate episode of season 1, I share my experience of cultivating a meditation practice and the correlation of how carving out an allotted time to sit and breathe is a perfect example of Self-care and well-being. I suggest that meditation is a choice that is rewarding, refreshing and life-affirming. I explore the many ways that we have been groomed to run into ended stories instead of regarding the highest Self as the knower of all things. The power that we have is incomparable in all respects and no one can assume this power for us. The poem 'Guide Yourself Back' sets out the roadmap that leads back to our powerful ability to choose and restore our remembrance. How liberating it is to realise that what we once thought was outside us is quietly waiting inside us!

We are living in heavy times. The state of the world is warped, stagnated and played with dark realities. The pandemic has upended our lives, however, I think the at we have a power to create points of light that will shine the way to living more purposefully. In this episode I share a list of examples to lighten the load and be more of our authentic self. The poem 'Light Moments' is personal journey that begins from within. The exploration of Self is always available to us.

We are storytellers. I am a storyteller. We are mersmerised by stories but most especially our own to be honest. In the episode I share part of my story that is a catalyst to the present version of who I am now. The poem 'Tell Me A Story' explores the many layers that our stories consist of. I use poetic language to sum up the conversion of experience into story. This is a multipart subject matter.

This episode is inspired by the TedTalk given by Caroline McHugh in 2013. Listening to her talk was such a moving experience that I wrote a poem about it. I share what I gleaned from the premise she explored with such ease and aplomb. To me it's about the core of our expression as individuals of purpose. It's the inner work and the worth we are that makes the difference. I really enjoyed fleshing this out. We all know about superiority and inferiority but do you know about interiority? Let's talk...

In this episode I round up the two parter exploration on the most prolific subject of our lives: Love. I bring some light to the matter in what love is and what love is not. It's not exhaustive but a roughly concise intention to remind us of the realties of Love as an "untamed force" according to author Paulo Coelho. The poem All Love brings it home. In a world in flux, Love is the only reality that makes life worth living. Have a listen and enjoy.

This episode is an exploration of what love is and is not. The premise of this episode is the much quoted "God is love" passage from the new testament. What is love?The conversation on this most infectious of realities in our lives is not an exhaustive one, however, it's a look at what the innerstanding of what love is and how this stands in the face of the way we have been taught to engage with it. The poem 'ALL LOVE' brings a simple and yet profound point of view to the conversation. This is the first of a two parter.

In this episode, I take little deep dive into the stormy waters of what change is, at least according to my innerstanding of it. The poem 'Change Never Dances Alone' was composed some months ago as a result of my cogitations about this inevitable reality of life. Change doesn't ask our permission and just carries on its unstoppable work and progress. How do we work with this force of reality? How do we embrace and become as we choose to be mindful of it? I share some salient points in this episode and hope that it will assist someone out there. The poem at the end is a takeaway in lines. Enjoy.

As we live in the throes of a pandemic, we are having to navigate through many options for handling the fallout from the fragmentation of our daily lives. Nations are impacted by the invisible threat of a virus that has changed our way of life forever. How do we remedy the effects that every single one of us is grasping with? What do we do with the wound that won't be left alone? The answer is in the process of healing. Healing is the gift give ourselves so that we can start healing in the right direction. The poem written by zari entitled 'The Healing Centre' unveils a path to healing. This poem inspired the conversation.

This episode is a walk through and a sifting through the rubble of the effects of the pandemic. The role it's played on our mental health, our relationships, our economic well-being, our overall human connections and the fragmentation thereafter. The poem entitled 'Living in Space' explores the layers that causes us to ponder on how we will never be the same after the great augmentation in our lives. There's hope. There's a silver lining. There's a rainbow.

In the Age of Death, is a poem that came to me in response to the precarious times we are currently experiencing on a global scale. I am handling the aspect of death as transition and not an end as believed. I also share a little about myself as I recorded this podcast today which is my Bearthday. It's a gift to myself and to you.